“Perchance some will say that their complaint is not that Sophronia is the wife of Titus, but that she became his wife after such a sort, to wit, privily, by theft, neither friend nor any of her kin witting aught thereof; but herein is no matter of marvel, no prodigy as yet unheard-of.  I need not instance those who before now have taken to them husbands in defiance of their fathers’ will, or have eloped with their lovers and been their mistresses before they were their wives, or of whose marriages no word has been spoken, until their pregnancy or parturition published them to the world, and necessity sanctioned the fact:  nought of this has happened in the case of Sophronia; on the contrary, ’twas in proper form, and in meet and seemly sort, that Gisippus gave her to Titus.  And others, peradventure, will say that ’twas by one to whom such office belonged not that she was bestowed in marriage.  Nay, but this is but vain and womanish querulousness, and comes of scant consideration.  Know we not, then, that Fortune varies according to circumstances her methods and her means of disposing events to their predetermined ends?  What matters it to me, if it be a cobbler, rather than a philosopher, that Fortune has ordained to compass something for me, whether privily or overtly, so only the result is as it should be?  I ought, indeed, to take order, if the cobbler be indiscreet, that he meddle no more in affairs of mine, but, at the same time, I ought to thank him for what he has done.  If Gisippus has duly bestowed Sophronia in marriage, it is gratuitous folly to find fault with the manner and the person.  If you mistrust his judgment, have a care that it be not in his power to do the like again, but thank him for this turn.

“Natheless, you are to know that I used no cunning practice or deceit to sully in any degree the fair fame of your house in the person of Sophronia; and, albeit I took her privily to wife, I came not as a ravisher to despoil her of her virginity, nor in any hostile sort was I minded to make her mine on dishonourable terms, and spurn your alliance; but, being fervently enamoured of her bewitching beauty and her noble qualities, I wist well that, should I make suit for her with those formalities which you, perchance, will say were due, then, for the great love you bear her, and for fear lest I should take her away with me to Rome, I might not hope to have her.  Accordingly I made use of the secret practice which is now manifest to you, and brought Gisippus to consent in my interest to that whereto he was averse; and thereafter, ardently though I loved her, I sought not to commingle with her as a lover, but as a husband, nor closed with her, until, as she herself by her true witness may assure you, I had with apt words and with the ring made her my lawful wife, asking her if she would have me to husband, whereto she answered, yes.  Wherein if she seem to have been tricked, ’tis not I that am to blame, but she, for that she asked me not who I was.