Clitopho here exhibits his ingenuity at the
expense of nature, forgetting that
"An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.
expense of nature, forgetting that
"An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.
Scriptori Erotici Graeci
"
Upon reading these lines, I became a prey to a succession of
conflicting feelings; love, fear, astonishment, doubt, joy, grief, by
turns took possession of my mind.
"Did you bring this letter from the Shades below," I inquired of
Satyrus. "What in the name of heaven does all this mean? Has Leucippe
come to life again? "--"Most assuredly she has," replied he; "it is no
other than she whom you saw in the country, but she is so changed in
appearance from having had her hair cut off,[28] that scarcely any one
would recognize her. "--"And are you going to stop short at this good
news? " I asked: "Do you mean my ears alone to be gratified and my eyes
to have no share in the delight? "--"For heaven's sake be cautious,"
was his reply; "let us first contrive some course of action, else you
will bring destruction on us all. Only consider; here is this lady,
one of the most distinguished for rank and wealth in Ephesus, madly
in love with you, and we are in the midst of the toils without any
possibility of getting free. "--"Talk not of caution," rejoined I, "it
is out of the question, joy thrills too strongly through all my veins.
Think, too, how she upbraids me in her letter"--and upon this, I again
eagerly ran over the contents, fancying I could see her in every line,
and ejaculating as I read;--"Yes, dearest Leucippe, I plead guilty to
thy charge! Thou hast indeed endured all these things for love of me! I
have been the cause to thee of infinite misfortune! " And upon coming to
the mention of the scourgings and other sufferings inflicted upon her
by Sosthenes, I wept as though actually a witness of their infliction.
Reflection turns the eyes of the soul upon the purport of what we read,
and brings everything as vividly before us, as if it were actually
being seen and done. Such was the influence of Leucippe's words, that
her allusion to my marriage made me blush as though I had been really
surprised in the commission of adultery.
"Satyrus," said I, "what excuses shall I offer? Leucippe, it is clear,
knows everything; nay, her love may have become changed into hate!
But tell me by what means she has been preserved? Whose corpse was
that which was buried? "--"She will herself relate everything in proper
season," he replied. --"What you have to do now is to write back an
answer, in order to soothe her irritation. I solemnly declared to her
that you married your present wife against your will. "--"What! did
you really tell her I was married? You have utterly undone me then!
How could you be guilty of such folly? "--"Why tax me with folly? The
whole city is aware of it. "--"But I swear by Hercules and my present
Fortune that no actual marriage has taken place. "--"Nonsense! you share
her bed. "--"I well know," said I, "that I shall not be credited, but
nevertheless I speak the truth: up to this very day Clitopho has had
no connexion with Melitta; however, the present question is, what am I
to write to Leucippe? My mind is so confused by what has taken place,
that I really know not how to begin. "--"Upon my word," said Satyrus,
"it is out of my power to help you, but I have no doubt that Love will
suggest materials for a letter; but whatever you do, lose no time. " I
at length wrote as follows:--
"Health to Leucippe, mistress of my heart! It is my lot to be at once
happy and unhappy;--happy in that I have you mentally present to me;
unhappy in that you are really absent from me. Only defer pronouncing
judgment upon me until the truth shall be cleared up, and you will
find that the example of your chastity has been followed by myself (if
chastity may be spoken of in men); but if you already hate and have
condemned me unheard, I swear to you, by those gods who have preserved
your life, that ere long you shall have proof of my perfect innocence.
Farewell, dearest, and still give me a place in your affections! "
This letter I delivered to Satyrus, desiring him to say all he could in
my favour to Leucippe. I then went back to supper full of joy, but not
free from grief, well knowing that Melitta would not allow the night
to pass without pressing me to consummate our nuptials, and, having
recovered Leucippe, it was hateful to me even to look upon any other
woman. I endeavoured to conceal what was passing in my mind, but it was
to no purpose, so at last I feigned to be seized with a shivering fit.
Melitta guessed that I was seeking some excuse for not complying with
her wishes, though as yet she had no actual proof. When, however, I
arose from table without finishing my supper, and retired to rest,
she got up and followed me into the bed-room. I then pretended that I
felt much worse, upon which she became very urgent with me, and said,
"Why will you persist in acting thus? How long will you continue to
disappoint me? We have now crossed the sea, we are at Ephesus; the
time is come for realizing your promise. Why should there be any
more delay? How long are we to sleep together as though we were in a
sanctuary? [29] You place before my eyes a refreshing stream,[30] of
which nevertheless you prohibit me to drink; and though sleeping near
the very fountain head, I am parched with thirst; my couch may compare
with the feast of Tantalus. " While thus venting her grief, she leaned
her head upon my bosom and wept so piteously that I could not but
sympathize with her sorrow; and feeling her reproaches to be just, I
really was at a loss what to do. At last I said, "Believe me, dearest,
by our country's gods, I feel an ardour equal to your own! but this
sadden indisposition has seized me,--I know not from what cause,--and,
as you are well aware, without the blessing of health it is in vain to
think of love. "[31]
While saying this, I wiped away her tears, and solemnly assured her,
that ere long she should obtain everything she wished. Not without
great difficulty, however, did I succeed in pacifying her. On the
following day Melitta called for the maid-servants, to whom she had
committed Leucippe, and inquired whether every requisite attention
had been shewn her. They replied, that nothing had been omitted. Upon
this Melitta sent for her, and when she came into the room said, "I
need scarcely remind you of the kindness you have experienced from
me; all I ask as a return is assistance which it is in your power to
afford me. Now, I understand that you Thessalian women[32] can, by your
magic, work so powerfully upon the minds of those you love, that their
affections, instead of wandering to any other object, will thenceforth
be wholly rivetted on you, their mistresses. It is a magic potion of
this kind which I now want from you, to procure requital for the love
which is consuming me. You remember, doubtlessly, the young man who
was walking with me yesterday? "--"I suppose you mean your husband,"
replied Leucippe, maliciously, "for I have been told by some of the
household that he stands to you in that relation. "--"A pretty kind of
husband! " interrupted Melitta; "he has in him more of marble than of
manhood; and my rival is a certain dead Leucippe, whose name, whether
waking or sleeping, is always on his lips. Four whole months have I
spent in Alexandria, entirely on his account, praying and beseeching
him, and leaving nothing undone likely to gain his love, but all to no
purpose, for he remained as insensible to my entreaties as any stock or
stone; and when at length he did give way, it was to become my husband
but in name; for I swear to you by Venus, that after sleeping with him
for a week I have risen from his side as if I had been sleeping with a
eunuch; in short, I have fallen in love with a statue, not a man. [33]
To use the words, therefore, which yesterday you addressed to me, 'Have
compassion upon one of your own sex;' give me your aid against the
overweening and unimpressible man; by so doing you will save my life,
which is now fast ebbing from me. "[34]
Leucippe was rejoiced at finding that no intercourse had taken place
between Melitta and myself, and believing it to be of no use to deny
her magic skill, undertook to find suitable herbs, if permitted to
go and seek for them in the country. These promises tranquillized
Melitta, for the mind is easily persuaded to feed upon the empty hope
of future good. [35] Meanwhile, knowing nothing of all this, I was in
great perplexity how to put off Melitta during the approaching night,
and to contrive a meeting with Leucippe. In the evening, Melitta,
who had taken her out of town in a carriage, returned,[36] and we
had just began our supper when a great disturbance was heard in the
men's quarter of the house, and a servant rushed into the room, out of
breath, and exclaiming, "Thersander is alive, and is arrived! "[37]
This Thersander was no other than Melitta's husband, who was supposed
to have been lost at sea, the report of his death having been spread by
two of his servants who had been saved when the ship was wrecked. In a
moment he was in the room; for, having learnt every particular by the
way, he had hastened home on purpose to surprise me. Melitta, in great
alarm at an event so utterly unlooked for, started up and endeavoured
to embrace her husband; who, however thrust her from him with great
violence, and then catching sight of me and exclaiming, "So, here is
the spark himself! " he rushed towards me, and dealt me a tremendous
blow in the face, after which, seizing me by the hair, he dashed me to
the ground and beat me most unmercifully. All this time I remained as
silent as if I had been at the celebration of the mysteries, neither
asking him who he was, or why he used me so; for, suspecting the truth,
I had not courage to retaliate, though possessing physical strength
enough to do so.
At length when he was weary of striking and I of forming conjectures in
my mind, I got up and said, "Pray, who are you, and what do you mean by
this rough usage? " More than ever irritated by the sound of my voice,
he recommenced his attack upon me, and called aloud for fetters and
handcuffs; they were brought, and, after being bound hand and foot, I
was shut up in a room. During this struggle, Leucippe's letter, which
had been fastened under my tunic to the fringes of my shirt,[38] fell
to the ground without my perceiving it, and was picked up by Melitta,
who feared lest it might be one of her own letters written to me; when,
however, she had an opportunity of reading it in private and met with
Leucippe's name, it went like an arrow to her heart, but having so
often heard of her death she did not at once identify the name with
the female whom she had set at liberty; but as she read on, and felt
all uncertainty upon the point removed, she became at once the divided
prey of shame, rage, love, and jealousy;--she felt ashamed at exposure
before her husband; she was enraged at the contents of the letter; this
passion yielded to love on my account, which in its turn was stung
by jealousy; but love, in the end, remained triumphant. Thersander,
after the first ebullition of his anger, had retired to the house of
a friend; Melitta, therefore, in the evening, after speaking to the
slave who kept guard over my apartment, came in privately, having for
precaution posted two of her servants before the door.
