flexible obftinacy ought to be "punished."+ Trajan, by his answer, approves of what Pliny had done with regard to the Chriftians; and though he would not have him fearch for fuch victims to his tyranny, yet he orders them to be punished, unless they renounced their religion: however, he disapproved of anonymous libels, about which his governor of Bythinia feems to hesitate.

Before

1 This heroic conftancy and inflexibility, ought rather to have been admired by a Roman.

Juftum et tenacem propofiti virum

Non civium ardor prava jubentium, Non vultus inftantis tyranni,

Mente quatit folidâ

Hor. Lib. III. Ode 3.

+ Neque enim dubitabam, qualecunque

effet

Before I difmifs this remarkable Epiftle, I cannot help obferving, that it seems to contradict Mr. G's affertion, about the small number of Chriftians in the Roman empire, and the contemptible light in which they were looked upon by the Roman magiftrates. "Many, "fays Pliny, of every age, rank, ❝and fex, are, and will be, brought 66 to a trial; nor are cities only, "but villages, and the country "infected with the contagion of "that fuperftition It is certainly "evident that the temples, which "were almost deferted, begin to be

"fre

effet quod faterentur, pervicaciam certè, et inflexibilem obftinationem debere pumiri. Lib. x. Ep. 97.

"frequented; and the facrifices, " which had been long intermitted, "begin to be renewed*, &c.

• Multi omnis ætatis, omnis ordinis, utriufque fexûs etiam, vocantur in periculum, et vocabuntur. Neque enim civitates tantùm, fed vicos etiam atque agros fuperftitionis iftius contagio pervagata eft: quæ videtur fifti et corrigi poffe. Certè fatis conftat, propè jam defolata templa cœpiffe celebrari, et facra folennia diu intermiffa repeti; paffimque vænire victimas, quarum adhuc rariffimus emptor inveniebatur. Idem, Ibid.

This was in confequence of the perfecution carried on by Pliny and his mild and humane master.

+