Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/112

 several Monopolies, that is, he gave priviledge to some particular persons to sell certain par­ticular Commodities, with prohibition to the rest; thereby selling the publick liberty to any Body, who would undertake that impious pro­fession, and leaving them the administration of all things, for the payment of a certain duty agreed upon betwixt themselves. The same practices he used with his other Magistrates, and such as had Governments, and Offices, who plagued and pillaged those who depended upon them with all manner of Liberty, because no small part of the profits accrued to the Emperor. Least the number of former Magistrates should have been too small to execute his pernicious inventions, (for before his time, the Governor of the City took cognizance of all Crimes) he created two more, that he might ruine the poor subject with more ease and expedition. To one of them he gave the title of Pretor of the People, and his business was to correct Thieves; the other was called the Inquisitor, and his office to punish Sodomy, Buggery, Idolatry, Heresie, and Superstition; and these two upstart Com­manders followed his directions exactly accord­ing to Justinians intention. The Pretor, when any considerable Felony was committed, and the lost Goods found about the Theif, seised them for the Emperor, pretending, he kept them for their right Master; by which way, Justinian got every day some rich thing or other, and without any expence. The Inquisitor, when any Man was condemned, confiscated what he pleased