'

'I believe Fronto capable of any crime by which the gods may be served.
Have you not heard, Aurelian what fell from the dying Christian's lips?'

'I have, Livia; and have cast it from me as at best the coinage of a
moonstruck mountebank. Shall the word of such a one as Macer the
Christian, unseat my trust in such a one as Fronto? That were not
reasonable, Livia.'

'Then, Aurelian, if not for any reason that I can give, for the love you
bear me, withhold your hand from this innocent people. You have often
asked me to crave somewhat which it would be hard for you to grant, that
you might show how near you hold me. Grant me this favor, and it shall
be more to me than if you gave me the one half the empire.'

The Emperor's stern countenance relaxed, and wore for a moment that
softened expression, accompanied by a smile, that on his face might be
termed beautiful. He was moved by the unaffected warmth and winning
grace with which those words were spoken by Livia. But he only said,

'I love thee, Livia, as thou knowest,--but not so well as Rome or the
gods.'

'I would not, Aurelian,' replied the Empress, 'that love of me should
draw you away from what you owe to Rome--from what is the clear path of
a monarch's duty; but this seems at best a doubtful case. They who are
equally Roman in their blood differ here. It is not wrong to ask you,
for my sake, to lean to the side of mercy.'

'You are never wrong, Livia. And were it only right to--'

'But are you not, Aurelian, always sure of being right in being
merciful? Can it ever afterward repent you that you drew back from the
shedding of blood?'

'It is called mercy, Livia, when he who has the power spares the
culprit, forgives the offence, and sends him from the gibbet or the
cross back to his weeping friends. The crowds throw up their caps and
shout as for some great and good deliverance. But the mercy that returns
upon the world a villain, whose crimes had richly earned for him his
death, is hardly a doubtful virtue. Though, as is well known, I am not
famed for mercy, yet were it clear to me what in this case were the
truest mercy--for the pleasure, Livia, of pleasuring thee, I would be
merciful. But I should not agree with thee in what is mercy. It were no
mercy to Rome, as I judge, to spare these Christians, whatever the grace
might be to them. Punishment is often mercy. In destroying these
wretches I am merciful both to Rome and to the world, and shall look to