Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/71

 as if they had been their most implacable Ene­mies. And this course did Justinian and Theo­dora take to dispoil of their goods and estates, the greatest Persons in Constantinople, and all the rest of the Cities; and for the Senators, they were treated as I shall tell.

There was one of them called Zeno, Senator at Constantinople, and Grandchild to Anthemius (who had formerly had that Empire,) this Zeno they chose on purpose to make him Governor of Egypt. This Governor, without the least jealousie in the World, caused the richest of his Goods to be put on Board that Vessel which was intended for his own transportation, and de­ferred his departure for some days, to put a Board a prodigious quantity of Silver, Jewels, Plate inriched with Emeralds, and other preti­ous Stones of a very considerable value. The Emperor having notice of all, corrupted some of Zeno’s principal Servants, and by their means having caused all this vast wealth to be convey­ed privately out of the Ship, he made them set it on sire in the Hold, and pretend to their Ma­ster that it hapned by accident, and had con­sumed all his great treasure which he intended for Egypt: Not long after Zeno died, and the Emperor seised upon the remainder of his estate, producing a fraudulent Will which all the World knew to be forged. By the same arti­fice he got possession of the estates of Tatian, and Demasthenes, and Hilaras, the three princi­pal Men in the Senat. There were many others likewise, whose Heirs he made himself, not by any