THE EIGHTH STORY
[Day the Tenth]
SOPHRONIA, THINKING TO MARRY GISIPPUS, BECOMETH THE WIFE OF TITUS QUINTIUS FULVUS AND WITH HIM BETAKETH HERSELF TO ROME, WHITHER GISIPPUS COMETH IN POOR CASE AND CONCEIVING HIMSELF SLIGHTED OF TITUS, DECLARETH, SO HE MAY DIE, TO HAVE SLAIN A MAN. TITUS, RECOGNIZING HIM, TO SAVE HIM, AVOUCHETH HIMSELF TO HAVE DONE THE DEED, AND THE TRUE MURDERER, SEEING THIS, DISCOVERETH HIMSELF; WHEREUPON THEY ARE ALL THREE LIBERATED BY OCTAVIANUS AND TITUS, GIVING GISIPPUS HIS SISTER TO WIFE, HATH ALL HIS GOOD IN COMMON WITH HIM
Pampinea having left speaking and all having commended King Pedro, theGhibelline lady more than the rest, Fiammetta, by the king'scommandment, began thus, "Illustrious ladies, who is there knoweth notthat kings, when they will, can do everything great and that it is, toboot, especially required of them that they be magnificent? Whoso,then, having the power, doth that which pertaineth unto him, dothwell; but folk should not so much marvel thereat nor exalt him to sucha height with supreme praise as it would behove them do with another,of whom, for lack of means, less were required. Wherefore, if you withsuch words extol the actions of kings and they seem to you fair, Idoubt not anywise but those of our peers, whenas they are like unto orgreater than those of kings, will please you yet more and be yethighlier commended of you, and I purpose accordingly to recount toyou, in a story, the praiseworthy and magnanimous dealings of twocitizens and friends with each other.
You must know, then, that at the time when Octavianus Caesar (not yetstyled Augustus) ruled the Roman empire in the office calledTriumvirate, there was in Rome a gentleman called Publius QuintiusFulvus,[461] who, having a son of marvellous understanding, by nameTitus Quintius Fulvus, sent him to Athens to study philosophy andcommended him as most he might to a nobleman there called Chremes, hisvery old friend, by whom Titus was lodged in his own house, in companyof a son of his called Gisippus, and set to study with the latter,under the governance of a philosopher named Aristippus. The two youngmen, coming to consort together, found each other's usances soconformable that there was born thereof a brotherhood between them anda friendship so great that it was never sundered by other accidentthan death, and neither of them knew weal nor peace save in so much asthey were together. Entering upon their studies and being each alikeendowed with the highest understanding, they ascended with equal stepand marvellous commendation to the glorious altitudes of philosophy;and in this way of life they continued good three years, to theexceeding contentment of Chremes, who in a manner looked upon the oneas no more his son than the other. At the end of this time it befell,even as it befalleth of all things, that Chremes, now an old man,departed this life, whereof the two young men suffered a like sorrow,as for a common father, nor could his friends and kinsfolk discernwhich of the twain was the more in need of consolation for that whichhad betided them.
[Footnote 461: Sic, _Publio Quinzio Fulvo_; but _quaere_ should it notrather be _Publio Quinto Fulvio_, _i.e._ Publius Quintus Fulvius, aform of the name which seems more in accordance with the genius of theLatin language?]
It came to pass, after some months, that the friends and kinsfolk ofGisippus resorted to him and together with Titus exhorted him to takea wife, to which he consenting, they found him a young Athenian ladyof marvellous beauty and very noble parentage, whose name wasSophronia and who was maybe fifteen years old. The term of the futurenuptials drawing nigh, Gisippus one day besought Titus to go visit herwith him, for that he had not yet seen her. Accordingly, they beingcome into her house and she seated between the twain, Titus proceededto consider her with the utmost attention, as if to judge of thebeauty of his friend's bride, and every part of her pleasing himbeyond measure, what while he inwardly commended her charms to theutmost, he fell, without showing any sign thereof, as passionatelyenamoured of her as ever yet man of woman. After they had been withher awhile, they took their leave and returned home, where Titus,betaking himself alone into his chamber, fell a-thinking of thecharming damsel and grew the more enkindled the more he enlarged uponher in thought; which, perceiving, he fell to saying in himself, aftermany ardent sighs, 'Alack, the wretchedness of thy life, Titus! Whereand on what settest thou thy mind and thy love and thy hope? Knowestthou not that it behoveth thee, as well for the kindness received fromChremes and his family as for the entire friendship that is betweenthee and Gisippus, whose bride she is, to have yonder damsel in suchrespect as a sister? Whom, then, lovest thou? Whither lettest thouthyself be carried away by delusive love, whither by fallacious hope?Open the eyes of thine understanding and recollect thyself, wretchthat thou art; give place to reason, curb thy carnal appetite, temperthine unhallowed desires and direct thy thoughts unto otherwhat;gainstand thy lust in this its beginning and conquer thyself, whilstit is yet time. This thou wouldst have is unseemly, nay, it isdishonourable; this thou art minded to ensue it behoveth thee, evenwert thou assured (which thou art not) of obtaining it, to flee from,an thou have regard unto that which true friendship requireth and thatwhich thou oughtest. What, then, wilt thou do, Titus? Thou wilt leavethis unseemly love, an thou wouldst do that which behoveth.'
