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; 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 Polycarp said, |Thou threatenest me with fire which burneth for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, 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.|