most grievousshame, 'tis found wanting: whereof I confidently expect my due reward, towit, death, which will be more welcome to me than to live, haunted everby the memory of my baseness, which, as there is nought that from thee Ieither should or can conceal, I, not without burning shame, will discoverto thee." And so he recounted the whole story from first to last, theoccasion of his melancholy, its several moods, their conflict, and withwhich of them the victory rested, averring that he was dying of love forSophronia, and that, knowing how ill such love beseemed him, he had, forpenance, elected to die, and deemed the end was now not far off.Gisippus, hearing his words and seeing his tears, for a while knew notwhat to say, being himself smitten with the damsel's charms, albeit in aless degree than Titus; but ere long he made up his mind that Sophroniamust be less dear to him than his friend's life.
And so, moved to tears by his friend's tears:--"Titus," quoth he betweenhis sobs, "but that thou art in need of comfort, I should reproach thee,that thou hast offended against our friendship in that thou hast so longkept close from me this most distressful passion; and albeit thou didstdeem it unseemly, yet unseemly things should no more than things seemlybe withheld from a friend, for that, as a friend rejoices with his friendin things seemly, so he does his endeavour to wean his friend from thingsunseemly: but enough of this for the nonce: I pass to that which, I wot,is of greater moment. If thou ardently lovest Sophronia, my affianced, sofar from marvelling thereat, I should greatly marvel were it not so,knowing how fair she is, and how noble is thy soul, and thus the apter tobe swayed by passion, the more excelling is she by whom thou art charmed.And the juster the cause thou hast to love Sophronia, the greater is theinjustice with which thou complainest of Fortune (albeit thou dost it notin so many words) for giving her to me, as if thy love of her had beenseemly, had she belonged to any other but me; whereas, if thou art stillthe wise man thou wast wont to be, thou must know that to none couldFortune have assigned her, with such good cause for thee to thank her, asto me. Had any other had her, albeit thy love had been seemly, he hadloved her as his own, rather than as thine; which, if thou deem me evensuch a friend to thee as I am, thou wilt not apprehend from me, seeingthat I mind me not that, since we were friends, I had ever aught that wasnot as much thine as mine. And so should I entreat thee herein as in allother matters, were the affair gone so far that nought else werepossible; but as it is, I can make thee sole possessor of her; and so Imean to do; for I know not what cause thou shouldst have to prize myfriendship, if, where in seemly sort it might be done, I knew not how tosurrender my will to thine. 'Tis true that Sophronia is my betrothed, andthat I loved her much, and had great cheer in expectation of thenuptials: but as thou, being much more discerning than I, dost morefervently affect this rare prize, rest assured that she will enter mychamber not mine but thine. Wherefore, away with thy moodiness, banishthy melancholy, recover thy lost health, thy heartiness and jollity, andgladsomely, even from this very hour, anticipate the guerdon of thy love,a love worthier far than mine."
Delightful as was the prospect with which hope flattered Titus, as heheard Gisippus thus speak, no less was the shame with which right reasonaffected him, admonishing him that the greater was the liberality ofGisippus, the less it would become him to profit thereby. Wherefore,still weeping, he thus constrained himself to make answer:--"Gisippus,thy generous and true friendship leaves me in no doubt as to the mannerin which it becomes me to act. God forefend that her, whom, as to themore worthy, He has given to thee, I should ever accept of thee for mine.Had He seen fit that she should be mine, far be it from thee or any otherto suppose that He would ever have awarded her to thee. Renounce not,then, that which thy choice and wise counsel and His gift have madethine, and leave me, to whom, as unworthy, He has appointed no suchhappiness, to waste my life in tears; for either I shall conquer mygrief, which will be grateful to thee, or it will conquer me, and so Ishall be quit of my pain." Quoth then Gisippus:--"If our friendship,Titus, is of such a sort as may entitle me to enforce thee to ensuebehests of mine, or as may induce thee of thine own free will to ensuethe same, such is the use to which, most of all, I am minded to put it;and if thou lend not considerate ear unto my prayers, I shall by force,that force which is lawful in the interest of a friend, make Sophroniathine. I know the might of Love, how redoubtable it is, and how, not onceonly, but oftentimes, it has brought ill-starred lovers to a miserabledeath; and thee I see so hard bested that turn back thou mightst not, norget the better of thy grief, but holding on thy course, must succumb, andperish, and without doubt I should speedily follow thee. And so, had I noother cause to love thee, thy life is precious to me in that my own isbound up with it. Sophronia, then, shall be thine; for thou wouldst notlightly find another so much to thy mind, and I shall readily findanother to love, and so shall content both thee and me. In which matter,peradventure, I might not be so liberal, were wives so scarce or hard tofind as are friends; wherefore, as 'tis so easy a matter for me to findanother wife, I had liefer--I say not lose her, for in giving her to theelose her I shall not, but only transfer her to one that is my alter ego,and that to her advantage--I had liefer, I say, transfer her to thee thanlose thee. And so, if aught my prayers avail with thee, I entreat theeextricate thyself from this thy woeful plight, and comfort at oncethyself and me, and in good hope, address thyself to pluck that boonwhich thy fervent love craves of her for whom thou yearnest."
Still scrupling, for shame, to consent that Sophronia should become hiswife, Titus remained yet a while inexorable; but, yielding at last to thesolicitations of Love, reinforced by the exhortations of Gisippus, thushe made answer:--"Lo now, Gisippus, I know not how to call it, whether'tis more thy pleasure than mine, this which I do, seeing that 'tis asthy pleasure that thou so earnestly entreatest me to do it; but, as thyliberality is such that my shame, though becoming, may not withstand it,I will even do it. But of this rest assured, that I do so, witting wellthat I receive from thee, not only the lady I love, but with her my verylife. And, Fate permitting, may the Gods grant me to make thee suchhonourable and goodly requital as may shew thee how sensible I am of theboon, which thou, more compassionate of me than I am of myself,conferrest on me." Quoth then Gisippus:--"Now, for the giving effect toour purpose, methinks, Titus, we should proceed on this wise. Thouknowest that Sophronia, by treaty at length concluded between my familyand hers, is become my betrothed: were I now to say that she should notbe my wife, great indeed were the scandal that would come thereof, and Ishould affront both her family and mine own; whereof, indeed, I shouldmake no account, so it gave me to see her become thine; but I fear that,were I to give her up at this juncture, her family would forthwith bestowher upon another, perchance, than thee, and so we should both be losers.Wherefore methinks that, so thou approve, I were best to complete what Ihave begun, bring her home as my wife, and celebrate the nuptials, andthereafter we can arrange that thou lie with her, privily, as thy wife.Then, time and occasion serving, we will disclose the whole affair, andif they are satisfied, well and good; if not, 'twill be done all thesame, and as it cannot be undone, they must perforce make the best ofit."
Which counsel being approved by Titus, Gisippus brought the lady home ashis wife, Titus being now recovered, and quite himself again; and whenthey had made great cheer, and night was come, the ladies, having beddedthe bride, took their departure. Now the chambers of Titus and Gisippuswere contiguous, and one might pass from one into the other: Gisippus,therefore, being come into his room, extinguished every ray of light, andstole into that of Titus, and bade him go get him to bed with his lady.Whereat Titus gave way to shame, and would have changed his mind, andrefused to go in; but Gisippus, no less zealous at heart than in words toserve his friend, after no small contention prevailed on him to gothither. Now no sooner was Titus abed with the lady, than, taking her inhis arms, he, as if jestingly, asked in a low tone whether she wereminded to be his wife. She, taking him to be Gisippus, answered, yes;whereupon he set a fair and costly ring on her finger, saying:--"And I amminded to be thy h
usband." And having presently consummated the marriage,he long and amorously disported him with her, neither she, nor any other,being ever aware that another than Gisippus lay with her.
Now Titus and Sophronia being after this sort wedded, Publius, the fatherof Titus, departed this life. For which cause Titus was bidden by letterto return forthwith to Rome to see to his affairs; wherefore he tookcounsel with Gisippus how he might take Sophronia thither with him; whichmight not well be done without giving her to know how matters stood.Whereof, accordingly, one day, having called her into the chamber, theyfully apprised her, Titus for her better assurance bringing to herrecollection not a little of what had passed between them. Whereat she,after glancing from one to the other somewhat disdainfully, burst into aflood of tears, and reproached Gisippus that he had so deluded her;