r as ever yet man of woman. After they had been with
her awhile, they took their leave and returned home, where Titus,
betaking himself alone into his chamber, fell a-thinking of the
charming damsel and grew the more enkindled the more he enlarged upon
her in thought; which, perceiving, he fell to saying in himself, after
many ardent sighs, 'Alack, the wretchedness of thy life, Titus! Where
and on what settest thou thy mind and thy love and thy hope? Knowest
thou not that it behoveth thee, as well for the kindness received from
Chremes and his family as for the entire friendship that is between
thee and Gisippus, whose bride she is, to have yonder damsel in such
respect as a sister? Whom, then, lovest thou? Whither lettest thou
thyself be carried away by delusive love, whither by fallacious hope?
Open the eyes of thine understanding and recollect thyself, wretch
that thou art; give place to reason, curb thy carnal appetite, temper
thine unhallowed desires and direct thy thoughts unto otherwhat;
gainstand thy lust in this its beginning and conquer thyself, whilst
it is yet time. This thou wouldst have is unseemly, nay, it is
dishonourable; this thou art minded to ensue it behoveth thee, even
wert thou assured (which thou art not) of obtaining it, to flee from,
an thou have regard unto that which true friendship requireth and that
which thou oughtest. What, then, wilt thou do, Titus? Thou wilt leave
this unseemly love, an thou wouldst do that which behoveth.'

Then, remembering him of Sophronia and going over to the contrary, he
denounced all that he had said, saying, 'The laws of love are of
greater puissance than any others; they annul even the Divine laws,
let alone those of friendship; how often aforetime hath father loved
daughter, brother sister, stepmother stepson, things more monstrous
than for one friend to love the other's wife, the which hath already a
thousand times befallen! Moreover, I am young and youth is altogether
subject to the laws of Love; wherefor that which pleaseth Him, needs
must it please me. Things honourable pertain unto maturer folk; I can
will nought save that which Love willeth. The beauty of yonder damsel
deserveth to be loved of all, and if I love her, who am young, who can
justly blame me therefor? I love her not because she is Gisippus's;
nay, I love her for that I should love her, whosesoever she was. In
this fortune sinneth that hath allotted her to Gisippus my friend,
rather than to a