Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/11

 whose Relations being Eunomians; Bellisarius, before his departure in Africk, caused him to be Baptised, and having held him at the Font himself, he and his wife, adopted him with all the Ceremony which the Christians used in their adoptions. From that time Antonina took all imaginable care of Theodosius, (which was but just, having made him her son) she cherished him exceedingly, and kept him constantly with her; but before their passage into Africk, she fell in love with him so desperately, and her passion was so uncontroulable, That she lost not only all Shame, but the sence of all Laws, both Humane and Divine. At first, indeed, she was bashful in her debaucheries, and all her assigna­tions were with great caution and secresie, but by degrees she began to commit them in pub­lick, and before her women servants, not ap­prehending any opposition against her wanton­ness, after the vehemence of her love, trans­ported her to caress him before all people. Belli­sarius himself found her faulty with his own eyes; not far from Carthage, but he was de­luded again, and wheedled by his wife, and I think not unwillingly. The business was thus. He found them together in a private Vault, and the sight of them put him into a very great passion; but Antonina was so far from being out of countenance at the surprise, that she advanced to meet him, and told him, That Theodosius and she, were come thither to hide some of the richest things which they had taken from the Enemy, that the Emperor might never hear Rh