The proconsul then said to him, " I have wild beasts at hand ; to these will I cast thee, except thou repent." But he answered, " Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil ; 9 and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous." '° But again the proconsul said to him, " I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, seeing thou despisest the wild beasts, if thou wilt not repent." But Poly- carp said, " Thou threatenest me with fire which burneth for an hour, and after a little is extin- guished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt."