A villainous and cruel blade
That had in Cut-throat’s forge been made.12760
Evil-Tongue’s dwelling
So hand in hand they limp along,
And thus approach foul Evil-Tongue,
Who stood his castle gate beside,
And all who fared thereby espied.
The pilgrims notes he come anigh,
Bearing themselves most holily.
LXV
False-Seeming, linked with Abstinence,
To aid the Lover, makes pretence
Of guesting with foul Evil-Tongue,
Whose lash hath many a good man stung.12770
Then Abstinence saluteth first,
With humble gest, this man accurst
And next False-Seeming bends him low,
With courteous reverential bow,
And he saluteth them again;
For, all unruffled, he amain
Seemed Abstinence beneath her feint
To know, yet saw not her constraint,
But innocently deemed that she
Was even that she seemed to be;12780
And took the garb which tricked her out
All in good faith, unchecked by doubt,
But ’tis forsooth her customed way
Ever such juggling tricks to play;
And if she e’er sincere hath been,
Her virtue was short-lived, I ween.