Then, remembering him of Sophronia and going over to the contrary, hedenounced all that he had said, saying, 'The laws of love are ofgreater puissance than any others; they annul even the Divine laws,let alone those of friendship; how often aforetime hath father loveddaughter, brother sister, stepmother stepson, things more monstrousthan for one friend to love the other's wife, the which hath already athousand times befallen! Moreover, I am young and youth is altogethersubject to the laws of Love; wherefor that which pleaseth Him, needsmust it please me. Things honourable pertain unto maturer folk; I canwill nought save that which Love willeth. The beauty of yonder damseldeserveth to be loved of all, and if I love her, who am young, who canjustly 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. Inthis fortune sinneth that hath allotted her to Gisippus my friend,rather than to another; and if she must be loved, (as she must, anddeservedly, for her beauty,) Gisippus, an he came to know it, shouldbe better pleased that I should love her, I, than another.' Then, fromthat reasoning he reverted again to the contrary, making mock ofhimself, and wasted not only that day and the ensuing night in passingfrom this to that and back again, but many others, insomuch that,losing appetite and sleep therefor, he was constrained for weakness totake to his bed.
Gisippus, having beheld him several days full of melancholy thoughtand seeing him presently sick, was sore concerned and with every artand all solicitude studied to comfort him, never leaving him andquestioning him often and instantly of the cause of his melancholy andhis sickness. Titus, after having once and again given him idle tales,which Gisippus knew to be such, by way of answer, finding himself e'enconstrained thereunto, with tears and sighs replied to him on thiswise, 'Gisippus, had it pleased the Gods, death were far more a-greeto me than to live longer, considering that fortune hath brought me toa pass whereas it behoved me make proof of my virtue and that I have,to my exceeding shame, found this latter overcome; but certes I lookthereof to have ere long the reward that befitteth me, to wit, death,and this will be more pleasing to me than to live in remembrance of mybaseness, which latter, for that I cannot nor should hide aught fromthee, I will, not without sore blushing, discover to thee.' Then,beginning from the beginning, he discovered to him the cause of hismelancholy and the conflict of his thoughts and ultimately gave him toknow which had gotten the victory and confessed himself perishing forlove of Sophronia, declaring that, knowing how much this misbeseemedhim, he had for penance thereof resolved himself to die, whereof hetrusted speedily to make an end.
