Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/25

 depressed with his afflictions, he died with the very thoughts of what miseries he had suffered. She constrained Bellisarius to reconcile himself with his Wife, in spight of his aversion, and what ever he could do to prevent it. Photius had a thousand stripes with a Stirrup-leather up­on the Reins and the Shoulders, to make him confess what he had done with Theodosius and Caligonus. But though he was much weakned and dejected with his usage (having been natu­rally tender, infirm, and exceeding careful of his health, which care, till that time, had pre­served him from any considerable affliction) yet he would never forfeit his Oath, nor discover his intrigue with Bellisarius, though not long after it came out another way, for Theodora found out Caligonus, and returned him to An­tonina; and having got intelligence where Theo­dosius was, she sent for him to Constantinople, and concealed him in her Palace. The next morning she sent for Antonina, and told her, Dear Antonina, ''this day I have been presented with a Jewel, I conceive not to be matched in the whole World: If you have a curiosity to see it, I am so far from refusing you that priviledge, I shall think, my self happy to show it. Antonina not dreaming what it should be, was impatient to see it, and the Empress entring into the Chamber of one of her Eunuchs, brought out Theodosius'' in her hand. At the unexpectedness of the sight, her joy put her into so sudden an amaze, for some time Antonina was not able to speak; but being a little recollected, she made a thousand Rh