Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/116

His former love, and choose to make,
While yet the first love is awake,
Some presents to his later flame,
Such as may please a gentle dame,
Fair kerchief, buckle, chaplet, ring,
Jewel or other dainty thing,10240
A jealous mistress ’Twere wise to hide it from the first,
For nought could salve her rage accurst
If she thereof became aware.
Moreover, should he have great care
That ne’er the two in self-same place
Should meet, and one the other face;
For if the former should discover
The latter with her faithless lover,
Never wild boar with bristles set,
When yelping hounds are round him met,10250
Were fiercer; never lioness
Who hears the hunt when cublings press
Her teats, sprang forth more wild and mad;
No viper when some traveller had
Set foot upon its tail, and thus
Alarmed it, were more venomous
Than is a woman who beholds
Her rival while her lover folds
His arms around her; fire and flame
Flash from her eyes, and scorn and blame10260
Her lips exhale, until for breath
She pants, as one ’neath stroke of death.
And e’en though she should ne’er surprise
The two together, but surmise
Alone doth move her, jealousy
Within her heart as fire will be.