Gisippus, hearing this and seeing his tears, abode awhile irresolute,as one who, though more moderately, was himself taken with the charmsof the fair damsel, but speedily bethought himself that his friend'slife should be dearer to him than Sophronia. Accordingly, solicited totears by those of his friend, he answered him, weeping, 'Titus,
wertthou not in need as thou art of comfort, I should complain of thee tothyself, as of one who hath transgressed against our friendship inhaving so long kept thy most grievous passion hidden from me; since,albeit it appeared not to thee honourable, nevertheless dishonourablethings should not, more than honourable, be hidden from a friend; forthat a friend, like as he rejoiceth with his friend in honourablethings, even so he studieth to do away the dishonourable from hisfriend's mind; but for the present I will refrain therefrom and cometo that which I perceive to be of greater urgency. That thou lovestSophronia, who is betrothed to me, I marvel not: nay, I shouldmarvel, indeed, if it were not so, knowing her beauty and the nobilityof thy mind, so much the more susceptible of passion as the thing thatpleaseth hath the more excellence. And the more reason thou hast tolove Sophronia, so much the more unjustly dost thou complain offortune (albeit thou expressest this not in so many words) in that ithath awarded her to me, it seeming to thee that thy love for her hadbeen honourable, were she other than mine; but tell me, if thou be aswell advised as thou usest to be, to whom could fortune have awardedher, whereof thou shouldst have more cause to render it thanks, thanof having awarded her to me? Whoso else had had her, how honourablesoever thy love had been, had liefer loved her for himself[462] thanfor thee,[463] a thing which thou shouldst not fear[464] from me, anthou hold me a friend such as I am to thee, for that I mind me not,since we have been friends, to have ever had aught that was not asmuch thine as mine. Now, were the matter so far advanced that it mightnot be otherwise, I would do with her as I have done with my otherpossessions;[465] but it is yet at such a point that I can make herthine alone; and I will do so, for that I know not why my friendshipshould be dear to thee, if, in respect of a thing that may honourablybe done, I knew not of a desire of mine to make thine. True it is thatSophronia is my promised bride and that I loved her much and lookedwith great joyance for my nuptials with her; but, since thou, beingfar more understanding than I, with more ardour desirest so dear athing as she is, live assured that she shall enter my chamber, not asmy wife, but as thine. Wherefore leave thought-taking, put awaymelancholy, call back thy lost health and comfort and allegresse andfrom this time forth expect with blitheness the reward of thy love,far worthier than was mine.'
[Footnote 462: Or "his" (_a se_).]
[Footnote 463: Or "thine" (_a te_).]
[Footnote 464: Lit. "hope" (_sperare_). See note, p. 5.]
[Footnote 465: _i.e._ I would have her in common with thee.]
When Titus heard Gisippus speak thus, the more the flattering hopesgiven him of the latter afforded him pleasure, so much the more didjust reason inform him with shame, showing him that, the greater wasGisippus his liberality, the more unworthy it appeared of himself touse it; wherefore, without giving over weeping, he with difficultyreplied to him thus, 'Gisippus, thy generous and true friendship veryplainly showeth me that which it pertaineth unto mine to do. Godforfend that her, whom He hath bestowed upon thee as upon theworthier, I should receive from thee for mine! Had He judged itfitting that she should be mine, nor thou nor others can believe thatHe would ever have bestowed her on thee. Use, therefore, joyfully,thine election and discreet counsel and His gifts, and leave me tolanguish in the tears, which, as to one undeserving of such atreasure, He hath prepared unto me and which I will either overcome,and that will be dear to thee, or they will overcome me and I shall beout of pain.' 'Titus,' rejoined Gisippus, 'an our friendship mightaccord me such license that I should enforce thee to ensue a desire ofmine and if it may avail to induce thee to do so, it is in this casethat I mean to use it to the utmost, and if thou yield not to myprayers with a good grace, I will, with such violence as it behovethus use for the weal of our friends, procure that Sophronia shall bethine. I know how great is the might of love and that, not once, butmany a time, it hath brought lovers to a miserable death; nay, untothis I see thee so near that thou canst neither turn back nor avail tomaster thy tears, but, proceeding thus, wouldst pine and die;whereupon I, without any doubt, should speedily follow after. If,then, I loved thee not for otherwhat, thy life is dear to me, so Imyself may live. Sophronia, therefore, shall be thine, for that thoucouldst not lightly find another woman who would so please thee, andas I shall easily turn my love unto another, I shall thus havecontented both thyself and me. I should not, peradventure, be so freeto do this, were wives as scarce and as uneath to find as friends;however, as I can very easily find me another wife, but not anotherfriend, I had liefer (I will not say _lose_ her, for that I shall notlose her, giving her to thee, but shall transfer her to another and abetter self, but) transfer her than lose thee. Wherefore, if myprayers avail aught with thee, I beseech thee put away from thee thisaffliction and comforting at once thyself and me, address thee withgood hope to take that joyance which thy fervent love desireth of thething beloved.'
