Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 54
LIV
Herein behold the manner how
Men first agreed their necks to bow
Beneath a king, and how he sware
The sceptre loyally to bear.
Kings first chosen
Then, from the host men set apart
A sturdy peasant, bold of heart,
Of mighty strength, and towering height,
Called him their lord, and gave him right
Above the rest. He stoutly sware
To guard them all with watchful care;10070
But each of ye, quoth he, must give
Dimes of your goods that I may live.
E’en as he asked it so befell,
As ancient books and records tell,
And many a year this compact he
Fulfilled, but robbers presently
Assembled, seeing him alone,
And fell on him with stick and stone,
With will his goods to rob and steal.
And then men met and made appeal,10080
Each unto each, a tax to pay,
Whereby their king from disarray
To guard, and all the people vowed
From out their lands should be allowed
A fair and wide domain, and thus
Began the burden onerous
Of kings and princes, as ye see
Writ plain in many a history.
And in these scriptures are we told
The ways and works of men of old,10090
And unto those through whom we get
Such knowledge, owe we deepest debt
Of thanks and praise.
With toil past measure
Men’s avarice
Men then began to heap up treasure,
Winning, from out the rich stored earth,
Silver and gold and stones of worth,
And soon thereof with toil they coined
Round pieces, and of metals, joined
With gems, they fairest jewels made,
Vessels, and rings; and many a blade10100
For sword and dagger of bright steel,
And arms and axes wrought, to deal
Death blows, and well-knit coat and helm
’Neath which to fight and overwhelm
Their fellows, and then towers they placed
Around with high-built walls encased,
And cities fair, and palaces,
Wherein they looked to dwell at ease,
And crenelated castles barred
strong portcullises to guard
The heaped up treasures they amassed;
For many a fearsome hour they passed,
Lest others reft away their gains,
The fruit of labour’s toilsome pains,
Or war, fought out with hardy hands
O’er perilous seas in far-off lands.
And thus did they around them heap
Troubles and cares, which murder sleep.
Wealth breeds strife
Nought knew they more of soft-eyed peace,
For growth of wealth but brought increase10120
Of woes, and things that late were free
As sun and wind and unchained sea.
Through avarice of wealth were set
Apart, each strove good share to get.
Oft one man more than twenty had,
Which doth but shadow forth a bad
And selfish heart.
Such cruel gluttons
I count not worth a deuce of buttons.
What care I if their souls possess
Of faith and love, or more or less?10130
If they betwixt them buy and sell
Their love or hate, nor ill or well
I count it, but ’tis damage great
When damsels fair and delicate,
Fitted for gentle love and true,
Abase their souls and bodies through
The love of gold; a sight it is
To tear one’s heart to shreds, ywis.
Before whatever else may be,
A gallant should full mastery10140
Gain of love’s science, so that ne’er
It be his evil lot to bear
His love’s abandonment, or let
It happen that she e’er forget
His faithfulness. This art may gain
A man much good unmixed with bane.
Women hate to be chidden
Well shall it be with him who minds
The counsel that herein he finds:
Whether his flame be old or young,
If he suspect new love hath sprung10150
Within her heart in preference,
Let him beware that no offence
He give to her by chiding, but
To anger keep his heart’s door shut,
And nowise modulate or change
His amorous words, lest he estrange
Her heart still more. If in the act
He catch her, he must blink the fact,
As he were dull as horse or ox,
And blind and senseless as the rocks.10160
And if perchance a billet-doux
He light on, the wise thing to do
Is not to read it, or e’en ope
Its folds, her liaison to grope.
Nor should he suffer aught to fire
His heart to traverse her desire;
When she returns from out the street.
Let him salute with smile as sweet
As April morn, and even so
Permit her where she will to go;10170
For women hate above all things,
That men should hold their leading strings;
Forget not this; and what I next
Relate to thee, in golden text
Of fairest script might well be writ
For great behoof and benefit
Of lovers.
Heed not scandal
Whatso man would get
Grace in a woman’s heart should let
Her go her ways, where’er she will,
For seek to check her, and you spill10180
All love betwixt you, whether she
Or spouse or mistress chance to be.
