Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/84

 by a leud child: But I shall forbear speaking of it any further, as I proposed in the beginning of this Book.

The first that advised the Emperor to this corruption in the Administration of Justice, was one Leo, a Native of Cilicia, a Man of pro­digious avarice, and the greatest flatterer in the World. He was excellent at insinuation, and wrought himself strangly into the favors of the ignorant, and especially of Justinian, by whose imprudence, and the assistance of his own per­swasions, he prevailed, and put him into a way of ruining his Subjects.

This was the first who put that way into his mind, and when it was once tried, it was quick­ly established, and never after laid aside, but increased to that point, That if any Man had a desire to overcome in any Suit, he had no more to do but to find out Leo, give him half of his pretentions to be divided with the Emperor, and his business was done before he went out of the Palace. By these means Leo got toge­ther a vast sum of Money, besides a large quan­tity of Lands, and all at the expence of the State, which he utterly destroyed. Contracts were not binding by any legal Obligation, by any Promise made, by any Writing given under Hand and Seal, by any penalty agreed upon, nor by any other security that could be given, but by Money, to be presented to Leo, and the Emperor: And that way also, was not always certain, for Leo would take bribes on both sides, and when he did so, he cheated one of them (no