She found me lying upon the floor, and approaching me shewed by her
countenance, that she wished, were it possible, to give utterance in
one breath to all her various emotions. "Wretched that I am," she at
length exclaimed, "fatal for me was the day when I first beheld you;
I, who have loved so madly yet so fruitlessly; who still doat upon him
who hates me; who pity him who is the cause of all my pain, and whose
love is not extinguished even by injury and insult! --What a pair of
juggling plotters against me are you both! You have all along been
making me your sport, and she, forsooth, is gone to procure a philtre
for me! Little did I dream that I was seeking aid from those who were
my bitterest enemies! " Thus speaking she threw Leucippe's letter on
the ground; which I no sooner recognized than a sudden chill came over
me, and I cast my eyes upon the ground as if convicted of a crime. She
then continued in the same strain: "What misery is mine! My husband
is lost to me through you, and henceforth I shall be deprived even of
the barren pleasure which I have enjoyed, that of seeing you! Through
you I have incurred my husband's hatred, who believes me guilty of an
intrigue against his honour--an intrigue which has borne me none of
the fruits of love, and from which all I gain is infamy! Other women
receive enjoyment for the guerdon of their shame: I inherit the shame,
but obtain none of the enjoyment! Barbarous and faithless man, how can
you allow a loving woman thus to pine away, when you are yourself the
slave of Love? Did you not dread his anger? Had you no reverence for
his fires,--no regard for his mysteries? Had these tearful eyes no
influence over you,--more ruthless as you are than any pirate! --for
even a pirate's breast will be softened by tears! Neither entreaty
nor opportunity, nor my close embrace, has persuaded you to grant me
so much as one amorous indulgence; nay, most insulting of all, after
yourself returning my kisses and my embraces, you have risen from my
side like any woman! What is this but the very ghost of matrimony?
Remember also, that you have not been sharing the bed of one who is
grown old, or who repulses your embraces, but of one who is young and
ardent, and whom some might consider possessed of charms,--eunuch
that you are! --unsexed and bane of beauty,[39] listen to my righteous
imprecation:--may Love requite your fires as you have requited mine! "
Tears for a time choked her voice; but when I remained still silent and
with downcast eyes, a sudden change came over her,[40] and she then
resumed:--"Dearest Clitopho, anger and grief have hitherto dictated my
words, but love prompts what I am now about to say; for believe me,
however angry, I still burn with passion; however much wronged, I still
feel love; yield to my entreaties then, and even now compassionate me!
I no longer ask for joys of many days' duration, nor for the lengthened
wedlock which in my folly I had dreamt of; I will be content with one
amorous embrace. I ask but a little medicine to palliate this powerful
disease,--extinguish, in some degree, the flame which now consumes me!
Pardon me if I have spoken with too much haste and bitterness, for
love when unsuccessful is pushed to phrenzy! Well aware how unseemly
my conduct may appear, I am not ashamed to divulge the mysteries of
Love, for I speak to one already initiated,--to one who knows by his
own experience what my feelings are. Lovers alone understand the wounds
felt by those who love; to all others the arrows of the god and the
havoc which he makes are equally unknown. One only day remains to us.
I ask the performance of your promise. Remember the temple of Isis;
show regard to the oaths which you took there. Were you willing to live
with me, according to the troth you plighted, I would not care for a
thousand Thersanders; but having recovered your Leucippe, you may not
wed another; accordingly I surrender every claim, and ask only what
may easily be granted. It is vain to resist my destiny; all things
evidently conspire against me,--even the dead rise up again. Cruel
sea, thou hast borne me safely only to plunge me into greater ruin,
bringing back to me, for my confusion, the very dead. Nor was it enough
for Leucippe to revive in order to assuage the grief of Clitopho, but
the savage Thersander also must needs come back. And he has dared to
strike Clitopho before my eyes without my having the power to aid
him; he has dared to disfigure that face upon which I doat. He must
have been blind to beauty when he did so! Once more I entreat you, my
Clitopho, lord, as you are, of my affections, give yourself to me now,
for the first time and the last; it will be to me as if many days were
crowded into one short space! so may you never more be deprived of your
Leucippe; so may she never again die a fictitious death! Do not scorn
my love; it has produced your greatest happiness; it has been the means
of restoring to you Leucippe; had I never been enamoured of you, had
I never brought you here, Leucippe would still be dead to you. Some
thanks are due to good fortune, Clitopho; he who lights upon a treasure
honours the spot where he discovered it; he builds an altar, he offers
a sacrifice; he crowns the place with flowers; but though you have
found in me a treasure full of love you despise your happy fortune!
Think Love to be addressing you through my mouth, and saying, 'In this
matter thou art bound to oblige me, thy tutor; initiate Melitta in my
mysteries; I kindled the fire with which she burns. ' Hear likewise
how I have provided for your safety; you shall be set free from these
chains, whether Thersander will or no, and you shall find a place of
refuge with my foster-brother for as long a time as you may wish. In
the morning you may expect to see Leucippe; she is to pass the night
in the country for the sake of gathering herbs by moonlight,[41] for
my simplicity was so imposed upon, as to believe her a Thessalian, and
to ask of her a philtre to be administered to you. What else could I
do, when disappointed in my wishes, than have recourse to herbs and
drugs, the refuge of those who are unfortunate in love. You need be
in no fear of Thersander; he has rushed out of the house in a rage,
and betaken himself to one of his friends. The deity, indeed, seems to
have purposely contrived his absence, that I may obtain the last favour
which I ask. Let me then enjoy you, Clitopho! "
After this earnest and impassioned pleading, suggested by Love, who
is a mighty master of eloquence,[42] she undid the fetters; and after
kissing my hands applied them to her eyes and heart: "Feel," said
she, "how my poor heart beats, agitated by fear and hope,--would
that I could say, by pleasure! --and seeming to supplicate you by its
palpitations. " When, after setting me free, she hung about my neck in
tears, I was no longer proof against human weakness; indeed I was in
dread of incurring the wrath of Love[43] himself, especially as I had
now recovered Leucippe, and was about to leave Melitta, so that our
present connexion would be no consummation of a marriage, but simply
administering relief to a love-sick soul. Yielding to these reflections
I returned her kisses and embraces, and though without the help of bed
or other appliances of amorous delight, nothing was left to be desired.
Love, indeed, is his own teacher, and an excellent contriver,[44] and
makes every place his temple; nor is there any doubt that impromptu
amorous intercourse is far preferable to that which is elaborated, and
that it brings with it much more genuine enjoyment.
[Footnote 1: ἔνδημος ἀποδημία. ]
[Footnote 2: τοιαύτη τις ἰσότητος τρυτάνη. "The beautiful and regular
form of that great city, second only to Rome itself, comprehended
a circumference of fifteen miles; it was peopled by three hundred
thousand free inhabitants, besides at least an equal number of
slaves. "--Gibbon, vol. i. 452. ]
[Footnote 3: See the description of his temple and statue. --Gibbon,
vol. v. 108-114. ]
[Footnote 4: The expression in the Greek is remarkable--ἄλλος ἀνέτελλεν
ᾔλιος κατακερματίζων.
"Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine,
That all the world shall be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun. "--Romeo and Juliet.
]
[Footnote 5: ὁ πέπλος. The piece of tapestry on which Philomela,
during her captivity had worked the representation of her misfortunes,
and which she had conveyed to her sister Procne. --See Ovid. Met. vi.
411-676. ]
[Footnote 6:
"ἔσθει βορἀν ἄσωτον. . . .
κἄπειτ' ἐπιγνοὺς ἔργον οὐ κατᾳίσιον
ὤμωξίν. . . .
. . . . . .
λάκτισμα δείπνου ξυνδίκως τιθεῒς ἀρᾷ". --Æsch. Ag. 1568.
]
[Footnote 7: τῆς φωνῆς τὸ ἄνθος. This expression may be illustrated by
Psalm lvii. 9, "Awake up my _glory_;" and Psalm xvi. 10, "My _glory_
rejoiced. "]
[Footnote 8:
"Ο quam cruentas feminas stimulat dolor
Cum patuit una pellici et nuptæ domus!
Scylla et Charybdis Sicula contorquens freta
Minus est timenda, nulla non melior fera est. "
Sen. Herc. Œt.
]
[Footnote 9:
"And their revenge is as the tiger's spring,
Deadly and quick and crushing; yet as real
Torture is theirs, what they inflict they feel. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 10: This celebrated light-house, situated at the entrance
of the port of Alexandria, was built by Sostratus of Cnidos on an
island which bore the same name, at the expense of eight hundred
talents. It was square, constructed of white stone, and with admirable
art, exceedingly lofty, and in all respects of great dimensions. It
contained many stories, which diminished in width from below upwards.
The upper stories had windows looking seaward, and torches or fires
were kept burning in them by night, in order to guide vessels into the
harbour. --Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq. ]
[Footnote 11: πορφυρεΐς. Fishers of the murex or purple fish. See a
note in Blakesley's Herod. vol. i. p. 522. ]
[Footnote 12: πρύμναν ἐκρούσατο. --See Thucyd. vol. i. p. 50. ]
[Footnote 13: Once before, when apparently sacrificed by Menelaus and
Satyrus. --B. iii. ]
[Footnote 14: The head, as the noblest part, being the representative
of the whole person; and often used as a periphrasis for it by the
Greek and Roman writers.
Clitopho here exhibits his ingenuity at the
expense of nature, forgetting that
"An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. "--Richard III.
]
[Footnote 15: ὢ μαικάριος, ἐγὼ παρὰ μίαν ἡμέραν. ]
[Footnote 16:
"Usque ab unguiculo ad capillum summus est festivissima
Estne? considera; signum pictum pulchre videris. "
Plautus. Epidic. Sc. v. 1.
]
[Footnote 17: δεσπότην, οὐ yὰp ἄνδρα ἐρὤ].
[Footnote 18:
"'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white
Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on. "
Twelfth Night.
