Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/66

Women are coquets But mostly women are, forsooth,
Exacting, void of pitying ruth,
’For all, alas! towards those who prove
Loyal and faithful in their love,8700
Ready to raven and devour
Whate’er may fall within their power.
And Juvenal hath said, I ween.
Speaking of one hight Iberine,
That sooner would she lose an eye
Than trust one man to satisfy
Her burning lusts, for like hell-fire
Raged her insatiable desire.
No woman, saith he, e’er was known
Who loved a man for love alone8710
In suchwise that her heart were not
Mindful what goods or gold he’d got.
Judge what she is then who herself
Body and soul will sell for pelf.
Never, he saith, was woman found,
Who did not love to prove and sound
Her lover’s faith by coquetry;
Although to him she subject be,
This passion is ingrained. Such is
Juvenal’s sentence, but to this8720
Exceptions bright there are, I trow,
As he, I doubt not, would allow,
While censuring women void of grace.
Yet, if the mistress that hath place
Within your soul be soft and sweet,
Faithful and gentle, then ’twere meet
True love to give for love. The kind
And courteous lover looks to find