bable, however, from Suetonius, that this was done to carry the effects of the poor fufferers into his gardens, which he promised to do gratis; but would not fuffer the owners to touch what the flames had spared, and converted all to his own use. "Ac ne non hinc quoque, fays his impartial Biographer, quantum poffet prædæ et "manubiarum invaderet, pollicitus "cadaverum et ruderum gratui"tam egeftionem, nemini ad reliquias rerum fuarum adire per"mifit."*

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From these paffages, and the authors referred to in the note above, the guilt and profligacy of

S

Nero,

• Sueton. in Neron. Chap. XXXVIII.

Nero, with regard to this conflagration which lafted fix days, cannot be questioned, I think, without an uncommon degree of fcepticism; and a person, who by a pretended investigation of truth, endeavours to explain away a notorious matter of fact, recorded by a cotemporary and feveral fucceeding hiftorians, hardly deserves a ferious anfwer.

Let us now examine the account of the dreadful havock Nero made among the Chriftians, in order to avoid the public odium, which he had juftly incurred for fetting the Capital on fire, that he might enlarge his palace, &c.

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"With this view [to divert the fufpicion of his having fet Rome

"on

"on fire*] he [Nero] inflicted the "moft exquifite tortures on thofe "men, who, under the vulgar appellation of Chriftians, were already branded with DESERVED infamy." "They derive their "name and origin from Chrift, "who in the reign of Tiberius had "fuffered death, by the fentence "of the procurator Pontius Pilate." "For a while, this dire fuperfti❝tion was checked; but it again "burft forth; and not only fpread "itfelf over Judea, the first seat of "this mischievous fect, but was "even introduced into Rome, the "common afylum, which receives "and protects whatever is atro"cious."

S 2

* Gibbon's Tranflation of a paffage in

Tacitus.

"cious." "The confeffions of those "who were seized, discovered a "great multitude of their accom"plices; and they were all convicted, "not fo much for the crime of

'fetting fire to the city, as for "THEIR hatred of mankind.” "They died in torments; and their " torments were embittered by "infult and derifion." "Some "were nailed on croffes; others "fown up in skins of wild beafts, "and exposed to the fury of dogs: "others again, fmeared over with "combustible materials, were used "as torches to illuminate the

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night." "The gardens of Nero "were destined for the melancholy fpectacle, which was accompanied "with a horse race, and HONour

"ED

"ED WITH THE PRESENCE of "the Emperor; who mingled with "the populace in the dress and at❝titude of a charioteer." "The

guilt of the Chriftians deferved, "indeed, the most exemplary punish"ment; but the public abhorrence "was changed into commiferation, "from the opinion that thofe unhappy wretches were facrificed, "not fo much to the rigour of ju"ftice, as to the cruelty of the tyrant."*

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That the learned reader may judge, whether the above be a just tranflation of Tacitus's words, I shall transcribe the original paffage to which the Author refers; and S 3

cannot

*Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Chap. XVI. p. 533, 534.