Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 72
LXXII
Herein the harridan prepares
Fair-Welcome’s mind for love affairs,
And shows how evil women may,
In love, both go and lead astray.
Fair son, whoso of love is fain,13719
That bittersweet, that pleasant pain,
Must Cupid’s ten commandments know,
Yet keep him at arm’s length I trow.
All these to you would I declare,
Perceived I not how great a share
Of each has nature deigned to bless
You with, in her sweet kindliness,
Yea to the hilt that you can need.
Ten are there, but fools only, heed
The latter two, wise men dispense
Therewith, not valuing them two pence.13730
The former eight attend you well,
But he were under folly’s spell
Who wasted on the other two
His time—’tis what a dolt would do.
Too great a burden ’tis to lay
Upon a lover when you say,
Though his large heart would all embrace,
With one alone must it enlace.
Cupid’s commandments
The son of Venus counsels this.
But sorely will he do amiss13740
Who follows his advice, and dear
Shall pay, as will at last appear.
In love, fair son, remain you free,
Fix not on one especially:
Suffer your heart at will to roam,
Nor lend nor give it to one home,
But let it be your constant boast
That, his it is who pays the most,
Yet see the buyer doth not get
A bargain though his gold you sweat.13750
Above all, give it not away,
Better, burn, hang, or drown one may.
Remember, when you give, to twist
Your fingers fast with folded fist,
But taking, open wide your hand,
Fools only give, pray understand,
Except it be by way of lure,
Some fourfold profit to ensure,
Or in return fair gift to get
Whereby good guerdon one may net;13760
Such gifts as these will I allow,
For good it is to give, I trow,
When one can make the gifts bear fruit;
Then largess doth with profit suit.
Such giving no man need repent,
Thereto I freely give consent.
Cupid’s bow
As to that bow of rarest price
And shafts of subtle artifice,
You know their use and management
Better than Love himself who spent13770
His life thereon, no greater craft
Hath he the bow to bend, and shaft
To speed, than you; though oft you know
Nothing of where those shafts may go.
For when a shaft at random speeds,
Some one of whom the archer heeds
No jot, may by mere chance be hit,
But you are known to be so fit
And skilful when the bow you draw,
That scarce you need to list my saw.13780
You may, God helping, chance to wound
Some one whose conquest may be found
Much to your profit. Need is none
That I should lecture you upon
The different deckings and attire
Which often help a heart to fire,
Nor what therein your choice should be.
I should discourse but uselessly
If you recall that song of old
That from my lips hath often rolled,13790
As we together sat alone,
Of passionate Pygmalion.
You thence of dress much more may learn
Than plough-beasts know of sods they turn.
Instruction in the art of dress,
exploited Is not, with you, my business.
Rich men exploited
And if all this doth not suffice
You presently shall hear advice,
If so you will, where you may find
Example of the clearest kind.13800
But would you in the meantime make,
Choice of a friend for friendship’s sake,
Bestow your love, my dearest son,
On him who for yourself alone
Doth love you, but not recklessly;
Towards others let affection be
With purpose savoured, I will find
You many a one with purse well lined.
’Tis well to make some rich man friend,
Who feareth not his wealth to spend,13810
For him who knows to spoil and pill.
Fair-Welcome well might work his will
With such an one; he need but make
Believe that he for friend would take
None other for a heap of gold,
And swear that would he but have sold
The chance to some one else to kiss
The Rose, that treasury of bliss,
In gold and jewels might he swim,
But so his heart is true to him,13820
That none but he shall come anear
To share the prize he holds so dear.
Thousands may hear the same tale spun:
‘Fair sir, you are the favoured one,
May God’s curse fall on me if I
Permit another to come nigh
The Rose.’
Lover’s oaths
All reckless may he be
Of broken oaths and perjury;
Lovers false oaths the Gods amuse,
Who all such crimes with smiles excuse.13830
Great Jove and all the Gods loud laughed
At lovers’ lies the while they quaffed
Their nectar, nor did they disdain
False oaths their wished-for ends to gain.
When Jupiter would reassure
Queen Juno, and her doublings cure,
By the dark stream of Styx he sware,
Yet proved him perjured then and there.
Lovers the same course may pursue,
Nor feel one touch of shame thereto,13840
But swear by altar, saints, and fane—
The Gods example gave amain.
The Lord forgive me, but none e’er
Should credit oaths that lovers swear;
For young folks’ hearts are vain and light,
Changing as oft as day and night,
And old men’s too, for that, pardee!
Will swear false oaths right royally.
A proverb ’tis, known far and wide,
That, who doth o’er the fair preside13850
Should first his own advantage mind;
And if one miller will not grind
Your coin, forthwith you go elsewhere.
The mouse who must perforce repair
To one hole only, needs must be
In peril when ’tis his to flee.
One lover not enough
And so a damsel fair, ywis,
When mistress of the field she is,
And may at will her suitors fain,
Good right hath she their gold to gain,13860
Nay, she would be a fool indeed
Who failed her interest to speed
Through giving all her love to one.
I swear by Saint Lifard of Meun
The fool doth all her ’vantage lose
Who one from out the crowd doth choose.
A captive she consents to be
And falleth most deservedly
To grief and misery a prey,
For that on one she cast away13870
Her heart. If he abandon her,
Where shall she find a comforter?
For if a woman holdeth fast
To one, his love will soon be past,
And in the end, poor wretch, she’s left
Of friends, of goods, of hope, bereft.