The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. II
The sixteenth chapter I cannot help considering as a very ingenious and specious, but very disgraceful
extenuation of the cruelties perpetrated by the Roman magistrates against the Christians. It is written in the
most contemptibly factious spirit of prejudice against the sufferers; it is unworthy of a philosopher and of
humanity. Let the narrative of Cyprian's death be examined. He had to relate the murder of an innocent man of
advanced age, and in a station deemed venerable by a considerable body of the provincials of Africa, put to
death because he refused to sacrifice to Jupiter. Instead of pointing the indignation of posterity against...
