Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/143

 them in Constantinople, and all to save the Money which he was thereby necessitated annually to disburse, without the least regard or considera­tion, that he would starve an infinite number of poor people, whose subsistance depended wholly upon those kind of things. So that in a manner the whole world was invalu’d in, and depressed with extream sadness, as well pub­lick Societies, as particular persons, every Man passing, his time without any Diversion, and groaning under his Misfortune, as heavy and immoveable. To be short, their Discourse and Communication at home, in the Streets, in the Churches and every where, was nothing but of the Miseries, the Calamities of that age, and the sad and deplorable condition of their present Affairs; and this was the manner in which he Treated the Cities: but now it is necessary I say something of what followed, and so compleat this History.

It was a Custom to create every year two Consuls, one at Rome, the other at Constanti­nople; whoever was advanced to that Dignity, was obliged at his Entrance, to an Expence of two thousand pound in Gold, a small part of it was generally his own Money, but the greatest part was from the liberality of the Prince; and this Money which the Consuls commonly im­ploy’d in Presents, that were to be given upon their admission, or to the poor, or in Gifts to the Comedians, was of great Relief to those Cities, and helped well towards the subsistance of the people. But since Justinian came to the Rh