Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/93

 according to directions, where he delivered him to another with Orders, to see him kept safe and close, till the Empress should think fit to commiserate him; and there after he had led a miserable life a long time, the continuation of his sufferings, did many times put an end to them.

There was a young Gentleman called Basien, (of illustrious extraction, and of the Prasinian faction) who in his discourse and raillery, hav­ing been too bold with the Empress, knowing she was incensed, fled into the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel: But as soon as she had notice, she sent the Pretor of the People, who seised upon him, not upon the score of his sawci­ness with the Empress, but as one that was guilty of Buggery. At the same time, in which he was ravished from the Church, the Officers put him to such intolerable torments, that the People assembled in multitudes together, not being able to see under such insupportable tor­tures, a person of his youth and quality, whose person had been brought up so delicately, and so unaccustomed to such barbarous sufferings, especially when being ready to die, he cried out, and with grievious shrieks, implored their com­passion: But the unmerciful Woman persisted in her cruelty, and caused his punishment to be redoubled, till at last his privy parts being cut off, he died under their hands (though he was neither tried, nor condemned) and his estate was confiscated to the Emperor: By degrees the fury of this Megera grew so great, that when Rh