second and a third time, threatening also to punish
them with death. Such as still persisted, I ordered away to be
punished; for it was no doubt with me, whatever might be the
nature of their opinion, that contumacy and inflexible
obstinacy ought to be punished. There were others of the same
infatuation, whom, because they are Roman citizens, I have
noted down to be sent to the city.

"In a short time the crime spreading itself, even whilst under
persecution, as is usual in such cases, divers sorts of people
came in my way. An information was presented to me, without
mentioning the author, containing the names of many persons,
who, upon examination, denied that they were Christians, or
had even been so; who repeated after me an invocation of the
gods, and with wine and frankincense made supplication to your
image, which, for that purpose, I have caused to be brought
and set before them, together with the statues of the deities.
Moreover, they reviled the name of Christ. None of which
things, as is said, they who are really Christians can by any
means be compelled to do. These, therefore, I thought proper
to discharge.

"Others were named by an informer, who at first confessed
themselves Christians, and afterward denied it. The rest said
they had been Christians, but had left them; some three years
ago, some longer, and one or more above twenty years. They all
worshiped your image, and the statues of the gods; these also
reviled Christ. They affirmed that the whole of their fault or
error lay in this: that they were wont to meet together, on a
stated day, before it was light, and sing among themselves
alternately, a hymn to Christ as a God, and bind themselves by
a sacrament, not to the commission of any wickedness, but not
to be guilty of theft, or robbery, or adultery; never to
falsify their word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them,
when called upon to return it. When these things were
performed, it was their custom to separate, and then to come
together again to a meal, which they ate in common, without
any disorder; but this they had forborne since the publication
of my edict, by which, according to your command, I prohibited
assemblies. After receiving this account, I judged it the more
necessary to examine two maid servan