Pliny's Letters, and I will find you another. Before you read the letters I am going to show you,” added Mrs. Beaufoy, "you will like to know something of the character of the writers. The emperor Trajan was a mild and benevolent prince; he retained that simplicity of dress and manners which had distinguished the Romans at an earlier period, and he gained the hearts of his subjects by the affability with which he listened to their just complaints. Trajan also valued and enjoyed the pleasures of friendship, and Pliny, the writer of the letter you are just going to read, was one of the persons with whom he maintained a confidential intercourse. Pliny was also the friend of Tacitus, and, like him, regarded as one of the most eloquent persons of his time; he was likewise a man of a generous, humane, and amiable temper, well deserving the esteem which the emperor felt for him*, ** Lemprière. Art. Pliny and Trajan. Towards the Christians Pliny showed much more candour and liberality than Tacitus; not confounding them with the Jews, who, during the reign of Trajan, committed the most dreadful excesses * but doing justice to the innocence of their lives, though he condemned their superstition. At the time he wrote this letter, he was intrusted by his friend and master, Trajan, with the government of Bithynia and Pontust. In those provinces, extending along the southern shores of the Black Sea, there were multitudes of Christians, and Pliny soon found himself in a situation most painful to a person of humane feelings. Shocked at the accusations continually preferred against men who were guilty of no crime but their religion, he wrote to the emperor for advice as to his own conduct towards the Christians. From this circumstance, Dr. 臺 Lemprière. + Gibbon, vol. ii. p. 409. Lardner concludes, that there were, at that time, no edicts in force against the Christians. If there had, Pliny, who was well acquainted with the Roman laws, must have known them, and would not have been at a loss how to act: it is therefore probable, that the cruel edicts of Nero and Domitian had been abrogated*. Harry then read the following letter, which was justly valued by the early Christians, as a testimony that could not be suspected, of the purity of their lives and doctrines. When assailed by the calumnies of their enemies, they often appealed to this letter of Plinyt. It was written about seventy years after the death of Christ, and about forty after the death of St. Pault. Lardner, Test. Anc. Hea. ch. ix. + Melmoth's Pliny, vol. ii. p. 671, note. To the Emperor Trajan. 'It is a rule, Sir, which I inviolably ob'serve, to refer myself to you in all my 'doubts; for who is more capable of re'moving my scruples, or informing my ig'norance? Having never been present at 'any trials concerning those who profess Christianity, I am unacquainted, not only 'with the nature of their crimes, or the 'measure of their punishment, but how 'far it is proper to enter into an examina'tion concerning them. Whether, there'fore, any difference is usually made with 'respect to the ages of the guilty, or no 'distinction is to be observed between the 'young and the adult; whether repent'ance entitles them to a pardon; or if a 'man has been once a Christian, it avails 'nothing to desist from his error; whether 'the very profession of Christianity, unat'tended with any criminal act, or only the 'crimes themselves inherent in the profes 'sion are punishable; in all these points I 6 am greatly doubtful. In the meanwhile, the method I have observed towards 'those who have been brought before me as Christians, is this: I interrogated 'them whether they were Christians; if "they confessed, I repeated the question twice again, adding threats at the same 'time; when, if they still persevered, I ' ordered them to be immediately punish'ed: for I was persuaded, whatever the "nature of their opinions might be, a con'tumacious and inflexible obstinacy cer'tainly deserved correction. There were others also brought before me possessed 'with the same infatuation, but being citizens of Rome, I directed them to be carried thither. But this crime spreading (as is usually the case) while it was actu❝ally under prosecution, several instances ' of the same nature occurred. An infor'mation was presented to me without any "name subscribed, containing a charge |