If, indeed, they remained pagan, this severity might naturally have visited them; but the Cagots were certainly Christians from early times, as the accommodations prepared for them in churches proves.
There seems little doubt that the armies of Abderraman spread themselves over the Pyrenees, where they long kept the French and Gascons in fear: traditions of them still exist, and the name of a plain near the village of Ossun, in Bigorre, called Lane-Mourine, seems to tell its own tale, as well as the relics found in its earth of the skulls of men, pronounced by competent judges to be those of the natives of a warm climate: in other words, of Saracens, or Moors.

But still there seems nothing to prove that the Cagots are the children of these identical Moors, who are said to have been infected with leprosy, and consequently shunned by the people amongst whom they had intruded themselves.
Lepers, at all times, were ordered to be kept apart from the rest of the people, and were placed under the care of the Church to prevent their wandering and carrying infection with them; and the miserable condition in which the proscribed race of Cagots existed, probably made them more liable to take the hideous disease which would have separated them from their kind, even if not already in that predicament: but there must have been something more than mere disease which kept the line for ever drawn between these poor wretches and the rest of the world.
It is expressly defined in the speeches of ministers from the altar to those afflicted with leprosy:--"_As long as you are ill_ you shall not enter into any house out of the prescribed bounds." This applied to _all_ afflicted with leprosy; but the embargo was never taken off the Cagot.
At one period, the priests made a difficulty of confessing those who were Cagots, and Pope Leo X.was obliged to issue orders to all ecclesiastics to administer the sacraments to them as well as to others of the faithful.
They were during some time called _gezitains_, or descendants of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, leprous and accursed; but by what authority does not appear.

The leprosy was called the _Arab evil_, and supposed to have been brought into Europe by the Saracens: the _suspicion_ of _infection_ which attached to this race might have caused them to be so shunned; and, whether afflicted or not, they never got the better of this suspicion.
The greatest number of Cagots are to be found in those parts of the Pyrenees which lead directly to Spain, which may strengthen the supposition that the Moors are really their ancestors.

A sad falling off to the glory and grandeur of this magnificent people is the notion that all that remains of them should be a race of outcasts, loathsome and abhorred! I cannot induce myself to adopt this idea till more proof is offered to support it, and better reason given to account for the contempt and hatred shown to a people, who, though once followers of Mahomed had become _Chretiaas_.
Amongst other names given them are those of _gahets_ and _velus_, for which there seems no explanation; but every new fact involves the question in still deeper obscurity.
It was always enacted that _catechumens_, during the two or three years of probation which they passed previous to being received as children of the Church, should live apart from professed Christians, being neither allowed to eat or frequent the baptized, or give them the kiss of peace: and the Saracens of course were subjected to the same trials, from whence might first have arisen the habit of their living apart, and being looked upon with suspicion, both on account of their former faith and their supposed leprosy.

This is, however, I think, scarcely sufficient to warrant the long continuance of the enmity which has pursued them.
One of the acts of the parliament of Bordeaux shows with how much harshness they were treated, and what pains were taken to keep them from mixing with the people, long after the panic of leprosy must have disappeared.