Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 32

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XXXII

This tells how Jealousy, by spite
Urged on, a towering prison dight
Amidst the precinct, wherein she
Immured Fair-Welcome, for that he
Had let the Lover's lips once press
The Rose, through courteous kindliness.

The Author.

Jealousy builds a tower And now behoveth me to tell
How Jealousy, beneath the spell3980
Of dark suspicious promptings, wrought.

Through all the country-side she sought
Masons and engineers, who made
A wide deep moat, with pick and spade,
Which many a penny cost to dig,
And there beside they raised a big
Thick towering wall of solid stone;
No marsh or bog it stood upon,
But firm and solid rock. It went
Within the moat by sheer descent,3990
And then rose upwards towards the sky
With ’minished breadth, and gained thereby
Great strength and firmness. Well was set
The wall in perfect square, and met
Each side of equal length, which ran
Well-nigh a hundred fathoms span.
Embattled towers, of stone well hewed,
Rose at the corners, each indued
With portal strong, which might defy
The assault of fiercest enemy;4000
The tower described And every tower was fenced with tall
And strongly-masoned outer wall,
Which need not fear the heaviest stone
By catapult or engine thrown.
A barred portcullis o’er each gate
Hung, ready poised, to fix the fate
Of those who rashly dared to put
Their feet therein ere yet ’twas shut.
And lastly, midmost of the close,
Another strong-built tower arose,4010
Than which none grander, as I ween,
The long piled ages e’er have seen.
The walls were made so thick and well,
That doubt ye not they might repel
The heavy ram, balister, sling,
And every sort of deadly thing
Employed in siege. The stones were fixed
With mortar, made of quick-lime mixed
With vinegar. The native rock
Had furnished stone to bear a shock4020
’Neath which firm adamant might shake.
This inner tower was round of make,
And both within and out so dight,
That ween I well, no fairer sight
The world could show. On every side
’Twas circled round by bailey wide,
And wondrous strong; and then betwixt
This barrier and the wall was fixed
A closure broad of rose-trees rare,
Whose blossoms sweet perfumed the air4030
Both far and wide. A mighty hoard
Of warlike implements was stored
Within the tower, whereby it might
Be safely kept by day and night.
From every battlement looked out
Great mangonels to cast about
Gigantic stones, while east and west,
And north and south, an arbalest
From every loophole peered, ’gainst which
No man could stand who neared the ditch,4040
And but a dotard fool, I swear,
Were he who rashly ventured there.
A long embattled wall extends
Around the moat, the which forfends
Assault of knights, until that they
At least have shown good battle play.

The tower garrison Within hath Jealousy arrayed
A garrison, and Danger made
The castellan; right surlily
He bears in hand the master-key4050
That locks the gate, which looketh east,
And under him he hath at least
A thirty warders. Next there came
The southern gate, which boasted Shame
For trusty portress; many a guard
She hired to keep strict watch and ward
By night and day. Towards the north
A gate ’neath Fear’s command looks forth,
The which she keepeth closely locked,
Mistrusting lest her guard be mocked4060
The while she sleeps, and rarely she
Will open whosoe’er it be
Demandeth entrance. Trembleth sore
Her heart if e’en soft gales sweep o’er
The aspen trees, and fever shakes
Her limbs at each small noise that wakes.

The doings of Evil-Tongue Then Evil-Tongue, of God accurst!
Who never in his heart hath nursed
Aught else but baseness, at the last
Gate set himself, but quickly passed4070
From one to other busily:
And if perchance it happed that he
Should keep the night-watch, haste he made
To mount the tower, and there arrayed
Bagpipes, trumpets, horns and shalms,
On which, for hours on end, no psalms
He tuned, but merry songs and lays
And fables told in olden days;
Or times he made a dismal wail
On bagpipes loud of Cornouaille.4080
Another time he fluting sang
Old tales, whereof the burden rang,
That never woman, maid or wife,
Had lived a chaste and honest life,
But said that nought they loved so well
As legends, tales, and songs that tell
Of lawless love and luxury.
This woman he declares to be
A wretched strumpet, that one paints,
Another he of crime attaints,
And such an one he calls a fool,
While such another fails to rule
Her speech.
Thus Evil-Tongue declares
War on all women—none he spares.
Then Jealousy, whom God confound!
A garrison within the round
And formidable tower had set,
Of myrmidons, videlicet:
Her closest friends.
The duenna Fair-Welcome wears
His days therein, and hardly fares;4100
His prison door so strongly barred,
And so close tended by a hard
Old harridan, that little chance
Seems left him of deliverance.
This evil carline doth but watch
Good opportunity to catch
Fair-Welcome out in some misdeed.
As adder deaf, she scorns to heed
The softest word or kindliest look,
For she in youth had read love’s book4110
So heedfully, that every ruse
Is known to her that lovers use.
Fair-Welcome scarce dare speak a word,
So doubts he lest the hag preferred
Some charge against him.
Well she knows
The blood that thrills, the heart that glows,
The languorous look, the amorous glance,
Which all keep step in love’s old dance.

