Virginia Free Press & Farmers' Repository

Danger of Insincerity—The Empress Eudocia, amidst all the grandeur of so elevated a station, led a very studious and philosophic life, and lived very happily, till a trifling accident exposed her to the jealousy of her husband. The Emperor, it is said, having sent her an apple of an extraordinary size, she sent it to Paulinus, whom she respected for his learning. Paulinus, not knowing from whom it came, presented it to the emperor, who, soon after seeing the empress, asked her what she had done with the apple?—Eudocia being apprehensive of raising the suspicion of her husband, if she should tell him that she had given it to Paulinus, very unwisely declared that she had eaten it. Her confusion may easily be conceived when the emperor produced the apple, and indignantly gave vent to his suspicions of the motive which had led to the present, and her disingenuous concealment of it.—He ordered Paulinus to be put to death: but allowed Eudocia to retire to Jerusalem, where she spent many years in the most irreproachable manner, and distinguished herself by her acts of charity and beneficence.