Romance of the Rose (Ellis)

The famed Romance that hight the Rose,
Behold! love's art its leaves enclose.

The Lover here essays to draw,
The wondrous counterfeits he saw
Painted along the garden wall.
Before our eyes doth he recall,
Lifelike, the semblance, form and fame
Of cach, and tells thereof the name.
And first, with lively pen, portrays
Of Hate the direful works and ways.

Here is described how Idleness
Unto the Dreamer gave ingress.

Herein the Lover tells of Gladness:
A dame is she who, casting sadness
To the wild winds, doth nought but play
And carol through the livelong day.

Herein the Dreamer's pen doth draw
The semblance of the dance he saw
And joined in, and relates how she,
Hight Courtesy, essays to be
His guide, and gently tells him who
Dance there, and all they say and do.

The Dreamer hear ye now declare
What guise the God of Love doth bear.

Here tells the Dreamer of Richesse,
Who counteth her of high noblesse,
But so consumed is she with pride,
That all poor men she casts aside,
And therefore less beloved by far
Than those who sweet and courteous are.

Herein the author’s pen essays
To show why Courtesy the praise
Deserves of all men; love she spreads
Around her wheresoe’er she treads.

And lastly here is told of Youth,
Reckless, naive, and wild forsooth.

The God of Love with care doth watch
The Lover’s steps, in hope to catch
Him unawares, and so the five
Bright arrows through his heart to drive.

The author here of fair Narcisse
Doth tell the tale, who was, ywis,
Drawn on to love his proper shade,
Seen in a well, and thereby made
His life so wretched, that at last
He pined and wasted till he passed
To nothingness. His soul doth sit
Beside the fount and dream of it.

This telleth how Narcissus sighed
His soul away in tearful tide
Through fond self-love; yet died he not.
But lives within this fount, I wot.

Herein the Dreamer telleth how
He felt the shaft of Cupid’s bow,
E’en as he sought his hand to close
Around the stem, and snatch the rose,
Whose fragrance though his soul had sent
Such madness and bewilderment.
But this, his fondest hope, denied
The God of Love, who him espied.

Herein is told how Love amain
The Dreamer claims his prisoner—fain
Is he to yield him at command,
As liegeman ’neath his master-hand.

From Youth, which had deceived his heart,
The Lover tears himself apart,
And to the God of Love doth now
In homage, as his liegeman, bow.

This tells how Cupid skilfully
The Lover’s heart with golden key
Locked in such wise, that though his breast
It entered, nought it harmed his vest.

Herein the God of Love doth teach
The Lover, and against the breach
Of laws contained in this Romance
He warns him, lest he err perchance.

The Lover plains that forth doth go
The God, and leaves him lost in woe.

Fair-Welcome here the Lover learneth
How that for which his spirit yearneth
May be attained, and courteously
Leads where he sorely longs to be.

This tells how Danger, filled with ire,
Expels, with ignominy dire,
The Lover, and Fair-Welcome eke,
Whose grief no words e’er framed could speak.

Danger, fell guardian of the Rose,
The Lover drives from out the close.
Upon his neck a club he bare.
As he a thief or madman were.

How Reason, well-beloved of God,
The Lover warns that he hath trod
The path of folly, when above
His reason, madly set he love.

Herein the Lover makes reply
To Reason, who would Love decry.

Counselled by Love, the Lover makes
Confession to his friend, and takes
Thereby great comfort, seen that he
The case aredeth skilfully.

The Friend’s soft gentle words allay
The Lover’s fears, and smooth his way.

The Lover loud to Danger cries
For mercy, and with flattery plies
His rugged soul, till thus he gains
The boon wherefor he spends his pains.

This tells how Pity and Franchise went
Together, fraught with good intent,
To seek out Danger, and relate
The Lover's woebegone estate.

Fair-Welcome here the Lover brings,
With many sweet-voiced welcomings,
Within the cincture whence the Rose,
Across the air its fragrance throws.

Queen Venus’ ardent torch doth fire
The Lover’s bosom with desire
So fervid, that he dares the Rose
To kiss, in faith 'twill heal his woes.

Here green-eyed Jealousy doth scold
Fair-Welcome for the falsehoods told
By Evil-Tongue against him, he
Loves to load men with calumny.

Herein ’tis told how Fear and Shame,
In deep concern, to Danger came,
Demanding wherefore spared he blows
‘Gainst those who dared approach the Rose.

This tells how Jealousy, by spite
Urged on, a towering prison dight
Amidst the precinct, wherein she
Immured Fair-Welcome, for that he
Had let the Lover’s lips once press
The Rose, through courteous kindliness.

