Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 76
THE
ROMANCE OF THE ROSE
LXXVI
Herein doth the Duenna teach
The Lover means by which to reach15410
His end, and, whispering, doth relate
How he may pass the postern gate.
And good her lesson proved to be,
For soon he entered secretly.
The Duenna’s reward
The safer entry will you find,
Quoth she, through that low door behind
The castle wall; I first will go,
Since somewhat dark the path doth grow
That thither leads; it hath not been
Opened above ten weeks, I ween,15420
And thou art first to enter there.
The Lover.
Cried I: By Saint Remy I swear.
Though every yard cost ten to twenty
Gold marks, (my friend had said that plenty
Must be my promises, e’en though
I should some afterwhiles forego,)
Fine cloth I’ll give you, green or blue,
The entry won
From thence the hag betook her straight,
And I ran towards the postern gate15430
She’d told of, putting up a prayer
To God for safe arrival where
I fain would be. I spake no word,
But joy supreme within me stirred
To find the door ajar, and in
I sprang, then fixed again the pin,
Breathing more freely, since I knew
That Evil-Tongue his guerdon due
Had gained, and in the moat lay dead;
Then erst was death to joyance wed.15440
There I espied the broken door,
And, passing through, beheld before
Mine eyes the God of Love and all
The host that had obeyed his call
For my behoof; what thanks I owe
To those who brake that doorway through!
God and Saint Benet help and speed
The men who did that worthy deed.
They hight: False-Seeming, traitor vile,
Son of Hypocrisy by Guile15450
Or Lying, who with Virtue wars.
And oft-times deals her ugly scars.
Next stood Constrainèd-Abstinence,
Friend of False-Seeming, and who thence
By him with Antichrist is great,
E’en as the holy books relate.
In any case I raised a prayer,
For them since they so friendly were.
Would one his soul to treachery trim,
False-Seeming master is for him;15460
And liars who true men would seem,
Constrainèd-Abstinence should deem
Their model.
When I thus had found
The door-shards scattered on the ground,
And all the gathered host inside
Ready for war whate’er betide,
If joy were mine, no man need ask!
Sweet-Looks reappears
And while I set myself the task
To find Sweet-Looks, all suddenly
He came: I cried ‘Ben’dicite’!15470
The God of Love to ease my pain
Had sent me this dear friend again,
And so extreme was my delight
I well-nigh fainted at the sight.
Soon as he saw me, from his eyes
Shot forth bright beams of glad surprise,
And he with finger pointed out
Fair-Welcome, who with joyous shout
Ran towards me, with that courtesy
Which from his mother learned had he.15480