Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 68
LXVIII
How by a razor—not a sword—
Met Evil-Tongue his just reward,
Therewith False-Seeming cut his tongue
From out his mouth—his knell was rung.
Evil-Tongue murdered
Then Evil-Tongue with humbleness
Would on his bended knees confess
His crime, and shrive him of his fault;
False-Seeming made no weakling halt,13050
But seized his throat, and forthwith stayed
His cackle, once for all, with blade
Of razor, and his tongue cut out,
From whence fell many a bloody gout.
And next the pair make haste to pitch
His body in the castle ditch,
And then the unguarded door they break,
And o’er the threshold passage make,
And find the Norman soldiers sunk
In senseless slumber deadly drunk.13060
The wine they down their throats had cast,
Cast them upon the floor at last,
And as they lay, the wretches all,
Ere they had time for help to call,
Were strangled in their drunken sleep,
Henceforth strict fast from lies they’ll keep.