Although Titus was ashamed to consent to this, namely, that Sophroniashould become his wife, and on this account held out yet awhile,nevertheless, love on the one hand drawing him and Gisippus hisexhortations on the other urging him, he said, 'Look you, Gisippus, Iknow not which I can say I do most, my pleasure or thine, in doingthat whereof thou prayest me and which thou tellest me is so pleasingto thee, and since thy generosity is such that it overcometh my justshame, I will e'en do it; but of this thou mayst be assured that I doit as one who knoweth himself to receive of thee, not only the belovedlady, but with her his life. The Gods grant, an it be possible, that Imay yet be able to show thee, for thine honour and thy weal, howgrateful to me is that which thou, more pitiful for me than I formyself, dost for me!' These things said, 'Titus,' quoth Gisippus, 'inthis matter, an we would have it take effect, meseemeth this course isto be held. As thou knowest, Sophronia, after long treaty between mykinsfolk and hers, is become my affianced bride; wherefore, should Inow go about to say that I will not have her to wife, a sore scandalwould ensue thereof and I should anger both her kinsfolk and mine own.Of this, indeed, I should reck nothing, an I saw that she was therebyto become thine; but I misdoubt me that, an I renounce her at thispoint, her kinsfolk will straightway give her to another, who belikewill not be thyself, and so wilt thou have lost that which I shall nothave gained. Wherefore meseemeth well, an thou be content, that Ifollow on with that which I have begun and bring her home as mine andhold the nuptials, and thou mayst after, as we shall know how tocontrive, privily lie with her as with thy wife. Then, in due placeand season, we will make manifest the fact, which, if it please themnot, will still be done and they must perforce be content, beingunable to go back upon it.'
The device pleased Titus; wherefore Gisippus received the lady intohis house, as his, (Titus being by this recovered and in good case,)and after holding high festival, the night being come, the ladies leftthe new-married wife in her husband's bed and went their ways. NowTitus his chamber adjoined that of Gisippus and one might go from theone room into the other; wherefore Gisippus, being in his chamber andhaving put out all the lights, betook himself stealthily to his friendand bade him go couch with his mistress. Titus, seeing this, wasovercome with shame and would fain have repented and refused to go;but Gisippus, who with his whole heart, no less than in words, wasminded to do his friend's pleasure, sent him thither, after longcontention. Whenas he came into the bed, he took the damsel in hisarms and asked her softly, as if in sport, if she chose to be hiswife. She, thinking him to be Gisippus, answered, 'Yes'; whereupon heset a goodly and rich ring on her finger, saying, 'And I choose to bethy husband.' Then, the marriage consummated, he took long and amorouspleasance of her, without her or others anywise perceiving that otherthan Gisippus lay with her.
The marriage of Sophronia and Titus being at this pass, Publius hisfather departed this life, wherefore it was written him that he shouldwithout delay return to Rome, to look to his affairs, and heaccordingly took counsel with Gisippus to betake himself thither andcarry Sophronia with him; which might not nor should aptly be donewithout discovering to her how the case stood. Accordingly, one day,calling her into the cham
ber, they thoroughly discovered to her thefact and thereof Titus certified her by many particulars of that whichhad passed between them twain. Sophronia, after eying the one and theother somewhat despitefully, fell a-weeping bitterly, complaining ofGisippus his deceit; then, rather than make any words of this in hishouse, she repaired to that of her father and there acquainted him andher mother with the cheat that had been put upon her and them byGisippus, avouching herself to be the wife of Titus and not ofGisippus, as they believed. This was exceeding grievous to Sophronia'sfather, who made long and sore complaint thereof to her kinsfolk andthose of Gisippus, and much and great was the talk and the clamour byreason thereof. Gisippus was held in despite both by his own kindredand those of Sophronia and every one declared him worthy not only ofblame, but of severe chastisement; whilst he, on the contrary,avouched himself to have done an honourable thing and one for whichthanks should be rendered him by Sophronia's kinsfolk, having marriedher to a better than himself.
