Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/108

 of Pisidea, called Philomide, Lycnide in Epirus, and Corinth, and populous Towns, were ruined, and for the most part subverted by Earthquakes, and the greatest part of the In­habitants killed. After this the Plague (which I mentioned formerly) began to rage, and swept away half the people which were left. And these were the calamities which they suf­fered in the days of Justinian, when he govern­ed the Empire, at first under the authority of his Uncle Justin, and then after he came him­self to the Throne.

I shall now tell how he possessed himself of the wealth of the whole World; but first it will not be amiss that I give a relation of a Dream, which a person of great quality had, when Justinian first entred upon the manage­ment of Affairs.

He affirmed, That he seemed to be on that side towards Chalcedon, and that he saw Justinian in the middle of the streight, swallowing up all the Water of the Sea; and that after he had drunk up that, he rested upon the shore to drink up the dirty and stinking Rivers, which received all the Jakes and Common-shores, both in Constantinople and Chalcedon, and dis-imbogued them into the said streight.

And this he assured us was his Dream, and he was a credible person, of an Illustrious Fa­mily.

Furthermore, when Justin was advanced to the Throne, Justinian found his Coffers very well furnished; for his Predecessor Anastasius, was