Dan William Lorris when he died,
Had written nothing more beside
The verses thou hast read. But when
A forty years had flitted, then
John Clopinel the end did speed—
Behold his work, which all may read.

Herein we meet again sweet Reason,
Who ever, in or out of season,
Findeth, before all else, delight
For erring men the path to dight.

Herein the needy man doth stand
Before his friend, and at his hand
Requires that of his goods he give
Fair share, that he in ease may live.

Learn how Virginias made his plea
To Appius, who corruptedly
His fair and well-loved daughter gave
To Claudius for his chattel slave.

This telleth how—the judgment given—
Virginius unto madness driven,
Strake off his well-loved daughter’s head,
Though to her life his life was wed,
Preferring rather that his child
Should die unstained than live defiled;
Then the sad head to Appius sent,
Who met his well-earned chastisement.

Unto the Lover Reason shows
Dame Fortune’s wheel, and how it goes.
Pointing that lack of power hath she
O’er men, brave, resolute, and free.

How Emperor Nero, in his mad
And cruel unchecked fury, bade
In daylight clear, before his eyes,
His minions to anatomise
His mother living, and the spot
Disclose where he was erst begot.

How Seneca, that noble man,
Succumbed beneath his pupil’s ban;
Set in a bath to die was he,
By Nero’s savage cruelty.

This tells how Nero sought to hide
Within a garden, where he died,
Self-slain. Thus, coward-like, life’s stage
He fled, nor dared the people’s rage.

This tells how Phanie to the king
Gave warning that his pride would bring
Him shameful death. The dream but sung
His knell, when he on gallows hung.

Herein is told how Reason left
The ’wildered Lover all bereft
Of comfort, but straightway a Friend
He finds, whose words his woes amend.

Herein the Lover tells how he
Misdoubts his triple enemy,
But hopeth still beneath the brand
To bring them of stern Justice’ hand.

How Poverty doth make her plea
To Dame Richesse most ruefully,
Who listeth not her piteous word,
But turns away as nought she heard.

The Friend the Lover doth remind
That one man only did he find
Faithful in poverty, but he
Gave all he had, unstintingly.

This telleth how in days gone by
Earth’s children had no treasury
Or store of goods, but everything
Was common, free of prince or king.

This notes how ill-bred men will cry
“Out” on their wives through jealousy,
Calling them names I scarce dare tell,
As minx, jade, harlot, Jezebel.

The jealous husband scolds his wife,
Remonstrates, blames her course of life,
And setteth forth his dire distress
At that he calls her wantonness.

How chaste Lucrece, through wrath she bare
At heart, her noble bosom tare
With murderous knife, and death did win
In face of husband, sire, and kin.

Beauty and Ugliness assail
Fair Chastity with such avail,
That they subject her to their dame,
Who loves to put chaste maids to shame.

The jealous husband, all a-heat,
From scolding next proceeds to beat
His wretched wife, and robe and hair
Doth in his rage from off her tear.

How Jason erstwhile ploughed the sea
To seek the gold-fleece bravery,
And by the folk, where’er he went,
Was seen with fear and wonderment.

Herein behold the manner how
Men first agreed their necks to bow
Beneath a king, and how he sware
The sceptre loyally to bear.

The Lover makes no more delay,
But leaves his friend, and seeks the way
To where Fair-Welcome lies, for fain
Is he to find him once again.

The Lover findeth Dame Richesse,
Who guards the path with carefulness
By which the fortress may be ta’en
Of those who scatter golden grain.

With will to ease the Lover’s grief,
Appeared to him his mighty chief,
The God of Love, who pardoned him
That he awhile had deigned to trim
His ear to Reason, and, quoth he,
Unreason shalt thou henceforth be.

Repeats the Lover, word for word,
The lesson he from Cupid heard.

Herein his barons, one and all,
Doth Love to stalwart battle call
By letter, which an envoy takes,
Who no account of danger makes.

To all the host doth Love explain
His purpose to assault and gain
The castle, and Fair-Welcome free
From out his bonds and slavery.

Herein the God of Love retains
False-Seeming as his man, and gains
Applause thereby, the host doth ring
With shouts to crown him Ribalds’ King.

Learn how False-Seeming, traitor vile,
Men’s hearts doth readily beguile,
When grey and black he clothes him in,
With saintly visage pale and thin.

False-Seeming doth the case relate
Of mendicants and their estate.

False-Seeming as a pilgrim goes,
Disguised, to Evil-Tongue; and shows
Constrainèd-Abstinence likewise
Herself to him in saintly guise.

