Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/49

 much diminished, whilst they have hopes of revenging themselves on their unjust perse­cutors by the help of the Magistrate. In effect, when hope keeps up the heart, present miseries are easily supported: But when we are perse­cuted by the Prince himself, who has all the power in his own hands, our sufferings are more sensible, and we are more prone to despair, be­cause we have no hopes left to be revenged. Justinian was not only culpable in neglecting the cries of the distressed, but that in sight of the whole World he gave protection to the young men of the sedition, would have all peo­ple know it, gave them vast estates, had many of them about him in his train, and advanced some of them to the dignity of Magistrates. In the same manner as things were carried in Con­stantinople, they were managed in the smallest villages; so that it was like a Plague, which having begun in the capital City, dissused it self, and ravaged the whole Empire, without any concernment in the Emperor, who took no notice of what was perpetrated in the Circus un­der his very Nose; so strangely sottish was he grown. Justinian having neglected his affairs, put every thing in disorder; no sooner did he find himself in the Throne of the Empire, but he made it his whole business to drain and exhaust the publick Treasures which he had in his hand. For besides the great expence which he was at for the reception of the Huns, who came fre­quently to visit him, he gave them large pre­sents when they went away. From that time, the