2591. Among the gentiles however, as among Christians, there are both the wise and the simple. To inform me of the character of such I have been allowed to talk to both, sometimes for hours and days. But the wise number scarcely any at the present day, whereas in ancient times they were very many, especially in the Ancient Church from which wisdom spread to many nations. So that I might know what they were like I have been allowed to hold intimate conversations with some of them - the superiority of their wisdom to that of today consequently being made clear in what follows.