]
[Footnote 19: The reader will call to mind a similar passage, in the
conversation between Clinias and Clitopho, in B. i. ]
[Footnote 20: κενοτάφιον μὲν γὰρ εἴδον, κενογάμιον δὲ οὔ. ]
[Footnote 21: πᾶς τόπος ἐρῶσι θάλαμος. ]
[Footnote 22: Alluding to the mast crossed by the sailyard. ]
[Footnote 23: Melitta still pursues her favourite hobby, symbolism. The
reader is referred to the "Pax" of Aristophanes, line 142, with the
note in Bothe's edit. ]
[Footnote 24: The stern of the vessel was adorned with the image of the
tutelary deity, whence that part of the ship was called _tutela_, and
held sacred by the mariners.
. . . "non robore picto
Ornatas decuit fulgens tutela carinas. "--Lucan, iii. 510.
See also, Hor. I. Od. xvi. 10; and Persius S. vi. 30. ]
[Footnote 25: ὀρχάτους τῶν φυτῶν.
"πολλοί δὲ φυτῶν ἔσαν ὔρχατοι ἀμφίς·"
"Well planted gardens. "--Cowper. Iliad. xvi. 123.
]
[Footnote 26: Slaves who worked in the fields, were under an overseer
(επίτροπός), to whom the whole management of the estate was frequently
entrusted, while the master resided in the city. ]
[Footnote 27: τὰ νῶτα διαγεγραμμένα--
"Quasi in libro cum scribuntur literæ calamo
Stilis me totum usque ulmeis conscribito. "
Plaut. Ps. i. 5. 139.
]
[Footnote 28: Slaves were not allowed to wear their hair long. "ἑπειτa
δῆτα δοῦλος ὢν, κόμην ἔχεις. "--Aristoph. Aves, 884. ]
[Footnote 29: See the phrase, "Noctes puras habere. "--Plautus, Asinar.
iv. 1. ]
[Footnote 30: See Proverbs v. 15-18. ]
[Footnote 31:
. . . "health in the human frame,
Is pleasant, besides being true love's essence. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 32: See Lucan, B. vi. 605, &c. ]
[Footnote 33: See the anecdote of Lais and Xenocrates. Anthon's
Classical Dict. ]
[Footnote 34: διαῤῥεύσασαν. ]
[Footnote 35:
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast,
Man never is, but always to be blest. "--Pope.
]
[Footnote 36: The text here is very corrupt in the Greek; the sense
given is in accordance with Jacobs. ]
[Footnote 37:
"Old Lambro pass'd unseen a private gate,
And stood within his hall at eventide;
Meanwhile the lady and her lover sate
At wassail in their beauty and their pride;
An ivory inlaid table spread with state
Before them, and fair slaves on every side;
Gems, gold, and silver, form'd the service mostly,
Mother of pearl and coral the less costly. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 38: εἴσω τοῦ χιτωνίσχου προσδεδμένην ἐκ τῶν τῆς ὀθόνης
θνσάνων--See Dict. of Grk. and Rom. Antiq. , p. 422, under the article
_Fimbriæ_. ]
[Footnote 39: ἀνδρόγυνε καὶ κάλλούς βάσκανε. The sense of βάσκανος
is thus given by Jacobs:--"Qui insitâ vi invidiæ, pulchritudinis
efficaciam debilitat aut destruit. "]
[Footnote 40:
"Her anger pitch'd into a lower tune,
Perhaps the fault of her soft sex and age;
Her wish was but to 'kill, kill, kill,' like Lear's,
And then her thirst of blood was quench'd in tears. "
Byron.
]
[Footnote 41:
. . . "has nullo perdere possum
Nec prohibere modo, simul ac vaga luna decorum
Protulit os, quin ossa legant, herbasque nocentes. "
Hor. S. i. 8, 20.
]
[Footnote 42:
"And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods
Make heaven drowsy with the harmony.
Never durst poet touch a pen to write,
Until his ink were temper'd with love's sighs;
Ο! then his lines would ravish savage ears,
And plant in tyrants mild humanity. "--Love's Labour Lost.
]
[Footnote 43: Venue and Cupid were supposed to be irritated against
those who shewed insensibility to their influence:--
"Ingratam Veneri pone superbiam. "
Hor. Od. iii. 10. 9.
]
[Footnote 44: αὐτουργὸς γὰρ ὁ ἔρως καὶ αὑτοσχέδιος σοφιστῆς, a passage
parallel to one in B. i. , αὐτοδίδακτος γὰρ ἐστίν ὁ θεὸς. ]
BOOK VI.
When at length, I had sufficiently eased Melitta's pains, I said to
her, "How do you mean to provide for my escape and to perform your
promises as to Leucippe? "--"Be in no anxiety respecting her," was the
reply, "look upon her as already restored to your embrace; but put on
my clothes and conceal your face in my robe; Melantho will conduct
you to the door, there you will find a young man who has orders from
me to guide you to the house where Clinias and Satyrus await you, and
whither Leucippe will shortly come. " While giving me these directions,
she dressed me so as to resemble her in appearance; then kissing me,
she said, "You look handsomer than ever in this attire, and remind me
of a picture of Achilles[1] which I once saw. Fare you well, dearest,
preserve this dress as a memorial of me, and leave me your own, that
I may sometimes put it on and fancy myself in your embrace;" she then
gave me a hundred gold pieces, and called Melantho, a trusty servant,
who was watching at the door, told her what to do, and ordered her to
return, as soon as she had let me out. Thus disguised I slipped out
of the room, the keeper, upon receiving a sign from Melantho, taking
me for his mistress and making way; passing through an unfrequented
part of the house I reached a back door, where I was received by the
person whom Melitta had appointed to be there; he was a freedman who
had accompanied us on our voyage from Alexandria, and with whom I had
already been intimate.
Upon her return, Melantho found the keeper preparing to secure the
room for the night, she desired him to open the door, and going in,
informed her mistress of my escape; Melitta called in the keeper, who
seeing the right bird flown and another in his place,[2] was struck
dumb with astonishment: "I did not employ this artifice," said she,
"from believing you unwilling to favour Clitopho's escape, but because
I wished to give you the means of clearing yourself from blame in the
opinion of Thersander. Here are ten gold pieces; if you choose to
remain here, you are to regard them as a present from Clitopho, if you
prefer getting out of the way they will help you on your journey. "
"Mistress," replied the keeper, whose name was Pasio, "I am ready to
follow your suggestion. " It was agreed, that the man should go away and
remain in concealment until Thersander's anger had subsided, and he and
his wife were again upon good terms. Upon leaving the house, my usual
ill fortune overtook me; and interwove a new incident in the drama of
my life. Whom should I encounter but Thersander! who persuaded by his
friend not to sleep away from his wife, was returning home.
It happened to be the festival of Diana, the streets were full of
drunken fellows, and all night long crowds of people continued
traversing the public square. I had hoped to encounter no other danger
but this, but I was mistaken, peril of a worse kind was still in store
for me. Sosthenes, the purchaser of Leucippe, whom Melitta had turned
out of his office, no sooner heard of his master's return, than he not
only continued to act as bailiff, but determined to revenge himself
upon Melitta. He began by informing against me, acquainting his master
with all which had taken place; he then invented a very plausible
story above Leucippe, for finding he could not enjoy her himself he
determined to play pimp to his master, and by that means to alienate
him from his wife. --"Master," said he, "I have purchased a maiden of
incredible beauty; words will not do her justice, to form a just idea
of her you must see her; I have been keeping her purposely for you; for
I heard that you were alive and fully believed the fact, but did not
choose to make it public, in order that you might have clear proof of
my mistress's guilt, and not be made the laughing stock of a foreigner
and worthless libertine; my mistress took her out of my hands yesterday
and thinks of giving her her freedom, but Fortune has reserved for you
the possession of this rare beauty; she has been sent for some reason
or other into the country, where she now remains, and where with your
leave I will secure her until your arrival. "
Thersander approved of his scheme and bid him put it into execution;
accordingly Sosthenes proceeded to the farm, and finding out the
cottage where Leucippe was to pass the night, he ordered two of the
labourers to entice away the maids, who had accompanied her, under
pretence of having something to say to them in private; he then went
accompanied by two others, to the cottage where Leucippe was now
alone, seized her and having stopped her mouth, carried her off to a
lone habitation, where setting her down, he said, "Maiden, I am the
bearer of great good fortune to you, and I hope that you will not
forget me, in your prosperity; be under no alarm at having been carried
off, no injury is intended you, it will be the means of obtaining my
master for your admirer. " Leucippe could not utter a word, so much
was she overcome by the sense of the unexpected calamity. Sosthenes
hurrying back informed Thersander of what he had done, again, extolling
Leucippe's beauty to the skies; he was on the point of returning home,
but inflamed by the description, and having his mind filled with such a
lovely vision,[3] he determined at once to pay a visit to the maiden as
the festival was still on foot, and the distance not more than half a
mile. It was when on his way thither, that disguised in Melitta's dress
I came directly upon him. Sosthenes was the first to recognize me;
"Here comes the rake-hell himself," exclaimed he, "masquerading it, in
my mistress's clothes! "
The young man, my guide, who was a little in advance hearing this,
took to his heels in a fright without giving me any previous warning.
I was immediately seized by the pair, and the noise made by Thersander
drew together a number of the revellers, when he became louder than
ever in his charges, heaping upon me all manner of abuse,[4] calling
me a lecher, a cut-purse, and I know not what besides; in the end I
was dragged to the public prison, thrust in, and a charge of _Crim.
Con. _[5] entered against me. The disgrace of a prison and the abuse
gave me little or no concern, for as my marriage with Melitta had
been public, I felt confident of being able to refute the charge of
adultery; all my anxiety arose from not having actually recovered
my Leucippe, for the mind is naturally inclined to be a "prophet of
ill,"[6] our predictions of good are seldom realized. In the present
case I augured nothing favourable for Leucippe, and was a prey to fears
and suspicions of every kind.
