Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/135

 been practised. These troops of the Guards were often (or rather daily) exposed to the derisions and contempt of Peter who was Master of the Offices, who though he was naturally Gentle and loved not to do any man hurt, was nevertheless the last man who by his exactions and immoderate desire of Wealth, put the Em­peror upon those things, and made him (as I said before) conspire the destruction of Amala­lazonte the Daughter of Theodorick King of the Goths.

There are belonging to the Emperors hou­shold, a sort of Souldiers of much higher qua­lity than the rest, who buying their places at a dearer rate have better pay than any of their Brethren. These are called his Domestick Guards, or his Protectors; They never go to the Warrs, and are never received into the Emperors Palace but according to their Ranks. Part of these were constantly in Garison in Constantinople, others in Galatia, and others in other of the Provinces. By the same sub­tilty and artifice, Justinian constrained them not to demand of him their Arrears: But to bring all that may be said of this subject, to one point; according to antient Custom the Emperor every five years had a General Muster, so that every five years Commissaries were sent from Constan­tinople to all the Provinces, Armys and Garri­sons, and gave from the Emperor a piece of Gold of five Stateras to every Soldier: This had been practised a long time, but for this last 32 years since Justinian came to the ern-