False-Seeming, linked with Abstinence,
To aid the Lover makes pretence
Of guesting with foul Evil-Tongue,
Whose lash hath many a good man stung.

The Dreamer hear ye now declare
What guise the God of Love doth bear.

False-Seeming lightly giveth mate
To Evil-Tongue, with well-filed prate.

How by a razor—not a sword—
Met Evil-Tongue his just reward,
Therewith False-Seeming cut his tongue
From out his mouth—his knell was rung.

False-Seeming, who to lovers shows
Sweet comfort, with his leman goes
Across the threshold, with him he
Doth Largess lead and Courtesy.

The crone, desirous to console
Fair-Welcome’s grief and bitter dole,
The Lover’s story doth relate,
Who is for him disconsolate.

Induced by what the hag bath said,
Fair-Welcome setteth on his head
The garland, and doth take therein
A pledge to sell his very skin.

Herein the harridan prepares
Fair-Welcome’s mind for love affairs,
And shows how evil women may,
In love, both go and lead astray.

This tells how Dido, mighty queen
Of Carthage, racked with sorrow keen
For that great love she suffered through
Æneas, with a sword-thrust slew
Herself, and how fair Phillis won
A cruel death through Demophon.

How Vulcan once espied his wife
Engaged with Mars in amorous strife,
When cunningly he threw a snare
Around the fond but guilty pair.

Herein example may you see
Of Nature’s power and subtlety.

Herein doth the Duenna teach
The Lover means by which to reach
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.

How in the fastness of the tower
The Lover gains Fair-Welcome’s bower,
Who offers his desire to speed.
False-Seeming ’twas who helped his need.

How the fond Lover’s hope to gain
The Rose, through Danger fell, proved vain,
For soon as his attempt he spied,
With fearsome shout the monster cried.

This tells how Danger, Fear, and Shame
In force against the Lover came
And beat him, till for mercy he
Begged, with profound humility.

How all the Barons of the host
Together run, for fear that lost
May be their friend, who cruelly
Is beaten by the guardians three.

Herein the Author doth disown,
To save his honour and renown,
Unseemly words, and prays that he
May not be taken wrongfully.

The Author prays that his intent
Be kindly ta’en—no harm is meant.

The Author trusts that not askance
Will ladies view this fair Romance.

Here doth the Author turn again
Unto his tale, and tells amain
How Dame Franchise with Danger sought
To combat, but all vainly fought.

This tells how Hide-Well overcame
In well-fought field the recreant Shame.
And Fear and Courage in like way
Show forth their skill in weapon-play,

This tells how Fear ’gainst Surety fought,
And each the other’s ruin sought,
While many a champion interwove
Fierce combat, and for mastery strove.

This tells how messengers, by Love,
Are sent Queen Venus’ heart to move,
In such wise that she condescend
Her help to Cupid’s host to lend.

Venus, possessed with boding fear,
Doth counsel her Adonis dear,
That he in nowise should pursue
Fierce beasts, lest she his death may rue.

How eight young doves the glorious car
Of Venus bore to where afar
Her son’s great hosting was arrayed,
And how she brought him speedy aid.

The host, with will the fort to take,
Against it fierce assault doth make,
Yet hath the god but small success,
Though fight his troops with hardiness,
For those within resistance stout
Make to assailants from without.

How Nature’s stithy doth supply
Earth’s sons and daughters constantly,
For fear the race of men were spent,
If she thereof proved negligent.

How Zeuxis, famed of old, did try
To paint fair Nature perfectly;
And on his glorious task intent
Great care and labour freely spent.

This tells how Nature, Goddess sweet,
Knelt low at her confessor’s feet;
Who gently hade her calm her fears.
Comfort her heart, and dry her tears.

Herein much labour have I spent
With honest purpose and intent,
Of showing forth to every man
How to defend him from the ban
Of taking such a mate as may
His goods despoil and life betray.

The husband lets the cord around
His neck be by his folly bound,
Telling his secret to his wife—
Her soul she loses—he his life.

Here note you how, with loving care,
Nature doth in confession fare.

Nature relates what griefs and cares
She for the sake of mankind bears.

How Themis to Deucalion gave
Such counsel, as would surely save
The human race, if only he
With Pyrrha wrought discerningly.

Here Nature brings before our eyes
The source whence only can arise
Nobility, and so displays
Its modes and manners, works and ways.

Herein is told how Nature sends
Genius to Cupid and his friends,
That he their courage may excite
With unabated zeal to fight.

This tells how Lady Nature went
To work—as on much labour bent—
Within her forge straightway, for she
Loves to do all things thoroughly.