Thersander, after having had me locked up, continued on his way, and
upon his arrival found Leucippe lying upon the ground and brooding
over what Sosthenes had said. Grief and fear were plainly depicted
upon her countenance; indeed I consider it quite a mistake to say that
the mind is invisible, it may be seen distinctly reflected on the face
as in a mirror; in seasons of happiness joy sparkles in the eyes;
in the time of sorrow the countenance is overcast[7] and reveals the
inward feelings. A light was burning in the cottage; upon hearing the
door open, Leucippe raised her eyes for a moment and then cast them
down again. It is in the eyes that beauty has its seat, and Thersander
having caught a momentary glimpse of the beauty which (rapid as
lightning) flashed from hers, was at once on fire with love, and waited
spell bound, in hopes of her raising them again; but when she continued
to gaze upon the ground, he said, "Fair maiden, why waste the light
of thine eyes upon the earth, why not look up and let them dart fresh
light into mine? "
Upon hearing his voice, Leucippe burst into tears, and appeared even
more charming than before,[8] for tears give permanency and increased
expression to the eyes, either rendering them more disagreeable, or
improving them if pleasing, for in that case the dark iris, fading
into a lighter hue, resembles, when moistened with tears, the head of
a gently-bubbling fount; the white and black growing in brilliancy
from the moisture which floats over the surface, assume the mingled
shades of the violet and narcissus, and the eye appears as smiling
through the tears which are confined within its lids. Such was the
case with Leucippe; her tears made her appear beautiful even in grief;
and if after trickling down they had congealed, the world would have
seen a species of amber hitherto unknown. [9] The sight of her charms,
heightened as they were by her grief, inflamed Thersander; his own eyes
filled with moisture. Tears naturally awaken feelings of compassion,
especially a woman's tears, and the more so in proportion to the
copiousness with which they fall; and when she who weeps is beautiful
and he who beholds her is enamoured, he cannot avoid following her
example; the magic of her charms, which is chiefly in her eyes,
extends its influence to him; her beauty penetrates into his soul, her
tears draw forth his own, he might dry them, but he purposely abstains
from doing so, for he would fain have them attract the notice of the
fair one; he even checks any motion of his eyelids, lest they should
fall before the time, sympathetic tears being the strongest proof of
love. This was the case with Thersander, he shed tears partly because
grief has really in it something which is infectious, partly that he
might appear to sympathize with Leucippe's sorrow. "Pay her every
attention which her state of mind requires," said he in an under tone
to Sosthenes; "however unwillingly I will leave her for the present
for fear of annoying her; when she is more composed I will pay her
another visit. Maiden," added he, addressing her, "cheer up, I will
soon find means to dry those tears of yours;" and whispering to
Sosthenes, "remember," said he, "that you promote my suit, and come to
me to-morrow morning," with which words he left the cottage.
While these things were taking place, Melitta had lost no time in
sending a young man into the country, who was to bid Leucippe return
without delay, as she had no longer any need of ingredients for a
philtre. Upon his arrival, he found the female servants in great
trouble seeking for her everywhere, he therefore at once came back
and informed his mistress of what had taken place. Melitta, upon
learning that Leucippe had disappeared, and that I had been committed
to prison, was thrown into violent agitation: though ignorant of the
whole truth her suspicions fell upon Sosthenes, and being determined to
ascertain by means of Thersander where Leucippe was, she had recourse
to subtlety, combining with it a show of truth. Upon Thersander coming
home and shouting out, "So you have got your paramour set free and have
smuggled him out of the town;--why did you not accompany him? why stop
here? why not take yourself off, and see how he looks now that he is in
'durance vile? '"--"What paramour? " replied Melitta with the greatest
composure. "What delusion are you labouring under? --If you will only
calm your passion and listen to me, I will very soon explain the truth;
all I wish for on your part, is candour; forget any slanderous reports
which you have heard, let reason take the place of anger and listen to
what I have to say. --This young man is neither my paramour nor yet my
husband; he is a native of Phœnicia, and belongs to one of the first
families in Tyre; he was so unfortunate as to suffer shipwreck and lost
everything which he possessed. Upon hearing of his misfortunes I took
compassion upon him (remembering what had befallen you), and received
him into my house.
"'Thersander,' said I, mentally, 'may perhaps be wandering about
himself, some tender hearted female may have taken pity upon him;
nay, if as report says, he has perished, I will shew kindness to all
who have experienced the perils of the sea! ' Many are the shipwrecked
passengers to whom I have shewn hospitality, to many a corpse washed
up by the waves have I here given burial; if I saw so much as a
plank from a vessel borne to land, I drew it up on shore, 'for,' I
said, 'it may have belonged to the ship in which Thersander sailed! '
This young man was one of the last who was rescued from a watery
grave, and in treating him with kindness, I was in fact honouring
you. Like you, dearest, he had encountered the perils of the deep;
in him therefore, I was paying regard to the impersonation of your
sufferings. You have now had laid before you the motives by which I
have been influenced. --I may add, that he was in great sorrow for his
wife; he had believed her dead, but she was still alive, and, as he
was informed, in the power of Sosthenes our bailiff. The report proved
true, for upon proceeding into the country we found her there. It is
in your power to test the truth of what I say, you can bring before
you both Sosthenes and the female of whom I speak; if you can convict
me of falsehood, then call me an adultress. " Melitta spoke, all along,
as if in ignorance of Leucippe's disappearance, reserving to herself
the power--should Thersander wish to ascertain the truth--of bringing
forward the maid-servants who had accompanied Leucippe, and who could
solemnly declare that the maiden was nowhere to be found. Her motive
was to persuade Thersander of her own innocence, and it was for this
purpose that she urged him to bring forward Leucippe. To give yet
greater colour to her artful words, "Dearest husband," she added,
"during the time that we lived together, you have never discovered
any blot in my character, neither shall you do so now. [10] The report,
at present raised against me, has arisen from people being ignorant of
the cause which induced me to shew kindness to this young man; rumour
has been busy in your case, also; for you, recollect, were reported to
have perished. Now rumour and calumny are two kindred evils, and the
former may be called the daughter of the latter. Calumny is sharper
than any sword--more burning than any fire, more pernicious than any
Siren, while rumour is more fluid than water, swifter than the wind,
fleeter than any wing of bird. [11] No sooner has calumny shot forth
a poisoned word than it flies like an arrow and wounds, even in his
absence, him against whom it is directed; while whosoever hears this
word is readily persuaded, feels his anger kindled, and turns all its
violence against the victim. On the other hand, rumour the offspring of
this shot, flows onward like a torrent, and floods the ears of every
listener; words, like wind, speeding it on its course, and,--to use
another similitude--the wings of the human tongue bearing it aloft and
enabling it to cleave the air. [12] These are the foes against whom I
have to contend, they have gained the mastery over your mind, and have
closed your ears against my words. " Here she paused, and taking his
hand endeavoured to kiss it; her plan was not without success, for
Thersander became more calm, influenced by the plausibility of her
speech, and finding the account given of Leucippe to harmonize with
what he had heard from Sosthenes. His suspicions gave way, however,
only in part, for jealousy when once it has gained entrance into the
mind, is hard to be got rid of. The intelligence that the maiden was my
wife annoyed him greatly, and increased his animosity towards me; and
saying that he should enquire into the truth of what he had heard, he
retired to rest alone. --Melitta, on her part was very much distressed
at being unable to perform her promise. Meanwhile Sosthenes after the
departure of Thersander (whom he had encouraged with hopes of speedy
success) again went in to Leucippe, and assuming a joyful countenance,
"Everything is going on satisfactorily Lacæna," said he, "Thersander
is deeply enamoured of you, and very probably will make you his wife;
this success is entirely owing to me, for I have extolled your beauty
to the skies, and his mind sees and thinks of you alone. Dry your tears
therefore, maiden, rise from the ground, sacrifice to Venus on account
of your good fortune, and do not forget how much you owe to me. " "May
as much happiness befall you as you have just announced to me," was her
reply. Sosthenes, believing that she spoke sincerely and not in irony,
proceeded in a friendly tone and manner: "I will tell you moreover who
Thersander is; he is the husband of Melitta whom you lately saw, his
family is one of the first in Ionia, his wealth is even greater than
his birth, but it is surpassed by his kindness of disposition. I need
not dwell upon his age, for you have seen that he is still young and
handsome, two qualities especially acceptable to women. "
Leucippe could no longer endure listening to such nonsense: "Wicked
wretch! " she exclaimed, "how much longer do you mean to pollute my
ears? What is Thersander to me? Let his beauty delight his wife, his
riches benefit his country, and his good qualities be of service to
those who need them. What matters it to me, if he be nobler in birth
than Codrus, and surpass Crœsus in his wealth? For what purpose should
you enumerate another man's good qualities to me? Thersander shall
receive my praise, when he ceases wishing to do violence to another's
wife. " Upon this, changing to a serious air, "Are you jesting, maiden? "
he asked. "What have I to do with jesting? " was her reply. "Leave
me to my own adverse fortune and evil genius; I know full well that
I have fallen into the power of villains. " "You must be incurably
crazed," said Sosthenes, "to talk thus. Is it like being in the power
of villains, to have the offer made to you of wealth, marriage, and
a luxurious life; to receive for your husband one so favoured by the
gods, that they have actually snatched him from the jaws of death? "
And then he gave an account of the shipwreck, magnifying Thersander's
escape, and making of it a greater wonder than of Arion and his
Dolphin. [13]
When he had finished his marvellous tale, and still Leucippe made no
reply, "You had better consult your own interest," he resumed, "and
not talk in this fashion to Thersander, lest you should provoke one
who is actually amiable; for when once kindled, his anger knows no
bounds. Kindness of heart, when it meets with a due return, increases,
but when slighted, it soon changes into angry feelings; and then the
desire of taking vengeance is proportioned to the previous willingness
of doing good. " Leaving Leucippe for a time, we will now speak of some
of the other characters in this tale. When Clinias and Satyrus learned
from Melitta that I had been incarcerated they immediately came to
the prison, desirous of sharing my captivity; the jailor, however,
would not consent, but bid them at once be gone, and though sorely
disappointed there was no alternative.
