Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/159

 the Emperor to inform himself, whether his Ne­phew was turned out of his Government, or not. The Emperor taking no notice to Eudemon of the Commission which he had delivered for Liberius to the Pope, gave Eudemon another, to put his Nephew Laxarion into the said Government, and declaring, That he did still retain the same good will towards him, that he had always ex­pressed.

John believing himself safe under the Autho­rity of his Commission, sent to require Liberius to remove out of the Governors Palace, as hav­ing to do there no farther: Liberius refused it, and to justifie himself, produced the Emperors Patents. John seeing he would not obey, caused his friends to take Arms, and try to remove him by force; Liberius defended himself with his Guards, and the conflict was so bloody, that several persons were slain, and Laxarion. among the rest. Eudemon followed the business very close afterwards, and upon his solicitation, Liberius was sent for to Constantinople; where being heard before the Senate, he was acquitted of the murder, as done in his own defence. Nevertheless, Justinian would not let him es­cape so, but forced him to give him a good sum of Money, before he could be quiet. By this we may see an instance of the friendship which Justinian bare to the truth, and of the great care he took, never to offend against if. I shall now make (and I suppose not impertinently) a little digression in this place, and insert it by way of addition to my Book.

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