Buthisjealousywasexasperatedbyenvyanddisease；hefearedthedangerousvirtueswhichmighteithersupportoroppresstheirinfancyandweakness；andthedyingemperordemandedtheheadofthePersianprince。Withsavagedelightherecognizedthefamiliarfeaturesofhisbrother:\"ThouartnolongerTheophobus，\"hesaid；and，sinkingonhiscouch，headded，withafalteringvoice，\"Soon，toosoon，IshallbenomoreTheophilus!\"
ChapterXLVIII:SuccessionAndCharactersOfTheGreekEmperors。
PartIII。
TheRussians，whohaveborrowedfromtheGreeksthegreatestpartoftheircivilandecclesiasticalpolicy，preserved，tillthelastcentury，asingularinstitutioninthemarriageoftheCzar。Theycollected，notthevirginsofeveryrankandofeveryprovince，avainandromanticidea，butthedaughtersoftheprincipalnobles，whoawaitedinthepalacethechoiceoftheirsovereign。Itisaffirmed，thatasimilarmethodwasadoptedinthenuptialsofTheophilus。Withagoldenappleinhishand，heslowlywalkedbetweentwolinesofcontendingbeauties:hiseyewasdetainedbythecharmsofIcasia，andintheawkwardnessofafirstdeclaration，theprincecouldonlyobserve，that，inthisworld，womenhadbeenthecauseofmuchevil；\"Andsurely，sir，\"
shepertlyreplied，\"theyhavelikewisebeentheoccasionofmuchgood。\"ThisaffectationofunseasonablewitdispleasedtheImperiallover:heturnedasideindisgust；Icasiaconcealedhermortificationinaconvent；andthemodestsilenceofTheodorawasrewardedwiththegoldenapple。Shedeservedthelove，butdidnotescapetheseverity，ofherlord。Fromthepalacegardenhebeheldavesseldeeplyladen，andsteeringintotheport:onthediscoverythatthepreciouscargoofSyrianluxurywasthepropertyofhiswife，hecondemnedtheshiptotheflames，withasharpreproach，thatheravaricehaddegradedthecharacterofanempressintothatofamerchant。YethislastchoiceintrustedherwiththeguardianshipoftheempireandhersonMichael，whowasleftanorphaninthefifthyearofhisage。Therestorationofimages，andthefinalextirpationoftheIconoclasts，hasendearedhernametothedevotionoftheGreeks；butinthefervorofreligiouszeal，Theodoraentertainedagratefulregardforthememoryandsalvationofherhusband。Afterthirteenyearsofaprudentandfrugaladministration，sheperceivedthedeclineofherinfluence；butthesecondIreneimitatedonlythevirtuesofherpredecessor。Insteadofconspiringagainstthelifeorgovernmentofherson，sheretired，withoutastruggle，thoughnotwithoutamurmur，tothesolitudeofprivatelife，deploringtheingratitude，thevices，andtheinevitableruin，oftheworthlessyouth。