Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 10
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The God of Love with care doth watch
The Lover’s steps, in hope to catch
Him unawares, and so the five
Bright arrows through his heart to drive.
When dance and dancers I had seen
To heart’s content, across the green1340
I turned to wander at mine ease
Beneath the burgeoning mulberry trees.
Laurels, lithe hazels, and dark pines.
Throughout the garden’s far confines.
And when the swaying dance was ended,
And, arms entwined, the partners wended
To seek soft couches ’neath the shade
That long lawn-kissing branches made,
Lord God! such jolly lives they led
As all must envy, by my head,1350
Who are not fools; for nought I ween
Is better than with one dear queen
To pass soft hours in tender love—
What more gives paradise above?
The Dreamer tracked by Love
But straightway from the dance I went,
And o’er the lawn my footsteps bent
As fancy led, when suddenly
The God of Love, who followed me,
Signed to Sweet-Looks to bring his bow,
And shafts that ’longed thereto, and lo!1360
Without a word he claimed from him
The weapon fair, choosing the trim
And beauteous arrows from the ten
He held to serve his use, and then
Picked out the mighty God from thence
One of swift flight and great potence,
And, bow in hand, pursued me straight
Unseen; O God! how nearly fate
O’ertook me then.
But unaware
Of Love’s intent I wandered where1370
Green alleys led, the while that he,
Whereso I sped, still followed me.
No thought had I to stay or rest,
But roved north, south, and east and west,
Desiring leisurely to view
The close, and all that ’longed thereto.
The trees of the garden
I noted that from side to side
The garden was nigh broad as wide,
And every angle duly squared.
The careful planter had not spared1380
To set of every kind of tree
That beareth fruit some two or three.
Or more perchance, except some few
Of evil sort. Among them grew
Pomegranates filled with seeds and thick
Of skin, most wholesome for the sick;
Strange nut trees, which in season bore
Rich fragrant nutmegs, good for store,
And nowise cursed with nauseous taste,
But savouring well. Near by were placed1390
Almonds and gillyflower cloves,
Brought hither from hot Ind’s far groves,
Dates, figs, and liquorice which deals
Contentment while misease it heals,
And wholesome aniseed’s sweet spice,
And much-prized grains of paradise,
Nor must rare cinnamon be forgot,
Nor zedoary, which I wot
At end of great repasts men eat
In hope ’twill bring digestion meet.1400
Moreover in this garden rare
Grew many a tree familiar.
As cherry, pear and knotted quince,
’Neath which a tender tooth will wince.
The fruits
Brown medlars, plums both black and white,
The Apples and chestnuts, peaches bright;
Sorb-apples, barberries, fruit of lote
And many more of lesser note.
And all around this pleasant close
Holly, and laurel, and holm arose1410
With yew and hornbeam, fit I trow
For flitting shaft, and speeding bow;
The cypress sad, and pines that sigh
To soft south breezes mournfully.
Beech, loved of squirrels, olive dark,
And graceful birch with silvery bark;
The shimmering aspen, maple tall,
And lofty ash that topped the wall,
The limber hazel, oak trees hoar,
But wherefore should I tell of more?1420
Fore-wearied[errata 1] would your heart be ere
I numbered half that flourished there.
But this I say, such skilful art
Had planned the trees that each apart
Six fathoms stood, yet like a net
The interlacing branches met,
Through which no scorching rays could pass
To sear the sward, and thus the grass
Kept ever tender, fresh and green,
Beneath their cool and friendly screen.1430
Roebuck and deer strayed up and down
The mead, and troops of squirrels brown
The tree-boles scoured, while conies grey
Shot merrily in jocund play
Around their burrows on the fresh
And fragrant greensward, void of mesh.
The garden’s well-springs
Within the glades sprang fountains clear:
No frog or newt e’er came anear
Their waters, but ’neath cooling shade
They gently sourded. Mirth had made1440
Therefrom small channelled brooks to fling
Their waves with pleasant murmuring
In tiny tides. Bright green and lush,
Around these sparkling streams, did push
The sweetest grass. There might one lie
Beside one’s love, luxuriously
As though ’twere bed of down. The earth.
Made pregnant by the streams, gave birth
To thymy herbage and gay flowers,
And when drear winter frowns and lowers1450
In spots less genial, ever here
Things bud and burgeon through the year.
The violet, sweet of scent and hue,
The periwinkle’s star of blue,
The golden kingcups burnished bright,
Mingled with pink-rimmed daisies white,
And varied flowers, blue, gold, and red,
The alleys, lawns and groves o’erspread,
As they by Nature’s craft had been
Enamelled deftly on the green,1460
And all around where’er I went
Fresh blooms cast forth sweet odorous[errata 2] scent.
Small need there is to fabulate
More fully of the fair estate
Of this most comely garden, lest
It wear your patience; nought expressed
Could all the glorious beauty be
Of this most wondrous place by me,
And therefore stay from words’ increase
Thereon, and henceforth hold my peace.1470
Yet willing to explore each nook
And secret spot, my way I took
Hither and thither, left and right.
The God of Love still kept in sight
My every movement, even as he
Who tracks a quarry carefully
Seeks for the moment when his prey
Doth unawares his life betray.
The fount of Narcissus
So, wandering o'er this charmèd ground,
I lastly came to where I found1480
A fountain ’neath a glorious pine.
Ne’er since great Charles of Pepin’s line
Was born, hath mortal eye e’er scen,
In any garden as I ween,
A pine so tall, straight-grown, and fair.
And in a stone of marble rare,
Had Nature’s hand most deftly made
A fountain ’neath that pine tree’s shade.
And gazing on the side of it,
Beheld I small clear letters writ,1490
Which said: “Here fair Narcissus lay
And died, in tears dissolved away.”