Page 118 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

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READING LESSONS. 117
M1L1ITARY, a., soldierly, pertaining to warlike a airs. L. militaris, om ile., a sol er ;-a term applied by the Romans to any one of the thousand (mille, a thousand) men empl ed to defend the city.
lLrn'DATE, n., an order given. L. mandatum, om mandare (manus, the hand, and dare), to give with the hand; i. e., a charge, an order.
PER 1FIDY, n., treachery to ith pledged. F. per de, om do, L., I trust.
onERA1Tiox, n., rbearance of extremity. F. moderation, om modus, L., a measure, a n1anner.
Toa'TURE, n., torments judicially in icted. F. torture, I. S. and L., tortura, om tortum, p. pt. of torqitere, to twist, to torment.
1. AT the distance of so many ages, it is impos­ sible to discover. by whom Christianity was rst preached in England. Some writers have ascribed that province to Saint Peter; others have pre rred the rival claim of Saint Paul: but both opinions, im­ probable as they are in themselves, rest on most slender evidence; on testimonies, which are many of them irrelevant, all ambiguous and unsatis ctory.
2. It is, however, certain, that at a very early pe­ riod there were Christians in Britain: nor is it di ­ cult to account r the circumstance, om the inter­ course which had long subsisted between the island and Rome. ithin a very few years om the ascen­ sion of Christ, the Church of Rome had attained great celebrity: soon afterwards it attracted great notice, and was honoured with the enmity of Clau­ dius and Nero. Of the Romans, whom at that pe­ riod choice or necessity conducted to Britain, and of the Britons, who were induced to visit Rome, some would, of course, become acquainted with the pro­
fessors of the Gospel, and yield to the exertions of their zeal.
3. Both Pomponia Gr cina, the wife of the pro­ consul Plautius, the rst who made any permanent conquest in the island, and Claudia, a British lady,