Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 67
LXVII
False-Seeming lightly giveth mate
To Evil-Tongue, with well-filed prate.
The Lover excused
Fair sir, not always gospel clear
And pure folks whisper in one’s ear
About the streets—pray list you while
I prove these tales but lies most vile.
It scarcely needs that I remind
One so astute, that nought inclined12960
Are folk to love their neighbours who
Find fault with all they say or do,
If they should chance to hear of it,
However dull or small of wit.
I’ve read it as a well-known thing
That men are fond of visiting
The spots where those they love abide.
Now this man loveth you beside
All others, as his dearest friend,
For whom both goods and life he’d spend,12970
Nor fails he to, whene’er ye meet.
Salute you in the public street,
And show you most profound respect,
Yet trow I that no ill effect
His friendship brings you, nor doth he
Enweary you as oft may be
The way with others. If the Rose
His heart so pants for, I suppose
He constantly would here be seen
And by him it had stolen been;12980
Though risk he ran alive to burn
Towards the loved object still he’d turn.
But reached his passion that degree?
Nay! nay! Then clear it seems that he,
Nor yet Fair-Welcome (whom you’ve wrought
Most cruelly against) e’er sought
To snatch the Rose; but had they tried
Lightly the twain had you defied.
Evil-Tongue’s deserts
And wot you well that if this youth
(Who smarts beneath your slanderous tooth)12990
Within his heart desire did feel
The Rosebud which you guard to steal,
He scarce had vaunted you his friend,
But rather would his labour spend
Your stronghold to reduce to dust;
For were your accusation just,
And he thereof the news had learned,
His indignation had you earned.
Nor thereof could there be much doubt,
Seeing that foretimes in and out13000
He went, where now by stern and hard
Denial is his ingress barred.
O man of cruel speech, right well
Do you deserve the fires of hell,
Since thus your spite doth one pursue
Who ne’er wrought harm or ill to you.
The Author.
False-Seeming thus vile Evil-Tongue
Reproved, who owned him in the wrong;
So straight the case against him went
That soon he vowed him penitent,13010
And said:
Evil-Tongue.
Evil-Tongue pentitent
’Fore God, perhaps ’tis true,
False-Seeming, slave am I to you
And Abstinence, I own for wise;
As seem ye of one mind, advise
Me straightly; what to do were best?
False-Seeming.
First shall you be by me confessed
Of crimes wherein you have misspent
Your life, as humble penitent;
I of the Order am full priest,
And of confessors mightiest13020
Throughout the whole vast universe,
Wielding God’s power to bless and curse.
No paltry curate am I, bound
By oaths to tread the churches round,
But, by our Lady, far more care
Have I how souls beneath me fare
Than those poor caitiff parish priests
Who spend their days ’twixt fasts and feasts;
Their powers are nought compared to mine.
No priest or prelate, I opine,13030
Is half so learnèd or well read
As I, poor sinners to bestead.
A doctorate of divinity
Long years since was conferred on me.
By great and small am I allowed
Worthy ’fore all to hold the proud
Distinction to be counted first
Among confessors. If you thirst
For absolution, just confess
Your sins, and I with readiness13040
will shrive you, and when once you’ve got
My shrift—thank God, your sins are not.