Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 79
LXXIX
This tells how Danger, Fear, and Shame
In force against the Lover came
And beat him, till for mercy he
Begged, with profound humility.15660
The Lover.
The three to words confined them not,
But coming quickly to the spot
Where I, alarmed and helpless, stood,
O’ercome with fear and drearihood,
The Lover ill-treated
My body set they to torment
And vex; God grant they may repent
One day the outrage on me done.
Alas! my death I well-nigh won
Thereby, though offered I to yield,
But ’gainst all ruth their hearts seemed steeled.
At last, their fierceness to assuage,15670
Proposed I that they should encage
Me with Fair-Welcome in his cell.
Danger, quoth I, whom all know well
To be a frank and generous knight,
With every gracious virtue dight,
And you, dear Shame, and kind-heart Fear,
Sweet virgins, of all blemish clear,
Who deed or word unfit would scorn,
Of Reason’s noble lineage born,15680
Permit me to become your slave,
And shut me close, as ’twere my grave,
Beside Fair-Welcome in the tower,
For ever helpless ’neath your power;
And loyal promise will I give
Therein contentedly to live,
And such good service render you,
As must your hearts with joy imbue.
Good Lord! if caitiff wretch I were,
A traitor, thief, or ravisher,15690
Or if I feared a murderer’s fate,
I scarce need ask that prison gate
Might close on one who could not fail
To find him lodged within a gaol,
For whether I would or not, pardee,
The law’s long arm would stretch to me.
And if it were adjudged that I
Should be dismembered by-and-by,
Why then, I trow, the chance is nought
But what I should ere long be caught.15700
The Lover’s proposal
For God’s dear love I beg you, then,
That I may with this best of men
Be caged; but if it e’er be proved
That I have been by aught else moved
Than wish to serve him, let me be
Hence banished ignominiously.
No man exists but hath some fault,
But if I in your service halt,
Then bag and baggage drive me hence,
To purge my folly and offence.15710
And if your wrath I yet excite,
On me let chastisement alight,
But let none others judge of me
Than you, most honourable three,
Since justice true, for high or low,
Ye most inevitably know;
And were Fair-Welcome joined with ye,
He judge supreme o’er all might be;
And should occur some difference
Betwixt you, he would judge the sense15720
Of right and wrong, and hold the scale
With such clear wit as could not fail.
Fear not that I from hence will budge,
Though stripes or death ye should adjudge.
Danger.
Then loudly Danger laughed, and said:
A fair request now, by my head!
Into one gaol to thrust ye twain!
You, with your merry heart and fain,
Danger’s scornful reply
And he, so sweet and debonair;
To trust together such a pair15730
Would be the foxes with the geese
To cage, that both might dwell in peace.
Betake yourself elsewhere, I pray,
’Tis clear that you but come this way
To bring upon us foul disgrace,
Hence, nor show here again your face.
To ask us that your friend may rule
As judge, but stamps you for a fool.
A judge! by Him who judges all!
In wondrous wise would judgments fall15740
Should we for blindfold justice’ sake
An umpire of a culprit make.
As one condemned Fair-Welcome stands,
And droll ’twould be if now our hands
Should make him judge and arbiter!
No! till the deluge reappear
Fast shall he stay within the tower.
To keep him fast we’ll use our power,
Before it haps that every Rose
To ruthless spoilers he expose.15750
Each robber will good greeting get
If by Fair-Welcome he be met,
And therefore needful ’tis that he
Be prisoner kept unendingly.
No man shall to the Roses find
Access, except he ride the wind,
Unless, perchance, he prove so strong
As seize the prize by roughshod wrong,
And playing such a prank, may he
The Lover.
The Lover’s best friend
Cried I: Most grievous wrong you do,
One to confine and punish who
Is innocent of any crime,
And whose sole thought throughout all time
Is to befriend the world around him.
Wherefore in prison have you bound him,
Except for that he hath to me
Shown kindly love and sympathy?
Without occasion more than this
In prison lies he, reft of bliss.15770
And therefore might with reason be,
An’t please you, set at liberty.
Great sir, most humbly I implore
That you will punish him no more:
Long hath he suffered dolorous pain,
I pray you set him free again.
Danger, Fear, and Shame.
I’faith, cried they, this fellow mocks,
Or deems us dull as stones or stocks,
When he proposes we should render
Full freedom to this gross offender.15780
But he shall find that never more
Through window-bar or prison door
His rascal friend shall show his head.
The Lover.
And then all three against me sped,
Each striving who should thrust me out,
Which scarce had grieved me less, I doubt,
Than if I had been crucified.
And therefore piteously I cried
For mercy, though low-voiced I spoke,
To summon up the friendly folk
And sentinels about the gate,
Misdoubting else a cruel fate,
And when my cries for help they heard,
A shout rose that the welkin stirred: