Academic Exercise on the Abstinence of the Early Christians from Reading Profane Books

concerning which the named writers may be consulted.

Th. VI.

Certainly, many among the early Christians so loathed the books of the gentiles that they burned them. Gregory I, Bishop of Rome, committed to the flames whatever writings of approved merit Palatine Apollo held l).

John of Salisbury reports this reason by which he was moved to do this: so that the divine page might have a more favored place, greater authority, and more zealous diligence m). Verulam shows what those writings were when he says that he strove to obliterate the memory of profane writers and antiquities n). Nor did the ancient Greek poets experience a milder fate, especially the Lyric poets, of whom there was a not inconsiderable number after Pindar: Their fate is shown, as Morhof testifies o), from Pe-

l) J. Sar. de nugis Curi. lib. 2. c. 26. p. m. 125.
m) lib. 8. c. 19. p. m. 645. n) de augmentis scientiarum lib. 1. o) Polyh. Tom. 1. p. m. 4