Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/30

 man was not only to desist from doing ill to Antonina, but to own his life to her, and make himself a perfect engine and property of her triumph, Bellisarius going to Court one morn­ing, according to his custom, to pay his devoirs to the Emperor, and the Empress (though his equipage was but thin, dirty, and in very ordi­nary Liveries) he found them very sower and severe upon him, and the Buffoons and Rascal­lity of the Court, began to despise him: At night he went home, but in great fear, and look­ing behind him every step, expecting some body would have stabbed him. When he was got to his house, he went up to his chamber, and in great pensiveness he sate down upon his Bed: Those brave masculine thoughts which do usually present themselves to great Men, up­on such occasions, were far from his mind; on the contrary, his fear had put him into a sweat, his terror into a trance; and he was in as great confusion, as the meanest caitiff in the World. Antonina knew nothing of the matter, and not imagining it in the least, was walking up and down the room, pretending indisposition, to take off her Husband from greater suspitions; when after Sun set Quadratus came from the Palace, to the house of Bellisarius, and running up the stairs, presented himself suddenly at his chamber door, and sent in word he was come to him from the Empress. At the very naming of the Empress, Bellisarius fell down backward up­on the Bed, with his arms and his legs stretched out, and ready to receive his doom without any