Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/46

 Belts, and their Cloaths were made meaner then perhaps their qualities did require, least the richness of their habits might bring their lives into danger, and every one went home be­fore night, for fear of ambushments by the way. These mischeifs increased every day, and the seditious grew more insolent, because the Ma­gistrates of the Town punished not the guilty; so that crimes increased easily, by the security of committing them; for they were not severe enough in their corrections to reach at the Root, and many were hurried into them by the impetuosity of their natures. And this was the behavior of the Venetes; for the other faction, most of them changed their party, to revenge themselves in their particular quarrels: Some hid themselves where they could, others were massacred by their Enemies, or died of the punishments which the Magistrate inflicted. A good party of youth of the Town Joyned them­selves with that faction, not for any inclination to them for their power, but because the vigor of their age, and the liberty they affected, prompted them thereto: There was no sort of crime uncommitted in these times, nor none that was committed, was punished as it ought. At first they slew only such as were of the con­trary faction; but by degrees they spared no body, but killed the innocent, and those who had never offended them. They suffered them­selves to be hired for Money to murder the Ene­mies of other People, and their pretence was, That they were of the faction of the Prasinians, though