CHAP. LI.

Caius Plinius Secundus Major.

PLINY was born at Verona, in the reign of Tiberius, A. D. 23, he enjoyed high and confidential offices under Vespasian. Being stationed with a fleet under his command at Misenum, A. D. 79, when the first important eruption of Mount Vesuvius took place, and being carried to the scene of danger, by a generous regard to the safety of the inhabitants of the vicinity, who were threatened with destruction, he lost his life by a sudden suffocation*, from the effect of noxious vapours which arose from the earth on which he had reclined.

Fabricius enumerates many productions of Pliny which are now lost.

His Natural History, which is his prin

Plin. Epist. lib. vi. xvi.

cipal work, was written, A. D. 77*, exhibiting the strongest proofs of his industry. It consists of 37 books, of which Harduin, without sufficient reason, supposes the first to be spurious. From the variety of materials, compiled together with great industry and research, but not always with equal accuracy, some particulars of geographical detail, and natural history, may be found, illustrative of Scripture, but which are more suited for occasional comment than for any general description.

He

It may be observed, however, that in speaking of Judea, Pliny mentions that Jerusalem had been by far the most illustrious city, not of Judea alone, but of the East. describes that country as divided, in his time, into ten Toparchs or Counties, one of which was that of Jericho, planted with the palmtree; thus illustrating the propriety of the Scripture appellation of the City of Palmtrees §. He speaks of the river Jordan, as a pleasant stream, diffusing itself and meander

* Plin. Præfat. ad Nat. Hist. et Fabric. Bib. Lat. Supplement, p. 404.

Chronolog. V. T. p. 152.

Lib. v. c. 14.

§ Deut. xxxiv. 3. Plin. lib. xiii. c. 4.

ing in its lengthened course, as if reluctant to throw itself into the Asphaltite lake (Dead Sea), by nature accursed, where at last its approved current is swallowed up in pestilential waters *. He represents Judæa as peculiarly distinguished for the production of the balsam †.

In the Acts of the Apostles, mention is made of certain vagabond Jews and Exorcists, who took upon them to call over evil spirits in the name of the Lord Jesus +, though, as it appears, without success. Some have thought that Pliny alludes to persons of this description, when he speaks of a magical faction, dependant on, and derived from Moses, Jamne, and Jotape, amongst the Jews §. It may be observed, that the historian seems to have considered the names of the magicians, who opposed Moses, as belonging to the adherents of that Divine legislator; alluding probably to the same persons whose opposition is referred to by St. Paul.

Lib. v. c. 15.

† Lib. xii. c. 25. See also Strabo, 1. xvi. p. 1073. 1085. Acts xix. 13.

Hist. Nat. lib. xxx. c. 1. p. 297. vol. i. Edit. Lug. Bat. 2 Tim. iii. 8.

Pliny speaks of the Jews as a people distinguished for a contempt of the Heathen deities, and he considers it as a mark of human weakness to frame an image and form of God †.

* Lib. xiii. c. 4.

+ Lib. ii. c. 7.

CHAP. LII.

Aulus Persius Flaccus.

PERSIUS is supposed to have been born in the reign of Tiberius, A. D. 32, at Volaterra, in Etruria, though he himself seems to intimate that he was a Ligurian *. He is said to have been of the equestrian order. Persius appears to have been educated in the discipline of the Stoics, when the Epicurean principles prevailed at Rome, and when a degenerate people endeavoured to forget the loss of their ancient freedom in licentious pleasures. He and Lucan were disciples of Annæus Cornutus, whom he mentions with the affection of a grateful mind, as a man of Socratic dignity, by whose instructions he had been excited to activity and a love of

Sat. vi. 1. 6, 7. Euseb. Chron. et Fabricii, Biblioth Latin. lib. ii. c. 12.