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OME time In the second quarter of the first century there were born, in an obscure village—now the city of Sophia—in Bulgaria, three boys of peasant origin. They grew up to be strong, active, and well-proportioned lads, and, like many of their fellows, they became discontented with their village and its surroundings, and marched off together to Constantinople, where they were enrolled in the emperor's guard. All these rose in the service: to one of them was reserved the highest point of dignity, the imperial crown itself. This favourite of fortune, named Justin, was sixty-eight years of age and captain of the guard when the death of Anastasius left the throne vacant. An intriguing eunuch of the court, Amantius by name, proposed to effect the proclamation of a protégé of his own by bribing the guard. He made overtures to Justin, who listened, took the money, bribed the guard, and—caused his own election.

He was profoundly ignorant; he knew mankind as a soldier who has spent his whole life in camp might be expected to know his fellow-creatures; he was without