Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/78

 homicide, to kill any of a perswasion contrary to his own. In short, he took so much delight in the destruction of his People, that he was perpetually at Theodora not to suffer any oppor­tunity to escape her, but rather to set her Brains a work to invent new; for having the same Passions, their Actions were the same, their Conduct the same, and their Wickedness the same, though they pretended great difference betwixt themselves; but it was only to set their subjects at difference.

Justinians humor was as uncertain as the Wind; it was to be turned which way one plea­sed, only he was not to be turned from doing mischeif, nor kept from showing most infamous avarice. He was a great lover of flattery, and loved them highly, who perswaded him he should be taken up into the Heavens one day, and traverse the Air, and the Celestial Spheres. Tribonian was with him upon a time, and told him, That he was in great fear least he should be rapt up suddenly into the Heavens, when he little thought of it, and all, for his singular Piety: And the poor Emperor was so weak, as to believe, That that flattery (or rather mockery) had some­thing in it that might be true.

If he had had experience of any mans ver­tue, he would be sure to discommend him ever after, and to repre‹s›ent him a mischievous and perfidious man; and yet he had no sooner spoke ill of a man, but he praised him immediately, passing inconsiderately from one extream to an­other, because the Characters which he gave, did