Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/129

 Troops were in Garrison, and then deliver them, in what quantity and at what rate the Officers pleased, and not according to what was reasonable and just. This Impost was cal­led, the Impost of Victuals, by which those who had Lands, paid ten times greater Tribute then formerly, so that really it was taking from them, so much Blood out of their Veins, being obli­ged to carry their Corn to Constantinople, af­ter they had suffered so much by quartering the Army. These disorders and oppressions the State owes to Barzames and John de Cappado­cia, whom their Successors imitated exactly in the Continuation of their Crime: And so much for the Tax called the Impost of Victuals. The Impositions were like a Plague, which came sud­denly upon those whose Estates were in Land, and took from them, not only the hopes of li­ving tolerably well, but the means of conti­nuing their Life, as miserable as it was. For though the Lands were all thrown up, and deserted by the Ruine or Flight of the Owners, or their Tenants, who were either Killed or Frighted out of their Country, or else hid them­selves to avoid Persecution, Justinian without any reluctance exacted these Impositions, which were very frequent in his time; I conclude in few words, the Taxes call the Descriptions were imposed to repair the Losses which the Cities had brought upon such as were proprie­tors in the Country. But it would be an infi­nite Trouble, to undertake an Account of all the Evil Effects which ensued upon these Taxes, or