So now that Jealousy at last
Hath seen Fair-Welcome, hard and fast,4120
Within this prison tower immured,
Boundeth her heart, of peace assured
Against all violence and wrong,
Misdoubting nought that castle strong.
No longer hath she cause to fear
Lest rude marauders come anear
Roses or rosebuds, they repose
Safely within that high-built close.
Or fast asleep or wide awake
She, undisturbed, full rest may take.4180

The Lover.

The Lover’s lament Alas! what wretched fate is mine,
Outside that envious wall to pine,
All desolate and in misery.
What heart but must bestow on me
Some pity, did it wot the price
At which I offer sacrifice
To Love. My wound but bleeds afresh,
And caught anew within the mesh
Of Cupid am I. Short delight
Was mine, and now a darker night4140
O’erclouds my heart.
What think ye then,
Am I not like to husbandmen
Who cast the seed to earth, and see
With joy how springeth sturdily
In spring-tide’s days, and through the hours
Of summer, fed by sun and showers,
The stalk, and flourisheth the ear?
But ere the season comes to shear
The ripening grain, the hail descends,
Destroys the tender growth, and ends4150
The peasant’s fairest hope. So I,
Alas! must see my hope pass by,
And all my patience lost. But Love,
(Who helped my gentle suit above
My dearest hopes) whene’er I poured
the tale of what my soul endured
Into Fair-Welcome’s willing ear,
Caused me to pay my rashness dear,
Dashing from out my hand the cup
Of happiness ere yet a sup4160
The tricks of Fortune My lips had tasted. So it is
That Fortune’s fickle hand, ywis,
A man full oft will raise amain,
Then cast him to the ground again;
Now smiles she sweetly, now a frown
O’erspreads her visage; this one down
She casteth, but anon, on high
Will raise another suddenly,
For she the fate of men resolveth,
E’en as her restless wheel revolveth.4170
Alas! now falls on me the shock
Of Fortune; walls and moat bemock
My hopes, and promised happiness
Gives way to weeping and distress;
Since now forbidding walls enclose
At once Fair-Welcome and the Rose.
Deprived of these and left alone,
All hope is past, all comfort gone.
If Love desire that I should live,
Nought can avail unless he give4180
Fair-Welcome to mine arms again,
The source of joy, the cure of pain.

Ah! sweet Fair-Welcome! though you be
Set fast in cruel slavery,
I pray you, keep for me my heart,
Nor let fierce Jealousy dispart
Jealousy is cruel Our friendship, but remember you,
That though she keep you from my view,
Your heart is mine, e’en though your flesh
She torture. O keep ever fresh4190
And free your spirit ’gainst her guile,
Nor suffer that her rede defile
Your mind with treason; keep it pure,
Although your body may endure
Dark prison. Gentle hearts but show
More brightly when they undergo
Fierce chastisement. If Jealousy
Declare herself thine enemy,
Take courage and defend your right,
Nor courage lack to face her spite,4200
At least in thought: do this, and I
Shall peace and solace gain thereby.
But now am I borne down by dole,
Lest you, within your secret soul
Perchance but con me little thank,
Since ’twas for me, alas! you drank
This cup of bitterness. But ne’er
My heart hath been so base as bear
One treasonous thought against you. None
Dare ever charge me to have done4210
One deed whereof I need repent.
God knows ’neath what a weight is bent
My sorrowing heart: e’en more than you
I suffer, for remorse doth brew
For me a bitter draught; well-nigh,
In truth, I come near death when I
Remember all my loss. ’Twould be
Small marvel though fear mastered me,
Fair-Welcome in prison Who now on every side behold
These traitors, venomous as bold,4220
Who fain would hunt my soul to death.
Ah! dear Fair-Welcome, they their breath
But spend with purpose to deceive
And bind you with the cord they weave.
Alas! God help me, know I not
But what already they have got
Their will against you. Darkest fear
Invades me, lest it should appear
That you forget me quite; what woe
Untold would fall on me to know4230
That I had lost your friendship, then
Were I unhappiest of men;
All pleasure, joy, and comfort sped,
And hope itself nigh perishèd.

