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est Offices in the Empire, yet he spoiled them quite; for he writ all himself, even to the private Sentences which the Magistrates were to give in the smaller Towns, leaving none of them at liberty to do any Man Justice thorow all his Dominions. He assumed all to himself out of a vain piece of arrogancy, and observed so good order in all determinations; that when he had heard one party, he gave his sentence, and obliged them both to acquiess, which he did, not out of any conviction or opinion that his Sentence was just, but for some advantage to himself, which was generally known; for his covetousness had for a long time taken away his shame, and left him easie to be corrupted by the presents of any Man.
It often hapned, that the Decrees of the Senate, and the Edicts of the Emperor, did interfere and clash; for the Senate had but the shadow of an Authority without the freedom of giving their advice, or observing the rules of honesty and vertue; serving only to fill up their seats, least the antient form of Government should be totally destroyed; yet no body durst murmur in the least.
But though their Power was insignificant, the Emperor and Theodora examined all things themselves, so that every thing passing by their order; if any Man suspected his Cause, he had no more to do, but to make a present to the Emperor, and he should be sure to have it dispatched, how contrary soever it was to the Laws and Statutes that were formerly establish-
