upon the Bishop.  These she attacked with flattery, promises, and threats.  One of them, alarmed and inveigled by her promises, accused John of the foul crime of murder, but the other refused to utter falsehoods, although he was so cruelly tortured that he seemed likely to die on the spot.  She was, therefore, unable to compass the death of John on this pretext, but she caused the young men’s right hands to be chopped off—­that of the one because he refused to bear false witness; that of the other, to prevent her intrigue becoming universally known, for she endeavoured to keep secret from others those things which were done in the open market-place.

CHAPTER XVIII

That Justinian was not a man, but a demon in human shape, as I have already said, may be abundantly proved by considering the enormity of the evils which he inflicted upon mankind, for the power of the acting cause is manifested in the excessive atrocity of his actions.  I think that God alone could accurately reckon the number of those who were destroyed by him, and it would be easier for a man to count the grains of sand on the sea-shore than the number of his victims.  Considering generally the extent of country which was depopulated by him, I assert that more than two millions of people perished.  He so devastated the vast tract of Libya that a traveller, during a long journey, considered it a remarkable thing to meet a single man; and yet there were eighty thousand Vandals who bore arms, besides women, children and servants without number.  In addition to these, who amongst men could enumerate the ancient inhabitants who dwelt in the cities, tilled the land, and traded on the coast, of whom I myself have seen vast numbers with my own eyes?  The natives of Mauretania were even still more numerous, and they were all exterminated, together with their wives and children.  This country also proved the tomb of numbers of Roman soldiers and of their auxiliaries from Byzantium.  Therefore, if one were to assert that five millions perished in that country, I do not feel sure that he would not under-estimate the number.  The reason of this was that Justinian, immediately after the defeat of the Vandals, did not take measures to strengthen his hold upon the country, and showed no anxiety to protect his interests by securing the goodwill of his subjects, but immediately recalled Belisarius on a charge of aspiring to royal power (which would by no means have suited him) in order that he might manage the affairs of the country at his own discretion, and ravage and plunder the whole of Libya.  He sent commissioners to value the province, and imposed new and most harsh taxes upon the inhabitants.  He seized the best and most fertile estates, and prohibited the Arians from exercising the rites of their religion.  He was dilatory in keeping his army well supplied and in an effective condition, while in other respects he was a severe martinet, so that disturbances arose which ended in great loss.  He was unable to abide by what was established, but was by nature prone to throw everything into a state of confusion and disturbance.