Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 64
LXIV
False-Seeming as a pilgrim goes,
Disguised, to Evil-Tongue; and shows
Constrained-Abstinence likewise
Herself to him in saintly guise.12700
Envoys to Evil-Tongue
Behold you now neath what pretence
False-Seeming came with Abstinence
’Gainst Evil-Tongue. The wily twain
Held counsel how they best might gain
Their ends—in open guise to go,
Or hid beneath some cozening show;
And after much debate agreed,
That better ’twould their errand speed
If they began the war to wage
Disguised as folk on pilgrimage,12710
With air of holy innocence.
Forthwith Constrainèd-Abstinence
Appeared as a demure Beguine,
Attired in robe of cameline,
With fair white kerchief round her head,
The while with saintly look she read
Her psalter. At her waist was hung
A paternoster, thereto strung
By girdle-cord of purest white.
She had not bought it, but was dight12720
Therewith most kindly by a friar,
Her spiritual guide and sire,
And she from him gat more behoof
Than any neath the convent’s roof,
While he too loved to visit her
As holy guide and sermoner.
E’en though False-Seeming might be near,
Still would he her confession hear,
And such attention gave thereto
That oft one hat would hide the two.12730
Constrained-Abstinence pictured
A personable dame, pardee,
Though somewhat pale of visage she,
Resembling (bitch that lust-heat grips,)
Death’s horse in the Apocalypse,
Which symbolises well the race
Of hypocrites with gruesome face;
For aye this horse hath painted been
Of pale and deadly hue I ween,
And as of jaundice well-nigh dead
Was Abstinence encolourèd.12740
She looked as though ashamed she weri
Of those vile attributes she bare.
The pilgrim-staff she leaned upon
Which she from Fraud as gift had won,
With dreariness was tinted o’er,
And stuffed the wallet was she bore
With care and trouble.
In attire
False-Seeming dressed him of a friar.
And e’en as though for her he yearned
Towards Abstinence his face was turned.12750
Humble he looked and meek of cheer,
And nought of pride he let appear,
But aped a novice, mild and young,
While round his neck a bible hung.
All squireless goes he, but doth clutch,
As ’twere through weakness, treason’s crutch,
And in his sleeve-fold doth conceal
A razor keen of finest steel;
A villainous and cruel blade
That had in Cut-throat’s forge been made.12760
Evil-Tongue’s dwelling
So hand in hand they limp along,
And thus approach foul Evil-Tongue,
Who stood his castle gate beside,
And all who fared thereby espied.
The pilgrims notes he come anigh,
Bearing themselves most holily.