Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 5
V
Herein the Dreamer’s pen doth draw
The semblance of the dance he saw
And joined in, and relates how she,
Hight Courtesy, essays to be
His guide, and gently tells him who
Dance there, and all they say and do.
The salutation of Courtesy
I stood awhile, as one entranced.
To watch how wondrously they danced,810
Till tripped across the sward to me
A winsome dame, hight Courtesy.
Past power of words I found her fair,
Bewitching, bright, and debonair.
(May God preserve her life from harm)
At once with voice that seemed to charm
All fear away, she cried : Fair sir.
Wilt thou not deign thy foot to stir
In jocund dance?
Sir Mirth portrayed
Without delay
I followed where she led the way820
With right good will, for strong desire
To join the throng my heart ’gan fire;
Yet scarce therewith to mingle dared
Till thus her welcome speech had bared
My mind of doubt. I then began
The glorious folk around to scan,
Their fashions, manners, style and seeming:
Now list, while forth I tell my deeming.
Erect Sir Mirth stood, straight and tall.
In all points such as one might call830
A man well built; a tinge of red
His white cheek lit, no vermeil thread
His mouth, but full and round, his eyes
Steel blue and gracious, whence did rise
Sweet smiles unceasingly, his nose
Was such as Grecian Phidias chose
For great Apollo, blond his hair.
Which fell adown his shoulders bare
In silken curls, his girdlestead
Was slight, yet lithesome lustihead840
Its lines betrayed, while arms and knees
Were knit like mighty Hercules.
The glorious masterpiece did he
Of some great painter look to be,
And scarce need fear comparison
For beauty with Jove’s godlike son:
Where beard would be, began to spring
Down, soft as that ’neath cushat’s wing.
His noble limbs were richly clad
In samite, which about it had850
Figures of beauteous birds enwrought
In golden tissue: quaint past thought
The slashings were with which ’twas slit
And puffed in every part of it
For fashion’s sake, and gaily decked
With jewels; nought of cost he recked.
About his shapely legs and feet
Were boots carved curiously. Oh sweet
The roses were that well bested,
For crown, his goodly golden head,860
Sir Mirth's sweetheart
There set by gentle hands of her
Who was his love and worshipper.
And would ye wot who this might be
Whose love enthralled him? soothfastly,
’Twas Gladness who so blithely sang.
When she but seven years knew, Love flang
His net around her, and I ween
Since then Mirth’s sweetheart had she been.
Then straightway did the pair enlace
Their hands, and heart to heart embrace,870
Joining in gladsome dance. Most fair
Did Gladness look as stood they there.
Like to a rose but newly blown
Which nought of wind or storm hath known.
So tender was her flesh, that torn
’Twould be by frailest sapful thorn.
Beneath her forehead, void of frown,
Were eyebrows arched, of sunny brown,
And smiles would wreathe her eyes before
Her mouth the rippling laughter bore,880
And ever and anon the bliss
Her lips invited of a kiss,[errata 1]
Her nose of delicate form, and white,
As well might show in wax’ despite.
O brilliant was the sun-gold hair
That crowned her head, round which she ware
A fillet fine, its wealth to hold.
O’er which a chaplet worked with gold
Rode royally; two-score and nine
Fair orfreyed chaplets ’neath mine eyne890
Have passed erewhile, but none were wrought
Of silk so well as this methought.
Her outer mantle was a rich
Bright robe of silken samite which,
Seeing that Mirth well loved it, she
Arrayed her in delightedly.