Though ’gainst his mistress one receive
Clear witness, let him not believe
Or hearken it, but say to those
Who bring the tale, they but disclose
Their want of wit, and words they waste;
To tell base tales of one so chaste
Argues a fool. Her vices e’en
Should he let pass as though unseen10190
And unsuspect. For those who treat
A woman ill, with hope the heat
Of love to raise in her, will find
That when again she’s wooed with kind
And loving words, ’tis like to that
Experience that sometimes a cat
Affords us, which men beat, then call
To come again beneath their thrall,
But if puss once gets loose, O rare
And deft his skill who caught her were.10200
But if the lady ’tis doth trim
Her lover’s beard, ’tis not for him
Bear with women
To take her wrath in evil part,
Or anywise to change his heart
Towards her; even though she catch
Her nails within his cheek and scratch
His face till blood flow down, he should
Make no reply except with good
And kindly loving words, and say
He counted it a perfect way10210
Of life if only he were sure
Her love for him would aye endure,
And sooner ’neath her hand would die
Than live from her sweet company
Divorced. But if ’tis he begins
The storm, and from her haply wins
Return of wrath and violence,
’Twere well, to cover the offence,
That he should lead her on to play
The game of love, ere yet away10220
He goes from her, especially
If cursed with poverty he be;
For lacking gold he runs the chance
She oust him from the merry dance
Of love, unless he humble him
Before her.
Poor men fain must swim
Which way a mistress wills, nor show
A spark of wrath, howe’er things go,
The while that rich men not a bean
Need take to heart disdainful mien,10230
For insult is a luxury
Of wealthy men.
But if so be
A gallant seeketh to beguile
A second fair, yet keep the while
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.
Then he unblushingly should say
To all her questions, Nay, nay, nay,
And oath on oath pile up of truth
And constancy, and if forsooth10270
He can with blandishment and kiss
Entice her on to amorous bliss,
Forswear infidelity
The storm is laid. But if in vain
He plead with her, and she amain
So presses him that he can see
No loophole, then all hardily
Let him avow his crime, but tell
A subtle tale of how he fell
A victim to the rival, who
Assailed him, so that he could do10280
Nought else but yield to her—and this
Was but his one sad lapse, ywis.
And then a solemn oath he swears,
That ’tis for her alone he cares,
And if he e’er again forsake,
Betray, or dupe her, may she take
Such vengeance on him as she will;
Nor shall her rival see him till
His dying day, and rather drowned
He’d see her than again be found10290
Her paramour, a creature vile
He nameth her, whose treacherous wile
Drew him aside, and then should he
Enfold his mistress tenderly,
With many a kiss and fond embrace,
And solemn vow, that, once her grace
She deigns to grant, he nevermore
Will vex her heart as heretofore,
But towards her loyally behave,
And may she as a dog or slave10300
To death condemn him if again
He break from her most gentle chain.
And then in love’s fond war entwined
He pardon gains, soft, sweet, and kind.
Love should be sacred
By no means should a lover dare
To boast new conquest if he care
To keep his mistress’ love.
Vile shame
It is when gallants dare make claim,
With lying tongue, that they’ve deceived
Ladies, who ne’er their vows received.10310
Such men are curst with souls debased,
On whom ’twere idle words to waste,
For only fools and idiots flaunt
Their dreams for deeds, with empty vaunt,
In all men’s ears, and he who most
Successful is, forbears to boast.
Love’s habitude it is to hide
His jewels from all else beside
His closest friends, who know to keep
A silent tongue.
He’ll sigh and weep10320
Most woefully if sickness seize
His mistress, and will strive to please
Her every whim, nor let her guess
How much of pain and weariness
Such work imposeth. He should sit
Beside her couch, and ere from it
He goes oft kiss her, and a tear
Let fall, the while he seeks to cheer
Be true in sickness
And comfort her. A pilgrimage
He vows to God will He assuage
Her malady, and lets her know
Thereof—though nought he means to go.
The food she loves doth he aver
Is good, and nought besiegeth her
With nauseous draughts, nor aught, ywis.
But what right sweet and grateful is.
