"new and impious fuperftition;" but does not mention the flighteft fufpicion of their having fet fire

to the city, though he gives a particular account of it in another chapter of the life of Nero. 4. It is far from acting the part of a candid and impartial hiftorian to affert, as Tacitus does, and his tranflator even in ftronger terms, that the Chriftians were fontes, et noviffima exempla meritos, without specifying any crime that they were guilty of. Indeed he knew, or might have known, from his friend

Pliny, that they were guilty of no crime; but that their religion bound

them

Afflicti fuppliciis Chriftiani, genus hominum fuperftitionis novæ ac maleficæ. Suet. in Nero. Cap. 16.

Ibid. Cap. xxxviii.

them by a folemn engagement not to commit any.†

As to Mr. Gibbon's four obfervations on the above paffage in Tacitus, the firft is obvious and inconteftable; the second and third are vague conjectures, fupported by no authority; but the fourth is totally void of foundation, viz. "That the religious tenets of the "Chriftians, were never made a fubject of punishment, or even "of enquiry." The contrary is exceedingly evident, from the Epiftle of Pliny, and the paffage in Suetonius quoted above; and Mr. G. refers to the latter in his firft obfervation, fo that he could not overlook it. The laft inftance of Mr.

66

Plin. Lib. x. Ep. 97.

Mr. G's altering the fenfe of Tacitus in this celebrated paffage, is at the conclufion; where he renders (5) tamquam non utilitate publica, "not fo much to the rigour of ju"ftice;" as if the Chriftians were, in some measure, justly punished; whereas the hiftorian mentions only the public utility, which was often made the pretence for punishing the innocent Chriftians.

Remarks on the Author's account of the conduct of Pliny the younger, and the emperor Trajan, towards the Chriftians.

"Under the reign of Trajan," fays Mr. G.*" the younger Pliny

"was entrufted with the govern "ment of Bithynia and Pontus. "He foon found himself at a lofs "to determine, by what rule of "juftice, or of law, he fhould direct "his conduct in the execution of "an office, the most repugnant to "his humanity. Pliny had never "affifted at any judicial proceed"ings against the Chriftians, with "whofe name alone he seems "to be acquainted; and he was "totally uninformed with regard "to the nature of their guilt, &c." "The life of Pliny had been "employed in the acquifition of "learning, and in the bufinefs of the world. The answer of

"Trajan, to which the Chriftians "of the fucceeding age have fre

"quently

quently appealed, difcovers as "much regard for juftice and hu

manity, as could be reconciled "with his mistaken notion of religious policy. Inftead of difplay"ing the implacable zeal of an the emperor ex

Inquifitor,

-

preffes much more folicitude to protect the security of the inno "cent, than to prevent the escape " of the guilty: "directs the magiftrates to punish "fuch persons as are legally * con

66

Though he

victed, he prohibits, with a very

humane inconfiftency, from mak"ing any enquiries concerning the fuppofed criminals."

66

Not

How could they be legally convicted,

if, as Mr. G. informs a few lines higher,

"there