The Widow of Ephesus

TheWidowofEphesusOnceuponatimetherewasacertainmarriedwomaninthecityofEphesuswhosefidelitytoherhusbandwassofamousthatthewomenfromalltheneighboringtownsandvillagesusedtotroopintoEphesusmerelytostareatthisprodigy.Ithappened,however,thatherhusbandonedaydied.Findingthenormalcustomoffollowingthecortegewithhairunboundandbeatingherbreastinpublicquiteinadequatetoexpresshergrief,theladyinsistedonfollowingthecorpserightintothetomb,andundergroundvaultoftheGreektype,andtheresetherselftoguardthebody,weepingandwailingnightandday.Althoughinherextremesofgriefshewasclearlycourtingdeathfromstarvation,andherparentswereutterlyunabletopersuadehertoleave,andeventhemagistrates,afteronelastsupremeattempt,wererebuffedanddrivenaway.Inshort,allEphesushadgoneintomourningforthisextraordinarywoman,allthemoresincetheladywasnowpassingherfifthconsecutivedaywithoutoncetastingfood.Besidethefailingwomansatherdevotedmaid,sharinghermistress'griefandrelightingthelampwheneveritflickeredout.Thewholecitycouldspeak,infact,ofnothingelse:hereatlast,allclassesalikeagreed,wastheonetrueexampleofconjugalfidelityandlove.Inthemeantime,however,thegovernoroftheprovincegaveordersthatseveralthievesshouldbecrucifiedinaspotclosebythevaultwheretheladywasmourningherdeadhusband'scorpse.So,onthefollowingnight,thesoldierwhohadbeenassignedtokeepwatchonthecrossedsothatnobodycouldremovethethieves'bodiesforburialsuddenlynoticedalightblazingamongthetombsandheardthesoundsofgroaning.Andpromptedbyanaturalhumancuriositytoknowwhoorwhatwasmakingthosesounds,hedescendedintothevault.Butatthesightofastrikinglybeautifulwoman,hestoppedshortinterror,thinkinghemustbeseeingsomeghostlyapparitionoutofhell.Then,observingthecorpseandseeingthetearsonthelady'sfaceandthescratchesherfingernailshadgashedinhercheeks,herealizedwhatitwas:awidow,ininconsolablegrief.Promptlyfetchinghislittlesupperbackdowntothetomb,heimploredtheladynottopersistinhersorroworbreakherheartwithuselessmourning.Allmenalike,heremindedher,havethesameend;thesamerestingplaceawaitsusall.Heused,inshort,allthoseplatitudesweusetocomfortthesufferingandbringthembacktolife.Hisconsolations,beingunwelcome,onlyexasperatedthewidowmore;moreviolentlythanevershebeatherbreast,andtearingoutherhairbytheroots,scattereditoverthedeadman'sbody.Undismayed,thesoldierrepeatedhisargumentsandpressedhertotakesomefood,untilthelittlemaid,quiteovercomebythesmellofthewine,succumbedandstretchedoutherhandtohertempter.Then,restoredbythefoodandwine,shebeganherselftoassailhermistress'obstinaterefusal.Howwillithelpyou,sheaskedthelady,'ifyoufaintfromhunger?Whyshouldyouburyyourselfalive,andgodowntodeathbeforetheFateshavecalledyou?WhatdoesVergilsay?Doyousupposetheshadesandashesofthedeadarebysuchsorrowtouched?No,beginyourlifeafresh.Shakeoffthesewoman'sscruples;enjoythelightwhileyoucan.Lookatthatcorpseofyourpoorhusband:doesn'tittellyoumoreeloquentlythananywordsthatyoushouldlive?'Noneofus,ofcourse,reallydislikesbeingtoldthatwemusteat,thatlifeistobelived.Andtheladywasnoexception.Weakenedbyherlongdaysoffasting,herresistancecrumbledatlast,andsheatethefoodthesoldierofferedherashungrilyasthelittlemaidhadeatenearlier.Well,youknowwhattemptationsarenormallyarousedinamanonafullstomach.Sothesoldier,musteringallthoseblandishmentsbymeansofwhichhehadpersuadedtheladytolive,nowlaiddeterminedsiegetohervirtue.Andchastethoughshewas,theladyfoundhimsingularlyattractiveandhisargumentspersuasive.Asforthemaid,shedidallshecouldtohelpthesoldier'scause,repeatinglikearefraintheappropriatelineofVergil:Ifloveispleasing,lady,yieldyourselftolove.Tomakethemattershort,thelady'sbodysoongaveupthestruggle;sheyieldedandourhappywarriorenjoyedatotaltriumphonbothcounts.Thatverynighttheirmarriagewasconsummated,andtheyslepttogetherthesecondandthethirdnighttoo,carefullyshuttingthedoorofthetombsothatanypassingfriendorstrangerwouldhavethoughttheladyoffamouschastityhadatlastexpiredoverherdeadhusband'sbody.Asyoucanperhapsimagine,oursoldierwasaveryhappyman,utterlydelightedwithhislady'samplebeautyandthatspecialcharmthatasecretloveconfers.Everynight,assoonasthesunhadset,heboughtwhatfewprovisionshisslenderpaypermittedandsmuggledthemdowntothetomb.Onenight,however,theparentsofoneofthecrucifiedthieves,noticingthatthewatchwasbeingbadlykept,tookadvantageofourhero'sabsencetoremovetheirson'sbodyandburyit.Thenextmorning,ofcourse,thesoldierwashorror-strucktodiscoveroneofthebodiesmissingfromitscross,andrantotellhismistressofthehorriblepunishmentwhichawaitedhimforneglectinghisduty.Inthecircumstances,hetoldher,hewouldnotwaittobetriedandsentenced,butwouldpunishhimselfthenandtherewithhisownsword.Allheaskedofherwasthatshemakeroomforanothercorpseandallowthesamegloomytombtoenclosehusbandandlovertogether.Ourlady'sheart,however,wasnolesstenderthanpure.'Godforbid,'shecried,'thatIshouldhavetoseeatoncethesametimethedeadbodiesoftheonlytwomenIhaveeverloved.No,betterfar,Isay,tohangthedeadthankilltheliving.'Withthesewords,shegaveordersthatherhusband'sbodyshouldbetakenfromitsbierandstrungupontheemptycross.Thesoldierfollowedthisgoodadvice,andthenext