Recollect too, that for some reason or other, Dietrich, when he had
interfered in Eastern matters, had been always on the side of the
Orthodox and the Council of Chalcedon. He had fought for the
Orthodox against Basiliscus. He had backed the Orthodox and
Vitalianus their champion, against the late Emperor Anastasius; and
now as soon as the Orthodox got into power under Justin, this was the
reward of his impartiality. If he did not distrust and despise the
Church and Emperor of the East, he must have been not a hero, but a
saint.

Recollect, too, that in those very days, Catholic bigotry had broken
out in a general plunder of the Jews. At Rome, at Milan, and Genoa
their houses had been sacked, and their synagogues burnt; and
Dietrich, having compelled the Catholics to rebuild them at their own
expense, had earned the hatred of a large portion of his subjects.
And now Pope John was doing all he could to thwart him. Dietrich
bade him go to Constantinople, and plead with Justin for the
persecuted Arians. He refused. Dietrich shipt him off, nolentem
volentem. But when he got to Constantinople he threw his whole
weight into the Emperor's scale. He was received by Justin as if he
was St. Peter himself, the Emperor coming out to meet him with
processions and wax-lights, imploring his blessing; he did exactly
the opposite to what Dietrich bade him do; and published on his
return a furious epistle to the bishops of Italy, calling upon them
to oppress and extirpate the Arian perfidy, so that no root of it is
left: to consecrate the Arian churches wheresoever he found them,
pleading the advice of the most pious and Christian Emperor Justin,
talking of Dietrich as tainted inwardly and wrapt up outwardly with
the pest of heresy. On which Cochlaeus (who religiously believes