Upon reading these lines, I became a prey to a succession of
conflicting feelings; love, fear, astonishment, doubt, joy, grief, by
turns took possession of my mind.
"Did you bring this letter from the Shades below," I inquired of
Satyrus. "What in the name of heaven does all this mean? Has Leucippe
come to life again? "--"Most assuredly she has," replied he; "it is no
other than she whom you saw in the country, but she is so changed in
appearance from having had her hair cut off,[28] that scarcely any one
would recognize her. "--"And are you going to stop short at this good
news? " I asked: "Do you mean my ears alone to be gratified and my eyes
to have no share in the delight? "--"For heaven's sake be cautious,"
was his reply; "let us first contrive some course of action, else you
will bring destruction on us all. Only consider; here is this lady,
one of the most distinguished for rank and wealth in Ephesus, madly
in love with you, and we are in the midst of the toils without any
possibility of getting free. "--"Talk not of caution," rejoined I, "it
is out of the question, joy thrills too strongly through all my veins.
Think, too, how she upbraids me in her letter"--and upon this, I again
eagerly ran over the contents, fancying I could see her in every line,
and ejaculating as I read;--"Yes, dearest Leucippe, I plead guilty to
thy charge! Thou hast indeed endured all these things for love of me! I
have been the cause to thee of infinite misfortune! " And upon coming to
the mention of the scourgings and other sufferings inflicted upon her
by Sosthenes, I wept as though actually a witness of their infliction.
Reflection turns the eyes of the soul upon the purport of what we read,
and brings everything as vividly before us, as if it were actually
being seen and done. Such was the influence of Leucippe's words, that
her allusion to my marriage made me blush as though I had been really
surprised in the commission of adultery.
"Satyrus," said I, "what excuses shall I offer? Leucippe, it is clear,
knows everything; nay, her love may have become changed into hate!
But tell me by what means she has been preserved? Whose corpse was
that which was buried? "--"She will herself relate everything in proper
season," he replied. --"What you have to do now is to write back an
answer, in order to soothe her irritation. I solemnly declared to her
that you married your present wife against your will. "--"What! did
you really tell her I was married? You have utterly undone me then!
How could you be guilty of such folly? "--"Why tax me with folly? The
whole city is aware of it. "--"But I swear by Hercules and my present
Fortune that no actual marriage has taken place. "--"Nonsense! you share
her bed. "--"I well know," said I, "that I shall not be credited, but
nevertheless I speak the truth: up to this very day Clitopho has had
no connexion with Melitta; however, the present question is, what am I
to write to Leucippe? My mind is so confused by what has taken place,
that I really know not how to begin. "--"Upon my word," said Satyrus,
"it is out of my power to help you, but I have no doubt that Love will
suggest materials for a letter; but whatever you do, lose no time. " I
at length wrote as follows:--
"Health to Leucippe, mistress of my heart! It is my lot to be at once
happy and unhappy;--happy in that I have you mentally present to me;
unhappy in that you are really absent from me. Only defer pronouncing
judgment upon me until the truth shall be cleared up, and you will
find that the example of your chastity has been followed by myself (if
chastity may be spoken of in men); but if you already hate and have
condemned me unheard, I swear to you, by those gods who have preserved
your life, that ere long you shall have proof of my perfect innocence.
Farewell, dearest, and still give me a place in your affections! "
This letter I delivered to Satyrus, desiring him to say all he could in
my favour to Leucippe. I then went back to supper full of joy, but not
free from grief, well knowing that Melitta would not allow the night
to pass without pressing me to consummate our nuptials, and, having
recovered Leucippe, it was hateful to me even to look upon any other
woman. I endeavoured to conceal what was passing in my mind, but it was
to no purpose, so at last I feigned to be seized with a shivering fit.
Melitta guessed that I was seeking some excuse for not complying with
her wishes, though as yet she had no actual proof. When, however, I
arose from table without finishing my supper, and retired to rest,
she got up and followed me into the bed-room. I then pretended that I
felt much worse, upon which she became very urgent with me, and said,
"Why will you persist in acting thus? How long will you continue to
disappoint me? We have now crossed the sea, we are at Ephesus; the
time is come for realizing your promise. Why should there be any
more delay? How long are we to sleep together as though we were in a
sanctuary? [29] You place before my eyes a refreshing stream,[30] of
which nevertheless you prohibit me to drink; and though sleeping near
the very fountain head, I am parched with thirst; my couch may compare
with the feast of Tantalus. " While thus venting her grief, she leaned
her head upon my bosom and wept so piteously that I could not but
sympathize with her sorrow; and feeling her reproaches to be just, I
really was at a loss what to do. At last I said, "Believe me, dearest,
by our country's gods, I feel an ardour equal to your own! but this
sadden indisposition has seized me,--I know not from what cause,--and,
as you are well aware, without the blessing of health it is in vain to
think of love. "[31]
While saying this, I wiped away her tears, and solemnly assured her,
that ere long she should obtain everything she wished. Not without
great difficulty, however, did I succeed in pacifying her. On the
following day Melitta called for the maid-servants, to whom she had
committed Leucippe, and inquired whether every requisite attention
had been shewn her. They replied, that nothing had been omitted. Upon
this Melitta sent for her, and when she came into the room said, "I
need scarcely remind you of the kindness you have experienced from
me; all I ask as a return is assistance which it is in your power to
afford me. Now, I understand that you Thessalian women[32] can, by your
magic, work so powerfully upon the minds of those you love, that their
affections, instead of wandering to any other object, will thenceforth
be wholly rivetted on you, their mistresses. It is a magic potion of
this kind which I now want from you, to procure requital for the love
which is consuming me. You remember, doubtlessly, the young man who
was walking with me yesterday? "--"I suppose you mean your husband,"
replied Leucippe, maliciously, "for I have been told by some of the
household that he stands to you in that relation. "--"A pretty kind of
husband! " interrupted Melitta; "he has in him more of marble than of
manhood; and my rival is a certain dead Leucippe, whose name, whether
waking or sleeping, is always on his lips. Four whole months have I
spent in Alexandria, entirely on his account, praying and beseeching
him, and leaving nothing undone likely to gain his love, but all to no
purpose, for he remained as insensible to my entreaties as any stock or
stone; and when at length he did give way, it was to become my husband
but in name; for I swear to you by Venus, that after sleeping with him
for a week I have risen from his side as if I had been sleeping with a
eunuch; in short, I have fallen in love with a statue, not a man. [33]
To use the words, therefore, which yesterday you addressed to me, 'Have
compassion upon one of your own sex;' give me your aid against the
overweening and unimpressible man; by so doing you will save my life,
which is now fast ebbing from me. "[34]
Leucippe was rejoiced at finding that no intercourse had taken place
between Melitta and myself, and believing it to be of no use to deny
her magic skill, undertook to find suitable herbs, if permitted to
go and seek for them in the country. These promises tranquillized
Melitta, for the mind is easily persuaded to feed upon the empty hope
of future good. [35] Meanwhile, knowing nothing of all this, I was in
great perplexity how to put off Melitta during the approaching night,
and to contrive a meeting with Leucippe. In the evening, Melitta,
who had taken her out of town in a carriage, returned,[36] and we
had just began our supper when a great disturbance was heard in the
men's quarter of the house, and a servant rushed into the room, out of
breath, and exclaiming, "Thersander is alive, and is arrived! "[37]
This Thersander was no other than Melitta's husband, who was supposed
to have been lost at sea, the report of his death having been spread by
two of his servants who had been saved when the ship was wrecked. In a
moment he was in the room; for, having learnt every particular by the
way, he had hastened home on purpose to surprise me. Melitta, in great
alarm at an event so utterly unlooked for, started up and endeavoured
to embrace her husband; who, however thrust her from him with great
violence, and then catching sight of me and exclaiming, "So, here is
the spark himself! " he rushed towards me, and dealt me a tremendous
blow in the face, after which, seizing me by the hair, he dashed me to
the ground and beat me most unmercifully. All this time I remained as
silent as if I had been at the celebration of the mysteries, neither
asking him who he was, or why he used me so; for, suspecting the truth,
I had not courage to retaliate, though possessing physical strength
enough to do so.
At length when he was weary of striking and I of forming conjectures in
my mind, I got up and said, "Pray, who are you, and what do you mean by
this rough usage? " More than ever irritated by the sound of my voice,
he recommenced his attack upon me, and called aloud for fetters and
handcuffs; they were brought, and, after being bound hand and foot, I
was shut up in a room. During this struggle, Leucippe's letter, which
had been fastened under my tunic to the fringes of my shirt,[38] fell
to the ground without my perceiving it, and was picked up by Melitta,
who feared lest it might be one of her own letters written to me; when,
however, she had an opportunity of reading it in private and met with
Leucippe's name, it went like an arrow to her heart, but having so
often heard of her death she did not at once identify the name with
the female whom she had set at liberty; but as she read on, and felt
all uncertainty upon the point removed, she became at once the divided
prey of shame, rage, love, and jealousy;--she felt ashamed at exposure
before her husband; she was enraged at the contents of the letter; this
passion yielded to love on my account, which in its turn was stung
by jealousy; but love, in the end, remained triumphant. Thersander,
after the first ebullition of his anger, had retired to the house of
a friend; Melitta, therefore, in the evening, after speaking to the
slave who kept guard over my apartment, came in privately, having for
precaution posted two of her servants before the door.
