a better than himself.

Titus, on his part, heard and suffered everything with no little annoy
and knowing it to be the usance of the Greeks to press on with
clamours and menaces, till such times as they found who should answer
them, and then to become not only humble, but abject, he bethought
himself that their clamour was no longer to be brooked without reply
and having a Roman spirit and an Athenian wit, he adroitly contrived
to assemble Gisippus his kinsfolk and those of Sophronia in a temple,
wherein entering, accompanied by Gisippus alone, he thus bespoke the
expectant folk: 'It is the belief of many philosophers that the
actions of mortals are determined and foreordained of the immortal
Gods, wherefore some will have it that all that is or shall ever be
done is of necessity, albeit there be others who attribute this
necessity to that only which is already done. If these opinions be
considered with any diligence, it will very manifestly be seen that to
blame a thing which cannot be undone is to do no otherwhat than to
seek to show oneself wiser than the Gods, who, we must e'en believe,
dispose of and govern us and our affairs with unfailing wisdom and
without any error; wherefore you may very easily see what fond and
brutish overweening it is to presume to find fault with their
operations and eke how many and what chains they merit who suffer
themselves be so far carried away by hardihood as to do this. Of whom,
to my thinking, you are all, if that be true which I understand you
have said and still say for that Sophronia is become my wife, whereas
you had given her to Gisippus, never considering that it was
foreordained from all eternity that she should become not his, but
mine, as by the issue is known at this present. But, for that to speak
of the secret foreordinance and intention of the Gods appeareth unto
many a hard thing and a grievous to apprehend, I am willing to suppose
that they concern not themselves with aught of our affairs and to
condescend to the counsels[466] of mankind, in speaking whereof, it
will behove me to do two things, both very contrary to my usances, the
one, somedele to commend myself, and the other, in some measure to
blame or disparage others; but, for that I purpose, neither in the one
nor in the other, to depart from the truth and that the present matter
requireth it, I will e'en do it.

[Footnote 466: Or "arguments" (_consigli_).]

Your complainings, dictated more by rage than b