Some months afterward the friends and kinsfolk of Gisippus came to him and exhorted him, as did also Titus, to take a wife, and found him a maiden, wondrous fair, of one of the most noble houses of Athens, her name Sophronia, and her age about fifteen years.  So a time was appointed for their nuptials, and one day, when ’twas near at hand, Gisippus bade Titus come see the maiden, whom as yet he had not seen; and they being come into her house, and she sitting betwixt them, Titus, as he were fain to observe with care the several charms of his friend’s wife that was to be, surveyed her with the closest attention, and being delighted beyond measure with all that he saw, grew, as inly he extolled her charms to the skies, enamoured of her with a love as ardent, albeit he gave no sign of it, as ever lover bore to lady.  However, after they had tarried a while with her, they took their leave, and went home, where Titus repaired to his chamber, and there gave himself over to solitary musing on the damsel’s charms, and the longer he brooded, the more he burned for her.  Whereon as he reflected, having heaved many a fervent sigh, thus he began to commune with himself:—­Ah! woe worth thy life, Titus!  Whom makest thou the mistress of thy soul, thy love, thy hope?  Knowest thou not that by reason as well of thy honourable entreatment by Chremes and his kin as of the wholehearted friendship that is between thee and Gisippus, it behoves thee to have his betrothed in even such pious regard as if she were thy sister?  Whither art thou suffering beguiling love, delusive hope, to hurry thee?  Open the eyes of thine understanding, and see thyself, wretched man, as thou art; obey the dictates of thy reason, refrain thy carnal appetite, control thine inordinate desires, and give thy thoughts another bent; join battle with thy lust at the outset, and conquer thyself while there is yet time.  This which thou wouldst have is not meet, is not seemly:  this which thou art minded to ensue, thou wouldst rather, though thou wert, as thou art not, sure of its attainment, eschew, hadst thou but the respect thou shouldst have, for the claims of true friendship.  So, then, Titus, what wilt thou do?  What but abandon this unseemly love, if thou wouldst do as it behoves thee?

But then, as he remembered Sophronia, his thoughts took the contrary direction, and he recanted all he had said, musing on this wise:—­The laws of Love are of force above all others; they abrogate not only the law of human friendship, but the law Divine itself.  How many times ere now has father loved daughter, brother sister, step-mother step-son? aberrations far more notable than that a friend should love his friend’s wife, which has happened a thousand times.  Besides which, I am young, and youth is altogether subject to the laws of Love.  Love’s pleasure, then, should be mine.  The seemly is for folk of riper years.  ’Tis not in my power to will aught save that which Love wills.  So beauteous is this damsel that there