Their beauties. All the confidence
I placed in you is lost, and hence
My surest guard is gone. A year
Will not go by before all here
Will take me for a sot or fool,
Unless I hold some safer rule.
A strong tower needful
But now have I devised a plan,
Whereby to circumvent each man
Who boldly dares to come anigh
My precious Roses. Never I
Shall be content, until a tower
I’ve built to be at once a bower
And fortress to protect my Roses,
And planned it so that it incloses
A keep, the which Fair-Welcome fast
Shall hold, for fear that he at last3790
Betray me. And with such strong guard
Shall he be kept, that monstrous hard
’Twill be for him to issue out,
Or converse with the rabble rout
Who’d fain disgrace me; he hath been
Too easily deceived I ween;
But if I live, thine eyes shall see
What gain he gets deceiving me.”
The Author.
Hearing these words, a shiver past
O’er Fear, who, trembling and aghast,3800
Stood still, and not a word dared say
The wrath of Jealousy to stay,
Whose eyes expressed her spiteful heart.
Therewith the beldame did depart
