Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/63

 with her Husband, after they had made them­selves Masters of the Empire (for they did nothing without participation of one another, though they had studiously pretended that they did not agree: But at length their hypocrisie was discovered, and it appeared, their animosity was but design to keep their Subjects in obedi­ence, whilest they remained uncertain with which of the two to joyn, or to what side they were to repair.

The first effect of this counterfeit difference was to distract the Christians, after which they made division among the heads of the popular Factions. Theodora pretended great zeal for the Faction of the Venetes, permitting them to enterprise any thing against the contrary party, and themselves to act what enormities they pleased. Justinian seemed in appearance to be angry, and to complain publickly, That his Wife superceded his orders, and that he could not retain her in her duty; and sometimes both of them asserted their authority together, Justinian ordered the punishment of the Venetes in crimi­nal cases; Theodora protected them, and ob­jected against the Emperor the breach of his promise. In the mean time, the Venetes were the more moderate of the two, because they did not abuse the liberty which was given them, to that degree they might have done. In many of their Suits and Contentions, Justinian was on one side, and Theodora on the other, and it was a rule betwixt them, the weakest side carried it, and the sum in dispute went most into their Rh