She found me lying upon the floor, and approaching me shewed by her
countenance, that she wished, were it possible, to give utterance in
one breath to all her various emotions. "Wretched that I am," she at
length exclaimed, "fatal for me was the day when I first beheld you;
I, who have loved so madly yet so fruitlessly; who still doat upon him
who hates me; who pity him who is the cause of all my pain, and whose
love is not extinguished even by injury and insult! --What a pair of
juggling plotters against me are you both! You have all along been
making me your sport, and she, forsooth, is gone to procure a philtre
for me! Little did I dream that I was seeking aid from those who were
my bitterest enemies! " Thus speaking she threw Leucippe's letter on
the ground; which I no sooner recognized than a sudden chill came over
me, and I cast my eyes upon the ground as if convicted of a crime. She
then continued in the same strain: "What misery is mine! My husband
is lost to me through you, and henceforth I shall be deprived even of
the barren pleasure which I have enjoyed, that of seeing you! Through
you I have incurred my husband's hatred, who believes me guilty of an
intrigue against his honour--an intrigue which has borne me none of
the fruits of love, and from which all I gain is infamy! Other women
receive enjoyment for the guerdon of their shame: I inherit the shame,
but obtain none of the enjoyment! Barbarous and faithless man, how can
you allow a loving woman thus to pine away, when you are yourself the
slave of Love? Did you not dread his anger? Had you no reverence for
his fires,--no regard for his mysteries? Had these tearful eyes no
influence over you,--more ruthless as you are than any pirate! --for
even a pirate's breast will be softened by tears! Neither entreaty
nor opportunity, nor my close embrace, has persuaded you to grant me
so much as one amorous indulgence; nay, most insulting of all, after
yourself returning my kisses and my embraces, you have risen from my
side like any woman! What is this but the very ghost of matrimony?
Remember also, that you have not been sharing the bed of one who is
grown old, or who repulses your embraces, but of one who is young and
ardent, and whom some might consider possessed of charms,--eunuch
that you are! --unsexed and bane of beauty,[39] listen to my righteous
imprecation:--may Love requite your fires as you have requited mine! "
Tears for a time choked her voice; but when I remained still silent and
with downcast eyes, a sudden change came over her,[40] and she then
resumed:--"Dearest Clitopho, anger and grief have hitherto dictated my
words, but love prompts what I am now about to say; for believe me,
however angry, I still burn with passion; however much wronged, I still
feel love; yield to my entreaties then, and even now compassionate me!
I no longer ask for joys of many days' duration, nor for the lengthened
wedlock which in my folly I had dreamt of; I will be content with one
amorous embrace. I ask but a little medicine to palliate this powerful
disease,--extinguish, in some degree, the flame which now consumes me!
Pardon me if I have spoken with too much haste and bitterness, for
love when unsuccessful is pushed to phrenzy! Well aware how unseemly
my conduct may appear, I am not ashamed to divulge the mysteries of
Love, for I speak to one already initiated,--to one who knows by his
own experience what my feelings are. Lovers alone understand the wounds
felt by those who love; to all others the arrows of the god and the
havoc which he makes are equally unknown. One only day remains to us.
I ask the performance of your promise. Remember the temple of Isis;
show regard to the oaths which you took there. Were you willing to live
with me, according to the troth you plighted, I would not care for a
thousand Thersanders; but having recovered your Leucippe, you may not
wed another; accordingly I surrender every claim, and ask only what
may easily be granted. It is vain to resist my destiny; all things
evidently conspire against me,--even the dead rise up again. Cruel
sea, thou hast borne me safely only to plunge me into greater ruin,
bringing back to me, for my confusion, the very dead. Nor was it enough
for Leucippe to revive in order to assuage the grief of Clitopho, but
the savage Thersander also must needs come back. And he has dared to
strike Clitopho before my eyes without my having the power to aid
him; he has dared to disfigure that face upon which I doat. He must
have been blind to beauty when he did so! Once more I entreat you, my
Clitopho, lord, as you are, of my affections, give yourself to me now,
for the first time and the last; it will be to me as if many days were
crowded into one short space! so may you never more be deprived of your
Leucippe; so may she never again die a fictitious death! Do not scorn
my love; it has produced your greatest happiness; it has been the means
of restoring to you Leucippe; had I never been enamoured of you, had
I never brought you here, Leucippe would still be dead to you. Some
thanks are due to good fortune, Clitopho; he who lights upon a treasure
honours the spot where he discovered it; he builds an altar, he offers
a sacrifice; he crowns the place with flowers; but though you have
found in me a treasure full of love you despise your happy fortune!
Think Love to be addressing you through my mouth, and saying, 'In this
matter thou art bound to oblige me, thy tutor; initiate Melitta in my
mysteries; I kindled the fire with which she burns. ' Hear likewise
how I have provided for your safety; you shall be set free from these
chains, whether Thersander will or no, and you shall find a place of
refuge with my foster-brother for as long a time as you may wish. In
the morning you may expect to see Leucippe; she is to pass the night
in the country for the sake of gathering herbs by moonlight,[41] for
my simplicity was so imposed upon, as to believe her a Thessalian, and
to ask of her a philtre to be administered to you. What else could I
do, when disappointed in my wishes, than have recourse to herbs and
drugs, the refuge of those who are unfortunate in love. You need be
in no fear of Thersander; he has rushed out of the house in a rage,
and betaken himself to one of his friends. The deity, indeed, seems to
have purposely contrived his absence, that I may obtain the last favour
which I ask. Let me then enjoy you, Clitopho! "
After this earnest and impassioned pleading, suggested by Love, who
is a mighty master of eloquence,[42] she undid the fetters; and after
kissing my hands applied them to her eyes and heart: "Feel," said
she, "how my poor heart beats, agitated by fear and hope,--would
that I could say, by pleasure! --and seeming to supplicate you by its
palpitations. " When, after setting me free, she hung about my neck in
tears, I was no longer proof against human weakness; indeed I was in
dread of incurring the wrath of Love[43] himself, especially as I had
now recovered Leucippe, and was about to leave Melitta, so that our
present connexion would be no consummation of a marriage, but simply
administering relief to a love-sick soul. Yielding to these reflections
I returned her kisses and embraces, and though without the help of bed
or other appliances of amorous delight, nothing was left to be desired.
Love, indeed, is his own teacher, and an excellent contriver,[44] and
makes every place his temple; nor is there any doubt that impromptu
amorous intercourse is far preferable to that which is elaborated, and
that it brings with it much more genuine enjoyment.
[Footnote 1: ἔνδημος ἀποδημία. ]
[Footnote 2: τοιαύτη τις ἰσότητος τρυτάνη. "The beautiful and regular
form of that great city, second only to Rome itself, comprehended
a circumference of fifteen miles; it was peopled by three hundred
thousand free inhabitants, besides at least an equal number of
slaves. "--Gibbon, vol. i. 452. ]
[Footnote 3: See the description of his temple and statue. --Gibbon,
vol. v. 108-114. ]
[Footnote 4: The expression in the Greek is remarkable--ἄλλος ἀνέτελλεν
ᾔλιος κατακερματίζων.
"Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine,
That all the world shall be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun. "--Romeo and Juliet.
]
[Footnote 5: ὁ πέπλος. The piece of tapestry on which Philomela,
during her captivity had worked the representation of her misfortunes,
and which she had conveyed to her sister Procne. --See Ovid. Met. vi.
411-676. ]
[Footnote 6:
"ἔσθει βορἀν ἄσωτον. . . .
κἄπειτ' ἐπιγνοὺς ἔργον οὐ κατᾳίσιον
ὤμωξίν. . . .
. . . . . .
λάκτισμα δείπνου ξυνδίκως τιθεῒς ἀρᾷ". --Æsch. Ag. 1568.
]
[Footnote 7: τῆς φωνῆς τὸ ἄνθος. This expression may be illustrated by
Psalm lvii. 9, "Awake up my _glory_;" and Psalm xvi. 10, "My _glory_
rejoiced. "]
[Footnote 8:
"Ο quam cruentas feminas stimulat dolor
Cum patuit una pellici et nuptæ domus!
Scylla et Charybdis Sicula contorquens freta
Minus est timenda, nulla non melior fera est. "
Sen. Herc. Œt.
]
[Footnote 9:
"And their revenge is as the tiger's spring,
Deadly and quick and crushing; yet as real
Torture is theirs, what they inflict they feel. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 10: This celebrated light-house, situated at the entrance
of the port of Alexandria, was built by Sostratus of Cnidos on an
island which bore the same name, at the expense of eight hundred
talents. It was square, constructed of white stone, and with admirable
art, exceedingly lofty, and in all respects of great dimensions. It
contained many stories, which diminished in width from below upwards.
The upper stories had windows looking seaward, and torches or fires
were kept burning in them by night, in order to guide vessels into the
harbour. --Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq. ]
[Footnote 11: πορφυρεΐς. Fishers of the murex or purple fish. See a
note in Blakesley's Herod. vol. i. p. 522. ]
[Footnote 12: πρύμναν ἐκρούσατο. --See Thucyd. vol. i. p. 50. ]
[Footnote 13: Once before, when apparently sacrificed by Menelaus and
Satyrus. --B. iii. ]
[Footnote 14: The head, as the noblest part, being the representative
of the whole person; and often used as a periphrasis for it by the
Greek and Roman writers.
Clitopho here exhibits his ingenuity at the
expense of nature, forgetting that
"An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. "--Richard III.
]
[Footnote 15: ὢ μαικάριος, ἐγὼ παρὰ μίαν ἡμέραν. ]
[Footnote 16:
"Usque ab unguiculo ad capillum summus est festivissima
Estne? considera; signum pictum pulchre videris. "
Plautus. Epidic. Sc. v. 1.
]
[Footnote 17: δεσπότην, οὐ yὰp ἄνδρα ἐρὤ].
[Footnote 18:
"'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white
Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on. "
Twelfth Night.
]
[Footnote 19: The reader will call to mind a similar passage, in the
conversation between Clinias and Clitopho, in B. i. ]
[Footnote 20: κενοτάφιον μὲν γὰρ εἴδον, κενογάμιον δὲ οὔ. ]
[Footnote 21: πᾶς τόπος ἐρῶσι θάλαμος. ]
[Footnote 22: Alluding to the mast crossed by the sailyard. ]
[Footnote 23: Melitta still pursues her favourite hobby, symbolism. The
reader is referred to the "Pax" of Aristophanes, line 142, with the
note in Bothe's edit. ]
[Footnote 24: The stern of the vessel was adorned with the image of the
tutelary deity, whence that part of the ship was called _tutela_, and
held sacred by the mariners.
