Page:Secret History of the Court of the Emperor Justinian 1674.djvu/101

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watched him narrowly to find out new matter against him: Four years after, having appre­hended two of the Prasinian party who were in the Sedition at Cyzique, and accused of being ac­cessary to the assault upon the Bishop, she im­ployed, to corrupt them, the cruelty of her mena­ces, and the greatness of her promises; and one of them frighted by her threats, and in­veigled by her promises, impeached John of Cappadocia for murder, as she desired. The other could not be brought to give any such evidence, though they tortured him so cruelly, he was thought to have been dead; by means of the constancy of that Man, she had but one witness, and could not compass her ends. However, she caused both their right hands to be chopped off, one because he would not swear falsly against his Master; and the other, to terrifie him least he should discover her detestable intrigues, be­ing vainly desirous, as it should seem, to conceal those practices which she acted at the very Bar, in the sight of all the World.

If Justinian passed for a Fury in the shape of a Man, it was not without reason, considering the mischeifs which he brought upon all people: For the actions of a Man discover his Nature and Power, it would be more casie to number the Sands upon the Seashore, then the people which Justinian mined. For my own part, hav­ing well considered the Countreys that he de­stroyed and depopulated, I do assure my self they were more then two millions of Men, which perished by his cruelty and oppression.

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