260 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
not similar to that of modern " society " journals ; the statements 
of the latter not founded on fact, like those of Juvenal or Pliny, 
either in the cases assigned or in the general state of society, but 
simply rendered plausible by exceptional occurrences. Trajau's 
government that of " all the talents " — philosophers, legislators, 
and honourable women combined — and yet not the smallest trace 
is visible of any idea of representative government, but simply of 
the devolution of despotic power on the shoulders of the most 
worthy by the fiat of necessity. Pliny's own words, standing at 
the foot of Trajan's throne delivering his Panegyric, sum up the 
sentiments of the time, to the great surprise of all who really 
prize constitutional liberty : " Thou commandest us to be free : 
well, we shall even be so." (" Jubes esse liberos. Erimus.") It 
is clear that in the reign of Trajan at least, if not during the 
lifetime of Cicero, as some say, the Eomans had the so-much- 
talked-of " Imperium et Libertas " of later times. Up to the time 
of the death of Domitian they could not call their lives their own, 
and consequently were as prodigal and careless how they cast them 
away as are some despairing slaves of modern times, who know 
nothing, fear nothing, and when asked what they will not venture, 
still answer, " Nothing," if they may only help on the cause of 
freedom. But on the accession of Trajan all is changed ; his 
panegyrist, Pliny, takes care to tell us so. " Imperium et Liber- 
tas " was at length the appanage of the once proud Eoman race ! 
They had the " Imperium " in their wide-spread Eoman Empire, 
presided over by their favourite Trajan ; and what is more, they 
had (but at the command of that emperor) their "Libertas," or 
so-called liberty, too ! 
