Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 93
XCIII
This tells how Nature, Goddess sweet,
Knelt low at her confessor’s feet;
Who gently bid her calm her fears,
Comfort her heart, and dry her tears.
Nature’s confession
Genius quoth she, my gentle priest,
Master o’er greatest as o’er least
Of all created things, and who
Directs and charges them to do17080
Such works as are to them assigned,
Each one according to his kind,
Now do I feel remorse oppress
My spirit, and would fain confess
A folly that my heart hath riven,
And yet remaineth unforgiven.
Genius.
Grief avails not
Queen of the world, quick answered he,
Before whose face all bow the knee,
If aught doth rob your heart of peace,
Whereof you fain would find release,17090
I pray you put full trust in me.
What thing soe’er the matter be,
Of brightest joy, or darkest grief,
You may from me gain full relief;
Confess to me whate’er you will
And your desire will I fulfil,
And all within my province do
To help, to guide, to succour you,
The while I keep your counsel hid,
Fast locked, if secrecy you bid.17100
And should you absolution ask,
To grant it were my grateful task,
But first, from tears your eyelids keep.
Nature.
Alas! quoth she, if now I weep.
Good Genius, that small marvel is.
Genius.
Before all else I counsel this,
Dear mistress, that you dry your tears,
Then if your heart confession cheers,
Tell me at full whatever thing
It is that doth thy spirit wring.17110
Great must your grief be, as I trow,
For noble hearts will ne’er allow
Slight woes to wear them, vile must be
The wretch who works you misery.
But oft a woman’s heart will fire
For smallest cause with bitterest ire.
Virgil and Solomon
To Virgil I the case refer,
Who well knew woman’s character.
A woman’s heart is nowise stable,
Saith he, but ever variable.17120
Capricious, and by anger led.
And Solomon declares her head
Is than an angry serpent’s worse,
Which merited God’s primal curse.
Nought else, saith he, is so with spite
Possessed, and ne’er hath man aright
Described in rathe, or later time
Her evil ways in prose or rhyme.
And Titus Livius, (who well knew
The modes and manners through and through17130
Of women, and their minds perverse,)
In language vigorous and terse
Declares, he best succeeds who tries
To warp their minds with japes and lies;
So foolish are they and unstable,
That truth they hate, but cling to fable.
And in the Holy Scripture we
This judgment plainly writ may see:
That at the bottom of all vice
In women is foul avarice.17140
Value of silence
The man who trusteth to his wife
His secrets, risks both fame and life,
For never man of woman born,
But sot, or one of wit forlorn,
Would to a woman e’er reveal
A thing ’twere prudent to conceal,
Lest he should hear it back again.
Much better had one flee to Spain
Than trust unto a woman’s care
A secret, e’en though debonair17150
And loyal she be. Nor any act
That best were hid, if he have tact,
Will any man perform and do
In woman’s presence, or he’ll rue.
For though it peril his estate
Or life, she will or soon or late,
However long she may delay,
His secret counselling betray
And tell, though no one should demand
Or seek the matter at her hand.17160
Nought can a woman’s silence buy,
For surely she’d expect to die
If she her tongue should curb, yea though
She knew great peril thence must grow.
And whoso tells some deadly thing
To any woman, soon will bring
Vengeance upon him if he dare
His hand lift in chastising her
Once only, soon as e’er the blow
She feels, she’ll let the whole world know17170
His secret, and loud-voiced proclaim
Her knowledge, though it blast his name.
The man who trusts a woman ’a lost,
Peace of his life will be the cost.
Know you what such an one doth do?
He binds his arms, and shutteth to
His mouth, for if he dare to scold
Her foolish ways, or maketh bold
To raise his arm in chastisement
’Gainst her but once, forthwith were spent17180
Her fury on him, and if he
Deserveth death, straightway will she
Unto the handling of the grim
Relentless judge deliver him.
Or through assassin’s hand will bring
His death to pass, by blade or string.