"mined to consult the Emperor;" for "the

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concern, (says he), appears to me to be deserving of deliberation, principally on ac"count of the numbers involved; since many "of every age, of every rank, and of both sexes, are, and will continue to be, exposed "to danger, from the contagion of this su“perstition, spread not only through the "cities, but even through the villages and country, which nevertheless, as it appears, may be stopped and corrected. Certainly, (he adds), it is sufficiently evident, that the temples, which have been almost deserted, begin again to be resorted to, and the so"lemnities, which have been long intermitted, "to be renewed, and victims are every where sold, for which lately purchasers have seldom been found. From which circumstances, (continues Pliny), it may easily be conjectured, what number of men might be

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reclaimed, if room for repentance were "allowed *." It appears from this memor able Epistle, how very different, on the subject of toleration, were the principles of philosophy when professed under its mildest form, and by a man distinguished for his humanity,

Lib. x. Epist. 97.

from those which the liberal spirit of Christianity introduced.

Trajan, in his answer to the Epistle, commends the conduct of Pliny, and directs that in future the Christians should not be officiously sought for; but that if they were brought forward and convicted, they should be punished: with this restriction, however, that he who should deny himself to be a Christian, and should make it clear that he was not such, by supplicating the Roman deities, though he might before have been suspected, should receive pardon upon his repentance; but that informations brought forward without the author's name, should not be received, as being of the worst example, and not consistent with the prac tice of his government. We see that even Trajan, in the exercise of his power, still adheres to very intolerant principles; observing the original maxims which had prevailed in the early times of the republic, and which enjoined the magistrate to prohibit the introduction of foreign rites of religion, and to expel their sacrificers and their priests from the Forum, the Circus, and the City; directing that he should seek for, and burn their prophetic books, and

should abolish all modes of sacrifice, excepting those which were agreeable to the Ro

man customs

The other letters in the collection often

exhibit Pliny in a pleasing point of view, as devoted to literature, and fond of the retirement of private life, of which he describes the domestic scenes, even to the minutest detail of his villas, with affectionate warmth †. In his panegyric, he describes a sanctity of manners worthy of ancient Rome. He sometimes betrays a pedantic vanity, and sometimes a most unphilosophical credulity, with respect to the appearances of departed spirits, restless and haunting their earthly abodes, inclining to a superstition, which

Livy, lib. xxxix. § 16.

+ The excellent Rollin makes the following just reflections upon these Epistles: "Combien de pareils endroits four"nissent-ils de reflexions propres à faire comprendre aux "jeunes gens la sainteté et la pureté de la religion chrè"tierne, l'aveuglement volontaire et criminel, des plus "beaux esprits du paganisme, l'injustice criante des princes "les plus modérés et les plus sages qu'aient jamais eû les "Romains, et la contradiction manifeste de leurs edits contre "les chrétiens, on l'on voit que pour les condanner ils a "fallu rénoncer, non seulement à tout équité, mais encore "aux bons sens et à la droite raison." See Belles Lettres, tom. i. p. 69.

Lib. vii. Epist. 27..

Lucian has ridiculed with much pleasantry He entertained a just abhorrence of suicide, which he styles "luctuosissimum genus mor"tist," and which so much prevailed under the influence of the Stoical opinions of his time, that the example of Pætus and Arria were often imitated; and lastly, he illustrated the most considerate principles of regard and kindness for his dependants and slaves §.

* Φιλοψευδής.

+ Lib. i. Epist. 12 and 22. Lib. iii. Epist. 16.

Lib. iii. Epist. 16.

Lib. viii. Epist. 16.

CHAP. LVII.

Decimus vel Decius Junius Juvenalis.

JUVENAL was born in the reign of Claudius, at Aquinum, in Campania; and lived during the successive reigns of Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, and Adrian. He is supposed to have studied under Fronto and Quintilian, and to have practised at the Roman bar. He seems to have lived principally at Rome, though some state, that in consequence of the resentment of Paris, the comedian, who was a favourite of Domitian, he was sent by the Emperor, under pretence of military employment, to Pentapolis, on the frontiers of Egypt and Lybia *. If this be a correct account, we may suppose with Dodwell, that he returned to Rome in the time of Adrian †. Martial represents him to have been a fre

The place afterwards celebrated for the birth of Thomas Aquinas.

† Malala. lib. i. Chron. p. 34. Sueton.