Titus, on his part, heard and suffered everything with no little annoyand knowing it to be the usance of the Greeks to press on withclamours and menaces, till such times as they found who should answerthem, and then to become not only humble, but abject, he bethoughthimself that their clamour was no longer to be brooked without replyand having a Roman spirit and an Athenian wit, he adroitly contrivedto assemble Gisippus his kinsfolk and those of Sophronia in a temple,wherein entering, accompanied by Gisippus alone, he thus bespoke theexpectant folk: 'It is the belief of many philosophers that theactions of mortals are determined and foreordained of the immortalGods, wherefore some will have it that all that is or shall ever bedone is of necessity, albeit there be others who attribute thisnecessity to that only which is already done. If these opinions beconsidered with any diligence, it will very manifestly be seen that toblame a thing which cannot be undone is to do no otherwhat than toseek to show oneself wiser than the Gods, who, we must e'en believe,dispose of and govern us and our affairs with unfailing wisdom andwithout any error; wherefore you may very easily see what fond andbrutish overweening it is to presume to find fault with theiroperations and eke how many and what chains they merit who sufferthemselves 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 youhave said and still say for that Sophronia is become my wife, whereasyou had given her to Gisippus, never considering that it wasforeordained from all eternity that she should become not his, butmine, as by the issue is known at this present. But, for that to speakof the secret foreordinance and intention of the Gods appeareth untomany a hard thing and a grievous to apprehend, I am willing to supposethat they concern not themselves with aught of our affairs and tocondescend to the counsels[466] of mankind, in speaking whereof, itwill behove me to do two things, both very contrary to my usances, theone, somedele to commend myself, and the other, in some measure toblame or disparage others; but, for that I purpose, neither in the onenor in the other, to depart from the truth and that the present matterrequireth it, I will e'en do it.
[Footnote 466: Or "arguments" (_consigli_).]
Your complainings, dictated more by rage than by reason, upbraid,revile and condemn Gisippus with continual murmurs or rather clamours,for that, of his counsel, he hath given me to wife her whom you ofyours[467] had given him; whereas I hold that he is supremely to becommended therefor, and that for two reasons, the one, for that hehath done that which a friend should do, and the other, for that hehath in this wrought more discreetly than did you. That which thesacred laws of friendship will that one friend should do for theother, it is not my intention at this present to expound, beingcontent to have recalled to you this much only thereof, to wit, thatthe bonds of friendship are far more stringent than those of blood orof kindred, seeing that the friends we have are such as we choose forourselves and our kinsfolk such as fortune giveth us; wherefore, ifGisippus loved my life more than your goodwill, I being his friend, asI hold myself, none should marvel thereat. But to come to the secondreason, whereanent it more instantly behoveth to show you that he hathbeen wiser than yourselves, since meseemeth you reck nothing of theforeordinance of the Gods and know yet less of the effects offriendship:--I say, then, that you of your judgment, of your counseland of your deliberation, gave Sophronia to Gisippus, a young man anda philosopher; Gisippus of his gave her to a young man and aphilosopher; your counsel gave her to an Athenian and that of Gisippusto a Roman; your counsel gave her to a youth of noble birth and his toone yet nobler; yours to a rich youth, his to a very rich; yours to ayouth who not only loved her not, but scarce knew her, his to one wholoved her over his every happiness and more than his very life. And toshow you that this I say is true and that Gisippus his action is morecommendable than yours, let us consider it, part by part. That I, likeGisippus, am a young man and a philosopher, my favour and my studiesmay declare, without more discourse thereof. One same age is his andmine and still with equal step have we proceeded studying. True, he isan Athenian and I am a Roman. If it be disputed of the glory of ournative cities, I say that I am a citizen of a free city and he of atributary one; I am of a city mistress of the whole world and he of acity obedient unto mine; I am of a city most illustrious in arms, inempery and in letters, whereas he can only commend his own forletters. Moreover, albeit you see me here on lowly wise enough astudent, I am not born of the dregs of the Roman populace; my housesand the public places of Rome are full of antique images of myancestors and the Roman annals will be found full of many a triumphled by the Quintii up to the Roman Capitol; nor is the glory of ourname fallen for age into decay, nay, it presently flourisheth moresplendidly than ever. I speak not, for shamefastness, of my riches,bearing in mind that honourable poverty hath ever been the ancient andmost ample patrimony of the noble citizens of Rome; but, if this becondemned of the opinion of the vulgar and treasures commended, I amabundantly provided with these latter, not as one covetous, but asbeloved of fortune.[468] I know very well that it was and should havebeen and should be dear unto you to have Gisippus here in Athens tokinsman; but I ought not for any reason to be less dear to you atRome, considering that in me you would have there an excellent hostand an useful and diligent and powerful patron, no less in publicoccasions than in matters of private need.
[Footnote 467: _i.e._ of your counsel.]
[Footnote 468: _i.e._ my riches are not the result of covetousamassing, but of the favours of fortune.]
