azus, when he saw Araspas, rebuked him sternly, saying that the
woman was a sacred trust, and his conduct disgraceful, impious, and
wicked, till Araspas burst into tears of misery and shame, and was half
dead at the thought of what Cyrus would do. [36] Learning this, Cyrus
sent for him, saw him alone, and said to him face to face:

"Araspas, I know that you are afraid of me and in an agony of shame.
Be comforted; we are told that the gods themselves are made subject to
desire, and I could tell you what love has forced some men to undergo,
men who seemed most lofty and most wise. Did I not pass sentence on
myself, when I confessed I was too weak to consort with loveliness and
remain unmoved? Indeed it is I who am most to blame in the matter, for I
shut you up myself with this irresistible power."

[37] But Araspas broke in on his words:

"Ah, Cyrus, you are ever the same, gentle and compassionate to human
weaknesses. But all the rest of the world has no pity on me; they drown
me in wretchedness. As soon as the tattlers got wind of my misfortune,
all my enemies exulted, and my friends came to me, advising me to make
away with myself for fear of you, because my iniquity was so great."

[38] Then Cyrus said, "Now listen: this opinion about you may be the
means by which you can do me a great kindness and your comrades a great
service." "Oh, that it were possible!" said Araspas, "for me ever to
be of service to you!" [39] "Well," said the other, "if you went to the
enemy, feigning that you had fled from me, I think they would believe
you." "I am sure they would," said Araspas, "I know even my own friends
would think that of course I ran away." [40] "Then you will come back
to us," Cyrus went on, "with full information about the enemy's affairs;
for, if I am right in my expectation, they will trust you and let you
see all their plans, so that you need miss nothing of what we wish to
know." "I will be off this moment," said Araspas; "it will be my best
credential to have it thought I was just in time to escape punishment
from you."

[41] "Then you can really bring yourself to leave the beautiful
Pantheia?"

"Yes, Cyrus," he answered, "I can; for I see now that we have two souls.
This is the lesson of philosophy that I have learnt from the wicked
sophist Love. If we had but a single soul, how could she be at once evil
and good? How could she be enamoured at once of nobleness and baseness,
or at once desire and not desire o