Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 1.pdf/171

The aspen trees, and fever shakes
Her limbs at each small noise that wakes.

The doings of Evil-Tongue Then Evil-Tongue, of God accurst!
Who never in his heart hath nursed
Aught else but baseness, at the last
Gate set himself, but quickly passed4070
From one to other busily:
And if perchance it happed that he
Should keep the night-watch, haste he made
To mount the tower, and there arrayed
Bagpipes, trumpets, horns and shalms,
On which, for hours on end, no psalms
He tuned, but merry songs and lays
And fables told in olden days;
Or times he made a dismal wail
On bagpipes loud of Cornouaille.4080
Another time he fluting sang
Old tales, whereof the burden rang,
That never woman, maid or wife,
Had lived a chaste and honest life,
But said that nought they loved so well
As legends, tales, and songs that tell
Of lawless love and luxury.
This woman he declares to be
A wretched strumpet, that one paints,
Another he of crime attaints,
And such an one he calls a fool,
While such another fails to rule
Her speech.
Thus Evil-Tongue declares
War on all women—none he spares.