Who then, letting be wilfulness and considering with reason, willcommend your counsels above those of my Gisippus? Certes, none.Sophronia, then, is well and duly married to Titus Quintius Fulvus, anoble, rich and long-descended citizen of Rome and a friend ofGisippus; wherefore whoso complaineth or maketh moan of this doth notthat which he ought neither knoweth that which he doth. Some perchancewill say that they complain not of Sophronia being the wife of Titus,but of the manner wherein she became his wife, to wit, in secret andby stealth, without friend or kinsman knowing aught thereof; but thisis no marvel nor thing that betideth newly. I willingly leave be thosewho have aforetime taken husbands against their parents' will andthose who have fled with their lovers and have been mistresses beforethey were wives and those who have discovered themselves to be marriedrather by pregnancy or child-bearing than with the tongue, yet hathnecessity commended it to their kinsfolk; nothing of which hathhappened in Sophronia's case; nay, she hath orderly, discreetly andhonourably been given by Gisippus to Titus. Others will say that hegave her in marriage to whom it appertained not to do so; but these beall foolish and womanish complaints and proceed from lack ofadvisement. This is not the first time that fortune hath made use ofvarious means and strange instruments to bring matters to foreordainedissues. What have I to care if it be a cordwainer rather than aphilosopher, that hath, according to his judgment, despatched anaffair of mine, and whether in secret or openly, provided the issue begood? If the cordwainer be indiscreet, all I have to do is to lookwell that he have no more to do with my affairs and thank him for thatwhich is done. If Gisippus ha
th married Sophronia well, it is asuperfluous folly to go complaining of the manner and of him. If youhave no confidence in his judgment, look he have no more of yourdaughters to marry and thank him for this one.
Nevertheless I would have you to know that I sought not, either by artor by fraud, to impose any stain upon the honour and illustriousnessof your blood in the person of Sophronia, and that, albeit I took hersecretly to wife, I came not as a ravisher to rob her of hermaidenhead nor sought, after the manner of an enemy, whilst shunningyour alliance, to have her otherwise than honourably; but, beingardently enkindled by her lovesome beauty and by her worth and knowingthat, had I sought her with that ordinance which you will maybe say Ishould have used, I should not (she being much beloved of you) havehad her, for fear lest I should carry her off to Rome, I used theoccult means that may now be discovered to you and caused Gisippus, inmy person, consent unto that which he himself was not disposed to do.Moreover, ardently as I loved her, I sought her embraces not as alover, but as a husband, nor, as she herself can truly testify, did Idraw near to her till I had first both with the due words and with thering espoused her, asking her if she would have me for husband, towhich she answered ay. If it appear to her that she hath beendeceived, it is not I who am to blame therefor, but she, who asked menot who I was. This, then, is the great misdeed, the grievous crime,the sore default committed by Gisippus as a friend and by myself as alover, to wit, that Sophronia hath secretly become the wife of TitusQuintius, and this it is for which you defame and menace and plotagainst him. What more could you do, had he bestowed her upon a churl,a losel or a slave? What chains, what prison, what gibbets hadsufficed thereunto?
But let that be for the present; the time is come which I looked notfor yet, to wit, my father is dead and it behoveth me return to Rome;wherefore, meaning to carry Sophronia with me, I have discovered toyou that which I should otherwise belike have yet kept hidden from youand with which, an you be wise, you will cheerfully put up, for that,had I wished to cheat or outrage you, I might have left her to you,scorned and dishonored; but God forfend that such a baseness shouldever avail to harbour in a Roman breast! She, then, namely Sophronia,by the consent of the Gods and the operation of the laws of mankind,no less than by the admirable contrivance of my Gisippus and mine ownamorous astuteness, is become mine, and this it seemeth that you,holding yourselves belike wiser than the Gods and than the rest ofmankind, brutishly condemn, showing your disapproval in two ways bothexceedingly noyous to myself, first by detaining Sophronia, over whomyou have no right, save in so far as it pleaseth me to allow it, andsecondly, by entreating Gisippus, to whom you are justly beholden, asan enemy. How foolishly you do in both which things I purpose not atthis present to make farther manifest to you, but will only counselyou, as a friend, to lay by your despites and altogether leaving yourresentments and the rancours that you have conceived, to restoreSophronia to me, so I may joyfully depart your kinsman and live yourfriend; for of this, whether that which is done please you or pleaseyou not, you may be assured that, if you offer to do otherwise, I willtake Gisippus from you and if I win to Rome, I will without fail,however ill you may take it, have her again who is justly mine andever after showing myself your enemy, will cause you know byexperience that whereof the despite of Roman souls is capable.'