. . . "non robore picto
Ornatas decuit fulgens tutela carinas. "--Lucan, iii. 510.
See also, Hor. I. Od. xvi. 10; and Persius S. vi. 30. ]
[Footnote 25: ὀρχάτους τῶν φυτῶν.
"πολλοί δὲ φυτῶν ἔσαν ὔρχατοι ἀμφίς·"
"Well planted gardens. "--Cowper. Iliad. xvi. 123.
]
[Footnote 26: Slaves who worked in the fields, were under an overseer
(επίτροπός), to whom the whole management of the estate was frequently
entrusted, while the master resided in the city. ]
[Footnote 27: τὰ νῶτα διαγεγραμμένα--
"Quasi in libro cum scribuntur literæ calamo
Stilis me totum usque ulmeis conscribito. "
Plaut. Ps. i. 5. 139.
]
[Footnote 28: Slaves were not allowed to wear their hair long. "ἑπειτa
δῆτα δοῦλος ὢν, κόμην ἔχεις. "--Aristoph. Aves, 884. ]
[Footnote 29: See the phrase, "Noctes puras habere. "--Plautus, Asinar.
iv. 1. ]
[Footnote 30: See Proverbs v. 15-18. ]
[Footnote 31:
. . . "health in the human frame,
Is pleasant, besides being true love's essence. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 32: See Lucan, B. vi. 605, &c. ]
[Footnote 33: See the anecdote of Lais and Xenocrates. Anthon's
Classical Dict. ]
[Footnote 34: διαῤῥεύσασαν. ]
[Footnote 35:
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast,
Man never is, but always to be blest. "--Pope.
]
[Footnote 36: The text here is very corrupt in the Greek; the sense
given is in accordance with Jacobs. ]
[Footnote 37:
"Old Lambro pass'd unseen a private gate,
And stood within his hall at eventide;
Meanwhile the lady and her lover sate
At wassail in their beauty and their pride;
An ivory inlaid table spread with state
Before them, and fair slaves on every side;
Gems, gold, and silver, form'd the service mostly,
Mother of pearl and coral the less costly. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 38: εἴσω τοῦ χιτωνίσχου προσδεδμένην ἐκ τῶν τῆς ὀθόνης
θνσάνων--See Dict. of Grk. and Rom. Antiq. , p. 422, under the article
_Fimbriæ_. ]
[Footnote 39: ἀνδρόγυνε καὶ κάλλούς βάσκανε. The sense of βάσκανος
is thus given by Jacobs:--"Qui insitâ vi invidiæ, pulchritudinis
efficaciam debilitat aut destruit. "]
[Footnote 40:
"Her anger pitch'd into a lower tune,
Perhaps the fault of her soft sex and age;
Her wish was but to 'kill, kill, kill,' like Lear's,
And then her thirst of blood was quench'd in tears. "
Byron.
]
[Footnote 41:
. . . "has nullo perdere possum
Nec prohibere modo, simul ac vaga luna decorum
Protulit os, quin ossa legant, herbasque nocentes. "
Hor. S. i. 8, 20.
]
[Footnote 42:
"And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods
Make heaven drowsy with the harmony.
Never durst poet touch a pen to write,
Until his ink were temper'd with love's sighs;
Ο! then his lines would ravish savage ears,
And plant in tyrants mild humanity. "--Love's Labour Lost.
]
[Footnote 43: Venue and Cupid were supposed to be irritated against
those who shewed insensibility to their influence:--
"Ingratam Veneri pone superbiam. "
Hor. Od. iii. 10. 9.
]
[Footnote 44: αὐτουργὸς γὰρ ὁ ἔρως καὶ αὑτοσχέδιος σοφιστῆς, a passage
parallel to one in B. i. , αὐτοδίδακτος γὰρ ἐστίν ὁ θεὸς. ]
BOOK VI.
When at length, I had sufficiently eased Melitta's pains, I said to
her, "How do you mean to provide for my escape and to perform your
promises as to Leucippe? "--"Be in no anxiety respecting her," was the
reply, "look upon her as already restored to your embrace; but put on
my clothes and conceal your face in my robe; Melantho will conduct
you to the door, there you will find a young man who has orders from
me to guide you to the house where Clinias and Satyrus await you, and
whither Leucippe will shortly come. " While giving me these directions,
she dressed me so as to resemble her in appearance; then kissing me,
she said, "You look handsomer than ever in this attire, and remind me
of a picture of Achilles[1] which I once saw. Fare you well, dearest,
preserve this dress as a memorial of me, and leave me your own, that
I may sometimes put it on and fancy myself in your embrace;" she then
gave me a hundred gold pieces, and called Melantho, a trusty servant,
who was watching at the door, told her what to do, and ordered her to
return, as soon as she had let me out. Thus disguised I slipped out
of the room, the keeper, upon receiving a sign from Melantho, taking
me for his mistress and making way; passing through an unfrequented
part of the house I reached a back door, where I was received by the
person whom Melitta had appointed to be there; he was a freedman who
had accompanied us on our voyage from Alexandria, and with whom I had
already been intimate.
Upon her return, Melantho found the keeper preparing to secure the
room for the night, she desired him to open the door, and going in,
informed her mistress of my escape; Melitta called in the keeper, who
seeing the right bird flown and another in his place,[2] was struck
dumb with astonishment: "I did not employ this artifice," said she,
"from believing you unwilling to favour Clitopho's escape, but because
I wished to give you the means of clearing yourself from blame in the
opinion of Thersander. Here are ten gold pieces; if you choose to
remain here, you are to regard them as a present from Clitopho, if you
prefer getting out of the way they will help you on your journey. "
"Mistress," replied the keeper, whose name was Pasio, "I am ready to
follow your suggestion. " It was agreed, that the man should go away and
remain in concealment until Thersander's anger had subsided, and he and
his wife were again upon good terms. Upon leaving the house, my usual
ill fortune overtook me; and interwove a new incident in the drama of
my life. Whom should I encounter but Thersander! who persuaded by his
friend not to sleep away from his wife, was returning home.
It happened to be the festival of Diana, the streets were full of
drunken fellows, and all night long crowds of people continued
traversing the public square. I had hoped to encounter no other danger
but this, but I was mistaken, peril of a worse kind was still in store
for me. Sosthenes, the purchaser of Leucippe, whom Melitta had turned
out of his office, no sooner heard of his master's return, than he not
only continued to act as bailiff, but determined to revenge himself
upon Melitta. He began by informing against me, acquainting his master
with all which had taken place; he then invented a very plausible
story above Leucippe, for finding he could not enjoy her himself he
determined to play pimp to his master, and by that means to alienate
him from his wife. --"Master," said he, "I have purchased a maiden of
incredible beauty; words will not do her justice, to form a just idea
of her you must see her; I have been keeping her purposely for you; for
I heard that you were alive and fully believed the fact, but did not
choose to make it public, in order that you might have clear proof of
my mistress's guilt, and not be made the laughing stock of a foreigner
and worthless libertine; my mistress took her out of my hands yesterday
and thinks of giving her her freedom, but Fortune has reserved for you
the possession of this rare beauty; she has been sent for some reason
or other into the country, where she now remains, and where with your
leave I will secure her until your arrival. "
Thersander approved of his scheme and bid him put it into execution;
accordingly Sosthenes proceeded to the farm, and finding out the
cottage where Leucippe was to pass the night, he ordered two of the
labourers to entice away the maids, who had accompanied her, under
pretence of having something to say to them in private; he then went
accompanied by two others, to the cottage where Leucippe was now
alone, seized her and having stopped her mouth, carried her off to a
lone habitation, where setting her down, he said, "Maiden, I am the
bearer of great good fortune to you, and I hope that you will not
forget me, in your prosperity; be under no alarm at having been carried
off, no injury is intended you, it will be the means of obtaining my
master for your admirer. " Leucippe could not utter a word, so much
was she overcome by the sense of the unexpected calamity. Sosthenes
hurrying back informed Thersander of what he had done, again, extolling
Leucippe's beauty to the skies; he was on the point of returning home,
but inflamed by the description, and having his mind filled with such a
lovely vision,[3] he determined at once to pay a visit to the maiden as
the festival was still on foot, and the distance not more than half a
mile. It was when on his way thither, that disguised in Melitta's dress
I came directly upon him. Sosthenes was the first to recognize me;
"Here comes the rake-hell himself," exclaimed he, "masquerading it, in
my mistress's clothes! "
The young man, my guide, who was a little in advance hearing this,
took to his heels in a fright without giving me any previous warning.
I was immediately seized by the pair, and the noise made by Thersander
drew together a number of the revellers, when he became louder than
ever in his charges, heaping upon me all manner of abuse,[4] calling
me a lecher, a cut-purse, and I know not what besides; in the end I
was dragged to the public prison, thrust in, and a charge of _Crim.
Con. _[5] entered against me. The disgrace of a prison and the abuse
gave me little or no concern, for as my marriage with Melitta had
been public, I felt confident of being able to refute the charge of
adultery; all my anxiety arose from not having actually recovered
my Leucippe, for the mind is naturally inclined to be a "prophet of
ill,"[6] our predictions of good are seldom realized. In the present
case I augured nothing favourable for Leucippe, and was a prey to fears
and suspicions of every kind.
