Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 59
LIX
Herein his barons, one and all,
Doth Love to stalwart battle call
By letter, which an envoy takes,
Who no account of danger makes.
The God of Love, without or place
Or time affixed where face to face10920
He’d meet his barons, letters sent
Bidding them all to parliament;
These he commanded, those besought,
And all appeared, misdoubting nought,
Ready to do whate’er they could
To serve the end their liege lord would.
I name them all pell-mell as I
May rhyme them most commodiously.
Dame Idlesse first of all I name.
Who with the largest banner came,10930
Then Noble-Heart, and Dame Richesse,
Franchise, and Pity, and Largess,
Bright Honour, Boldness, Courtesy,
Sir Mirth and young Simplicity,
And Glee, and Sport, and Youthfulness,
And Joyousness, and Good-Success,
And Gaiety, and quick Desire,
And Beauty with her heart afire,
Sweet Patience, and bold Confidence,
Hide-Close, and Constrained-Abstinence,10940
Who near False-Seeming ever goes,
And all his ways and wishes knows;
And all of these their lieges brought,
Joyous of face, of bearing haught.
Abstinence only and False-Seeming
Looked evil, should I speak my deeming.
Whatever air assumed those two,
Fraud peeped from out their hearts untrue.
False-Seeming appears
False-Seeming was of Fraud the son,
Hypocrisy begotten on,10950
That shameful traitress, foul and base,
Who ever, ’neath Religion’s face,
Deceiveth men; when she in view
Appeared, his breath in gasps Love drew,
Love.
And cried: How now! do I then dream?
Speak out, False-Seeming, dost thou deem
That thou by me wert summoned here?
The Lover.
Forced-Abstinence, who stood anear,
Sprang forth, and seized her friend’s right hand:
Constrained-Abstinence.
Quoth she, I pray you understand10960
That I, an’t please you, hither led
False-Seeming; oft hath he bestead
My need, and done me kindly act,
Saving my life by hunger wracked.
Let him among your lieges wait,
Though each and all have earned his hate,
For greatly I desire that he
Win praise for worth and sanctity.
He is my friend, and I his dear,
As faithful comrades wend we here.10970