Titus, having thus spoken, rose to his feet, with a countenance alldisordered for anger, and taking Gisippus by the hand, went forth ofthe temple, shaking his head threateningly and showing that he reckedlittle of as many as were there. The latter, in part reconciled by hisreasonings to the alliance and desirous of his friendship and in partterrified by his last words, of one accord determined that it wasbetter to have him for a kinsman, since Gisippus had not willed it,than to have lost the latter to kinsman and gotten the former for anenemy. Accordingly, going in quest of Titus, they told him that theywere willing that Sophronia should be his and to have him for a dearkinsman and Gisippus for a dear friend; then, having mutually doneeach other such honours and courtesies as beseem between kinsmen andfriends, they took their leaves and sent Sophronia back to him. She,like a wise woman, making a virtue of necessity, readily transferredto Titus the affection she bore Gisippus and repaired with him toRome, where she was received with great honour.
Meanwhile, Gisippus abode in Athens, held in little esteem of wellnigh all, and no great while after, through certain intestinetroubles, was, with all those of his house, expelled from Athens, inpoverty and misery, and condemned to perpetual exile. Finding himselfin this case and being grown not only poor, but beggarly, he betookhimself, as least ill he might, to Rome, to essay if Titus shouldremember him. There, learning that the latter was alive and high infavour with all the Romans and enquiring for his dwelling-place, hestationed himself before the door and there abode till such time asTitus came, to whom, by reason of the wretched plight wherein he was,he dared not say a word, but studied to cause himself be seen of him,so he might recognize him and let call him to himself; whereforeTitus passed on, [without noting him,] and Gisippus, conceiving thathe had seen and shunned him and remembering him of that which himselfhad done for him aforetime, departed, despiteful and despairing. Itbeing by this night and he fasting and penniless, he wandered on,unknowing whither and more desirous of death than of otherwhat, andpresently happened upon a very desert part of the city, where seeing agreat cavern, he addressed himself to abide the night there andpresently, forspent with long weeping, he fell asleep on the nakedearth and ill in case. To this cavern two, who had gone a-thievingtogether that night, came towards morning, with the booty they hadgotten, and falling out over the division, one, who was the stronger,slew the other and went away. Gisippus had seen and heard this andhimseemed he had found a way to the death so sore desired of him,without slaying himself; wherefore he abode without stirring, tillsuch time as the Serjeants of the watch, who had by this gotten windof the deed, came thither and laying furious hands of him, carried himoff prisoner. Gisippus, being examined, confessed that he had murderedthe man nor had since availed to depart the cavern; whereupon thepraetor, who was called Marcus Varro, commanded that he should be putto death upon the cross, as the usance then was.
Now Titus was by chance come at that juncture to the praetorium andlooking the wretched condemned man in the face and hearing why he hadbeen doomed to die, suddenly knew him for Gisippus; whereupon,marvelling at his sorry fortune and how he came to be in Rome anddesiring most ardently to succour him, but seeing no other means ofsaving him than to accuse himself and thus excuse him, he thrustforward in haste and cried out, saying, 'Marcus Varro, call back thepoor man whom thou hast condemned, for that he is innocent. I haveenough offended against the Gods with one crime, in slaying him whomthine officer found this morning dead, without willing presently towrong them with the death of another innocent.' Varro marvelled and itirked him that all the praetorium should have heard him; but, beingunable, for his own honour's sake, to forbear from doing that whichthe laws commanded, he caused bring back Gisippus and in the presenceof Titus said to him, 'How camest thou to be so mad that, withoutsuffering any torture, thou confessedst to that which thou didst not,it being a capital matter? Thou declaredst thyself to be he who slewthe man yesternight, and now this man cometh and saith that it was notthou, but he that slew him.'