Thersander, after having had me locked up, continued on his way, and
upon his arrival found Leucippe lying upon the ground and brooding
over what Sosthenes had said. Grief and fear were plainly depicted
upon her countenance; indeed I consider it quite a mistake to say that
the mind is invisible, it may be seen distinctly reflected on the face
as in a mirror; in seasons of happiness joy sparkles in the eyes;
in the time of sorrow the countenance is overcast[7] and reveals the
inward feelings. A light was burning in the cottage; upon hearing the
door open, Leucippe raised her eyes for a moment and then cast them
down again. It is in the eyes that beauty has its seat, and Thersander
having caught a momentary glimpse of the beauty which (rapid as
lightning) flashed from hers, was at once on fire with love, and waited
spell bound, in hopes of her raising them again; but when she continued
to gaze upon the ground, he said, "Fair maiden, why waste the light
of thine eyes upon the earth, why not look up and let them dart fresh
light into mine? "
Upon hearing his voice, Leucippe burst into tears, and appeared even
more charming than before,[8] for tears give permanency and increased
expression to the eyes, either rendering them more disagreeable, or
improving them if pleasing, for in that case the dark iris, fading
into a lighter hue, resembles, when moistened with tears, the head of
a gently-bubbling fount; the white and black growing in brilliancy
from the moisture which floats over the surface, assume the mingled
shades of the violet and narcissus, and the eye appears as smiling
through the tears which are confined within its lids. Such was the
case with Leucippe; her tears made her appear beautiful even in grief;
and if after trickling down they had congealed, the world would have
seen a species of amber hitherto unknown. [9] The sight of her charms,
heightened as they were by her grief, inflamed Thersander; his own eyes
filled with moisture. Tears naturally awaken feelings of compassion,
especially a woman's tears, and the more so in proportion to the
copiousness with which they fall; and when she who weeps is beautiful
and he who beholds her is enamoured, he cannot avoid following her
example; the magic of her charms, which is chiefly in her eyes,
extends its influence to him; her beauty penetrates into his soul, her
tears draw forth his own, he might dry them, but he purposely abstains
from doing so, for he would fain have them attract the notice of the
fair one; he even checks any motion of his eyelids, lest they should
fall before the time, sympathetic tears being the strongest proof of
love. This was the case with Thersander, he shed tears partly because
grief has really in it something which is infectious, partly that he
might appear to sympathize with Leucippe's sorrow. "Pay her every
attention which her state of mind requires," said he in an under tone
to Sosthenes; "however unwillingly I will leave her for the present
for fear of annoying her; when she is more composed I will pay her
another visit. Maiden," added he, addressing her, "cheer up, I will
soon find means to dry those tears of yours;" and whispering to
Sosthenes, "remember," said he, "that you promote my suit, and come to
me to-morrow morning," with which words he left the cottage.
While these things were taking place, Melitta had lost no time in
sending a young man into the country, who was to bid Leucippe return
without delay, as she had no longer any need of ingredients for a
philtre. Upon his arrival, he found the female servants in great
trouble seeking for her everywhere, he therefore at once came back
and informed his mistress of what had taken place. Melitta, upon
learning that Leucippe had disappeared, and that I had been committed
to prison, was thrown into violent agitation: though ignorant of the
whole truth her suspicions fell upon Sosthenes, and being determined to
ascertain by means of Thersander where Leucippe was, she had recourse
to subtlety, combining with it a show of truth. Upon Thersander coming
home and shouting out, "So you have got your paramour set free and have
smuggled him out of the town;--why did you not accompany him? why stop
here? why not take yourself off, and see how he looks now that he is in
'durance vile? '"--"What paramour? " replied Melitta with the greatest
composure. "What delusion are you labouring under? --If you will only
calm your passion and listen to me, I will very soon explain the truth;
all I wish for on your part, is candour; forget any slanderous reports
which you have heard, let reason take the place of anger and listen to
what I have to say. --This young man is neither my paramour nor yet my
husband; he is a native of Phœnicia, and belongs to one of the first
families in Tyre; he was so unfortunate as to suffer shipwreck and lost
everything which he possessed. Upon hearing of his misfortunes I took
compassion upon him (remembering what had befallen you), and received
him into my house.
"'Thersander,' said I, mentally, 'may perhaps be wandering about
himself, some tender hearted female may have taken pity upon him;
nay, if as report says, he has perished, I will shew kindness to all
who have experienced the perils of the sea! ' Many are the shipwrecked
passengers to whom I have shewn hospitality, to many a corpse washed
up by the waves have I here given burial; if I saw so much as a
plank from a vessel borne to land, I drew it up on shore, 'for,' I
said, 'it may have belonged to the ship in which Thersander sailed! '
This young man was one of the last who was rescued from a watery
grave, and in treating him with kindness, I was in fact honouring
you. Like you, dearest, he had encountered the perils of the deep;
in him therefore, I was paying regard to the impersonation of your
sufferings. You have now had laid before you the motives by which I
have been influenced. --I may add, that he was in great sorrow for his
wife; he had believed her dead, but she was still alive, and, as he
was informed, in the power of Sosthenes our bailiff. The report proved
true, for upon proceeding into the country we found her there. It is
in your power to test the truth of what I say, you can bring before
you both Sosthenes and the female of whom I speak; if you can convict
me of falsehood, then call me an adultress. " Melitta spoke, all along,
as if in ignorance of Leucippe's disappearance, reserving to herself
the power--should Thersander wish to ascertain the truth--of bringing
forward the maid-servants who had accompanied Leucippe, and who could
solemnly declare that the maiden was nowhere to be found. Her motive
was to persuade Thersander of her own innocence, and it was for this
purpose that she urged him to bring forward Leucippe. To give yet
greater colour to her artful words, "Dearest husband," she added,
"during the time that we lived together, you have never discovered
any blot in my character, neither shall you do so now. [10] The report,
at present raised against me, has arisen from people being ignorant of
the cause which induced me to shew kindness to this young man; rumour
has been busy in your case, also; for you, recollect, were reported to
have perished. Now rumour and calumny are two kindred evils, and the
former may be called the daughter of the latter. Calumny is sharper
than any sword--more burning than any fire, more pernicious than any
Siren, while rumour is more fluid than water, swifter than the wind,
fleeter than any wing of bird. [11] No sooner has calumny shot forth
a poisoned word than it flies like an arrow and wounds, even in his
absence, him against whom it is directed; while whosoever hears this
word is readily persuaded, feels his anger kindled, and turns all its
violence against the victim. On the other hand, rumour the offspring of
this shot, flows onward like a torrent, and floods the ears of every
listener; words, like wind, speeding it on its course, and,--to use
another similitude--the wings of the human tongue bearing it aloft and
enabling it to cleave the air. [12] These are the foes against whom I
have to contend, they have gained the mastery over your mind, and have
closed your ears against my words. " Here she paused, and taking his
hand endeavoured to kiss it; her plan was not without success, for
Thersander became more calm, influenced by the plausibility of her
speech, and finding the account given of Leucippe to harmonize with
what he had heard from Sosthenes. His suspicions gave way, however,
only in part, for jealousy when once it has gained entrance into the
mind, is hard to be got rid of. The intelligence that the maiden was my
wife annoyed him greatly, and increased his animosity towards me; and
saying that he should enquire into the truth of what he had heard, he
retired to rest alone. --Melitta, on her part was very much distressed
at being unable to perform her promise. Meanwhile Sosthenes after the
departure of Thersander (whom he had encouraged with hopes of speedy
success) again went in to Leucippe, and assuming a joyful countenance,
"Everything is going on satisfactorily Lacæna," said he, "Thersander
is deeply enamoured of you, and very probably will make you his wife;
this success is entirely owing to me, for I have extolled your beauty
to the skies, and his mind sees and thinks of you alone. Dry your tears
therefore, maiden, rise from the ground, sacrifice to Venus on account
of your good fortune, and do not forget how much you owe to me. " "May
as much happiness befall you as you have just announced to me," was her
reply. Sosthenes, believing that she spoke sincerely and not in irony,
proceeded in a friendly tone and manner: "I will tell you moreover who
Thersander is; he is the husband of Melitta whom you lately saw, his
family is one of the first in Ionia, his wealth is even greater than
his birth, but it is surpassed by his kindness of disposition. I need
not dwell upon his age, for you have seen that he is still young and
handsome, two qualities especially acceptable to women. "
Leucippe could no longer endure listening to such nonsense: "Wicked
wretch! " she exclaimed, "how much longer do you mean to pollute my
ears? What is Thersander to me? Let his beauty delight his wife, his
riches benefit his country, and his good qualities be of service to
those who need them. What matters it to me, if he be nobler in birth
than Codrus, and surpass Crœsus in his wealth? For what purpose should
you enumerate another man's good qualities to me? Thersander shall
receive my praise, when he ceases wishing to do violence to another's
wife. " Upon this, changing to a serious air, "Are you jesting, maiden? "
he asked. "What have I to do with jesting? " was her reply. "Leave
me to my own adverse fortune and evil genius; I know full well that
I have fallen into the power of villains. " "You must be incurably
crazed," said Sosthenes, "to talk thus. Is it like being in the power
of villains, to have the offer made to you of wealth, marriage, and
a luxurious life; to receive for your husband one so favoured by the
gods, that they have actually snatched him from the jaws of death? "
And then he gave an account of the shipwreck, magnifying Thersander's
escape, and making of it a greater wonder than of Arion and his
Dolphin. [13]
When he had finished his marvellous tale, and still Leucippe made no
reply, "You had better consult your own interest," he resumed, "and
not talk in this fashion to Thersander, lest you should provoke one
who is actually amiable; for when once kindled, his anger knows no
bounds. Kindness of heart, when it meets with a due return, increases,
but when slighted, it soon changes into angry feelings; and then the
desire of taking vengeance is proportioned to the previous willingness
of doing good. " Leaving Leucippe for a time, we will now speak of some
of the other characters in this tale. When Clinias and Satyrus learned
from Melitta that I had been incarcerated they immediately came to
the prison, desirous of sharing my captivity; the jailor, however,
would not consent, but bid them at once be gone, and though sorely
disappointed there was no alternative.