[The next eighty lines, which give a sort of conclusion to the story, are found only in some manuscripts. M. Méon gives it as his opinion that they were suppressed by Jean de Meun, in order that they might not interfere with his continuation of the poem. M. Croissandeau, on the other hand, considers them altogether spurious, inasmuch as they are not, as he very clearly points out, in accord with the spirit of the tale or of William Lorris. As M. Croissandeau thought well to print them, it has been judged advisable to give the transla­tion. They were evidently unknown to the English translator of the fourteenth century.]

[Might I but see your face, and speak
In converse sweet, but once the week
With you, dear friend, it would assuage
The griefs that in my bosom rage
So fiercely, but no light I see4240
To lead me where I fain would be.
Help for the Lover Thus in the direst woe was I
Plunged, when behold, all suddenly
Dame Pity came from towards the tower,
Who many a heart in darkest hour
Consoleth; and at once began
To comfort me: “O sorrowing man,”
She said, “I come to cheer thy heart,
And bring kind friends to bear me part
In that good work. Simplicity,4250
Joined with Sweet-Looks and Loyalty
And Beauty, and Fair-Welcome eke,
Are ’scaped from forth the tower to seek
With me thy comfort. Though right high
The keep is built, no walls defy
True faithful hearts, although array
Of death and danger bar the way.
We watched, till weariness ’gan steep
The eyes of Jealousy in sleep,
And then sped forth although ’mid great
Alarm; for Fear, whose constant fate4260
It is to cry and tremble, ran
Hither and thither, and our plan
Well-nigh defeated, filled with doubt
If Evil-Tongue were not about
And listening. But the brave Strong-Love,
Who joys to serve his friends, above
All else, destroyed the envious door
Though Fear scarce dared to tread the floor.
’Fore Heaven! if Evil-Tongue had known,
Thereof no power on earth had thrown4270
It open. But Queen Venus, fair
And ever kind, with loving care
Snatched us the keys, and thus are we
Freed from the tower of Jealousy.

A premature ending And then all round me in a ring
These six sat, greatly comforting
My griefworn heart. Then Beauty gave
In secret that my heart did crave,
The precious Rosebud, which I took
With rapture, while my being shook4280
With tremulous joy. Couched on the grass,
New sprung, we saw the moments pass
In soft content; our coverlet
Of fragrant rose-leaves made, while met
Our lips in fond embrace. The night
We passed in transports of delight
Fearful of morn, which all too soon
Appears when Maytide treads on June.
With dawn we rose, fordone with grief
To find such joy must be so brief:4290
But Beauty much desired to gain
Once more the bud, and I, though fain
To keep it, dared not disobey
Her high behest, woe worth the day!
Whate’er my pains. But ne’ertheless
The Rose no more in hard duress
Was shut, for, ere all thither sped.
Came Beauty, smilingly, and said:
“Though Jealousy should now espy
Our doings, and more thick and high4300
Should make the wall and hedge, while on
The tower she sets strong garrison,
With joy have I been satiate
Comes not her labour somewhat late?
Of loving friends it hath been said.
Each finds of each the goodlihead.
Love then with loyal heart and free,
And of the Rosebud shall thou be
Master, and to the tower mayst go
Whenso thou hast the will thereto,4310
Although it be enclosed and bound
With wall and thorny brake around;
For my part, on my road I wend
Waked from my dream, my tale hath end.]