Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/53

 brake all without any remorse, as audaciously as those slaves who are forced only by threats to the performance of their promises: He was inconstant to his friends, and inexorable to his Enemies: He was equally greedy of Blood and of Money: He was a great lover of novelty and troubles: He was easily perswaded when any mischeif was to be done, but obstinate and unmovable to any action that was good: He was excellent at inventing new crimes, but the name of vertue he abhorred. These were his defects, besides other vices (which I omit) and he surpassed in such sort the common Impiety of Man, that it might be said, There was drawn what ever was bad out of the rest of mankind, to make in his person a perfect composition of wickedness: For besides what I have said, his car was always open to Informers and Traytors, and he imposed great penalties and punishments upon such as were accused: He never under­stood any cause that he judged, but contenting himself with the accusation, he gave sentence without any reason, and many times by one single word under his hand, he gave orders (suddenly) that Towns should be ruined, Cities should be burned, and whole Coun­treys over-run; so that if one would exa­mine all that has hapned in the Roman Empire from its foundation, and compare it with this age, he would finde more murders committed by Justinians order or permission, then in all the ages before him: He ingrossed the Estates of other people with incredible avarice: He questred