Gisippus looked and seeing that it was Titus, perceived full well thathe did this to save him, as grateful for the service aforetimereceived from him; wherefore, weeping for pity, 'Varro,' quoth he,'indeed it was I slew him and Titus his solicitude for my safety isnow too late.' Titus on the other hand, said, 'Praetor, do as thouseest, this man is a stranger and was found without arms beside themurdered man, and thou mayst see that his wretchedness giveth himoccasion to wish to die; wherefore do thou release him and punish me,who have deserved it.' Varro marvelled at the insistence of these twoand beginning now to presume that neither of them might be guilty, wascasting about for a means of acquitting them, when, behold, up came ayouth called Publius Ambustus, a man of notorious ill life and
knownto all the Romans for an arrant rogue, who had actually done themurder and knowing neither of the twain to be guilty of that whereofeach accused himself, such was the pity that overcame his heart forthe innocence of the two friends that, moved by supreme compassion, hecame before Varro and said, 'Praetor, my fates impel me to solve thegrievous contention of these twain and I know not what God within mespurreth and importuneth me to discover to thee my sin. Know, then,that neither of these men is guilty of that whereof each accusethhimself. I am verily he who slew yonder man this morning towardsdaybreak and I saw this poor wretch asleep there, what while I was inact to divide the booty gotten with him whom I slew. There is no needfor me to excuse Titus; his renown is everywhere manifest and everyone knoweth him to be no man of such a condition. Release him,therefore, and take of me that forfeit which the laws impose on me.'
By this Octavianus had notice of the matter and causing all three bebrought before him, desired to hear what cause had moved each of themto seek to be the condemned man. Accordingly, each related his ownstory, whereupon Octavianus released the two friends, for that theywere innocent, and pardoned the other for the love of them. ThereuponTitus took his Gisippus and first reproaching him sore forlukewarmness[469] and diffidence, rejoiced in him with marvellousgreat joy and carried him to his house, where Sophronia with tears ofcompassion received him as a brother. Then, having awhile recruitedhim with rest and refreshment and reclothed him and restored him tosuch a habit as sorted with his worth and quality, he first shared allhis treasures and estates in common with him and after gave him towife a young sister of his, called Fulvia, saying, 'Gisippus,henceforth it resteth with thee whether thou wilt abide here with meor return with everything I have given thee into Achaia.' Gisippus,constrained on the one hand by his banishment from his native land andon the other by the love which he justly bore to the cherishedfriendship of Titus, consented to become a Roman and accordingly tookup his abode in the city, where he with his Fulvia and Titus with hisSophronia lived long and happily, still abiding in one house andwaxing more friends (an more they might be) every day.
[Footnote 469: Sic (_tiepidezza_); but _semble_ "timidity" or"distrustfulness" is meant.]
A most sacred thing, then, is friendship and worthy not only ofespecial reverence, but to be commended with perpetual praise, as themost discreet mother of magnanimity and honour, the sister ofgratitude and charity and the enemy of hatred and avarice, still,without waiting to be entreated, ready virtuously to do unto othersthat which it would have done to itself. Nowadays its divine effectsare very rarely to be seen in any twain, by the fault and to the shameof the wretched cupidity of mankind, which, regarding only its ownprofit, hath relegated it to perpetual exile, beyond the extremestlimits of the earth. What love, what riches, what kinship, what,except friendship, could have made Gisippus feel in his heart theardour, the tears and the sighs of Titus with such efficacy as tocause him yield up to his friend his betrothed bride, fair and gentleand beloved of him? What laws, what menaces, what fears could haveenforced the young arms of Gisippus to abstain, in solitary places andin dark, nay, in his very bed, from the embraces of the fair damsel,she mayhap bytimes inviting him, had friendship not done it? Whathonours, what rewards, what advancements, what, indeed, butfriendship, could have made Gisippus reck not of losing his ownkinsfolk and those of Sophronia nor of the unmannerly clamours of thepopulace nor of scoffs and insults, so that he might pleasure hisfriend? On the other hand, what, but friendship, could have promptedTitus, whenas he might fairly have feigned not to see, unhesitatinglyto compass his own death, that he might deliver Gisippus from thecross to which he had of his own motion procured himself to becondemned? What else could have made Titus, without the least demur,so liberal in sharing his most ample patrimony with Gisippus, whomfortune had bereft of his own? What else could have made him soforward to vouchsafe his sister to his friend, albeit he saw him verypoor and reduced to the extreme of misery? Let men, then, covet amultitude of comrades, troops of brethren and children galore and add,by dint of monies, to the number of their servitors, considering notthat every one of these, who and whatsoever he may be, is more fearfulof every least danger of his own than careful to do away thegreat[470] from father or brother or master, whereas we see a frienddo altogether the contrary."
[Footnote 470: _i.e._ perils.]
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 110