Then pleasant fictions he’ll invent,
Of how the night foregone he spent,
Vowing that drearily it sped,
No sweet companion in his bed10340
To solace him, and how awake
He restless lay, for her sweet sake,
Then sleeping, dreamed that in his arms,
Disrobed, beheld he all her charms,
To glowing health once more restored,
Able and willing to afford
The joys he longs for; doubt not such
Fair fictions will console her much.
Thus have I striven in verse to tell
How should a lover, sick or well,10350
His mistress treat if he desire
To keep alive the sacred fire
Of ardent love, whose flame may be
Snuffed out and quenched right easily
By any wight, who selfish ease
Prefers, nor troubleth him to please
Her fancy.
Framed and meddled so
Is woman’s heart that man can know
Never if it be false or true,
No matter what he say or do.10360
To hold it fast is task as vain
As though an eel from out the Seine
One should ’twixt thumb and finger grip,
Which will not fail to slide and slip
From out the grasp howe’er one try
To hold it, for so slippery
It is of skin, and eke so quick
Of movement, that its every trick
No man can fathom.
A good woman should be prized
Nought I would
Speak thus of all, for some both good10370
And virtuous are, but deep regret
Is mine to own I ne’er have met
With any such, although from queen
To jade full many a one I’ve seen.
And wise King Solomon declared
That, as through life’s dark maze he found,
No woman e’er by him was found
Faithful and true.
If through the round
Of life you find one, tarry not,
But, joyful for your happy lot,10380
Give Fortune thanks that you possess
One faithful love your life to bless.
If nought a woman gads about
The street, nor lovers seek her out,
She chaste remains.
Just one word more
To perfect what I’ve said before
Of love’s fair art. Whene’er a maid,
Fair or ill-favoured, you’d invade,
Remember this, which certainly
Will prove to women’s hearts a key.10390
Fail not upon her to impress
That ’tis her passing loveliness
And worth that takes by storm your heart—
Than this Love’s quiver holds no dart
More deadly; whether old or young,
Bred in the world, or reared among
Religious sisters, pure and chaste,
Fine flattering words will run not waste.
A woman’s fairness laud, and she
Will listen most contentedly.10400
E’en though no beauty she possess.
By Nature stamped with ugliness,
Fear not, but praise her fairy face,
Her perfect form and angel grace,
And lightly she’ll believe your word,
For never yet hath woman heard
Her beauty praised without delight,
Or doubted she with justice might
Be loved, however plain she were,
For gladly she believes her fair.10410
To please their ladies gallants ought
To give full praise, and censure nought.
Women hate censure
That man I reckon most unwise
Who rashly dares to criticise
Or disapprove a lady’s ways,
For every woman thinks she plays
Her part by nature perfectly,
And interference hateth she.
E’en as a cat ne’er goes to school,
But learns by Nature’s golden rule10420
To leap, and bound, and pounce, and spring,
So woman deems that everything
She knows in self-same way, nor aught
Believes she needeth to be taught,
But acts as she is led by will,
And right or wrong, or good or ill
Doth, as it entereth her head,
By foolish whim and fancy led;
Rarely it haps she doeth right,
But woe betide the witless wight10430
Who counsels her.
This habit she
Learned of no master, naturally
’Twas born in her, and those who choose
To blame or ’monish women, lose
Their love outright.
Prize highly the Rose
And thus it goes,
It seems to me, with your sweet Rose,
Dear friend, you freely would resign
All that you have without repine
To win possession.
When at last
Into your loving care hath past10440
This precious gem, and happiness
Smileth upon you and doth bless
Your soul in perfect wise, the flower
Kind Heaven hath placed within your power
Guard tenderly, and you therein
Such joy shall have as few men win,
For though through fourteen cities ye
The Lover answers his friend.
’Fore Heaven, you speak good truth, I cried.
In all the world there’s nought beside10450
To equal it, so pure, so sweet!
Happy am I a friend to meet
Whose words of wisdom so much aid
And comfort give me; nor afraid
Am I to say that better far
Your redes than those of Reason are.
But ere my shrewd and kindly friend
Had brought his parlance to an end,
Sweet-Speech and Gentle-Thought, who nigh
Had stood the while, all suddenly10460
Appeared in view from out their nooks,
But with them brought they not Sweet-Looks.
Alas! no man on earth, I wot.
Can give the thing he owneth not.