Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 95
XCV
The husband lets the cord around
His neck be by his folly bound,17350
Telling his secret to his wife—
Her soul she loses—he his life.
The husband blabs
Then doth the fool to her relate
His secret, and thereby his fate
Is sealed—in peril is his head,
His words repents he, scarcely said,
But once a word has taken wing,
’Tis lost past chance of cancelling.
Forthwith he prays his wife that she
Will keep her tongue most rigidly,17360
For thrice more anxious is he now
Than when thereof she nought did trow,
Although most solemnly she swears
That safely she his secret shares.
The idiot! What could he expect?
By silence failed he to protect
Himself, and now would he restrain
His wife! Oh foolish hope, and vain!
Now hath the dame the upper hand.
Assured no more will he withstand17370
Her thousand whims, or dare to scold.
For hers ’tis now the whip to hold.
And meekly may he still his tongue,
For o’er his reign the knell is rung.
’Tis possible that she may keep
Silence awhile, nor seek to reap
Advantage till some feud arise
Betwixt them, which her temper tries
Too sorely, but, so doing, she
Will struggle most unwillingly17380
Against the promptings of her heart,
Which burns with longing to impart
The tale.
Beware of women
Now whoso wisheth good
To men will tell this all abroad,
For well ’twould be if far and wide
’Twere known, to serve as signal-guide
Against great peril. ’Twill displease
Women who love to spite and tease
Their husbands, but sound truth should not
Be pared or pruned one single jot.17390
Fair sirs, of womankind beware;
If you for soul or body care,
Speak not, nor act you in such wise
As layeth bare to woman’s eyes
The things your hearts hold secretly.
Fly! fly! I bid you, fly! fly! fly!
Fly womankind, if you would live
In safety. I this counsel give,
Free of all afterthought and guile;
But note you Virgil’s words the while,17400
Which to your hearts ’twere well to take
And plant them there for safety’s sake.
Children, who fragrant flowrets cull,
And rosy-ripe sweet strawberries pull,
Keep ever in your memories
That ’neath their leaves the serpent lies.
Flee then, O children, lest he fling
On you the poison of his sting,
When come ye nigh his lair.
And so,
Young folk, as through the world ye go17410
Agathering fruits and flowrets sweet.
Beware the serpent ’neath your feet.
Which lurketh venomous and cold,
An adder which doth venom hold
Until lit moment she perceives
To spit it forth from ’twixt the leaves,
Haiming and wounding mortally;
Fly from her, children, haste to fly.
For such vile venom bears the beast,
That if with head or tail the least17420
Of touches she your body gives,
’Tis death, for poison in her lives,
And those who once that virus feel,
No leech can save, no art can heal;
In vain for remedy he yearns
Within whose veins the venom burns,
One medicine alone hath might
To heal the wound—’tis instant flight.
Woman’s value
But think you not from what I say
Hereof, I’d have you cast away17430
All women’s love, nor be you led
To think no man I’d have to wed,
Or woman’s company enjoy.
Nay, I exhort you be not coy,
Fair dames and damosels to prize,
But trick them forth in braveries
From head to foot, and give them fair
Knd courteous greeting wheresoe’er
They cross your life-path, if you would
The ravages of death make good;17440
For ’tis through them that lineage
carried on from age to age.
But nowise let it so betide
They secrets learn ’twere well to hide.
Housewifery
Permit it that they go and come,
And busy them with house and home,
And that with care they buy and sell,
Suffer them all the tale to tell
Of stock and store, as it may be,
Of household stuff and husbandry.17450
Or, if some useful trade they know.
Fail not to set them thereunto.
But let them nothing wot or see
Of things demanding secrecy.
For, if in some unguarded hour
You put you ’neath a woman’s power.
Most bitterly will you repent
Your folly ere the day be spent.
In Holy Scripture is it said,
That when the wife becomes the head,17460
Against her husband will she run
Whate’er by him be said or done.
But, watch you well from day to day,
Your house falls not in evil way,
’Neath trustiest guard oft faileth pelf,
The wise man guards his goods himself.
And you who hold your lemans dear,
Show you towards them gracious cheer,
And suffer them to have some hand
In common cares they understand.17470
But if you prudent are and wise,
When ’twixt your arms your minion lies,
And clips you close with fondling kiss,
Silence your one great safeguard is,
(Then is the time to keep your tongue,
For nought of good, and much of wrong
Betides of secrets then made known,)
Or soon you’ll find your sweetling grown
Proud and imperious, prone to grasp
At power, and venomous as an asp.17480
But when a fool is in such case,
And feels sweet kisses on his face
And lips, and whiles the time away
With gestings soft and amorous play,
He nought doth know to keep and hide
His secrets, but throws open wide
His heart. Fond, foolish husbands oft
Let slip their tongues for clippings soft,
And thereof follows many an ill
Which well life’s cup with dole may fill.17490
Samson and Dalilia
Dalila with deceitful smile
And venomed kisses did beguile
The mighty Samson, warrior great,
In her false lap to rest his pate
In slumber, gentle, soft, and deep,
And then with treacherous hand did reap
His locks and strength at one fell blow,
For when the traitress came to know
His secret, which were best kept shut
Within his lips, at once she cut17500
His hair, and this befel because.
Though strong, a babbling fool he was
Further examples in a trice
Could I adduce—let this suffice
Solomon’s counsel
The wise King Solomon hath too
A proverb I commend to you,
Because, God wot, I love you well:
Beware lest you your counsel tell,
Quoth he, to her who on your breast
Doth sleep, but keep your teeth close pressed17510
If peril you would fain avoid,
Nor find your peaceful days destroyed.
This should be preached abroad by all
Who fain would see fair luck befal
To men—that they should keep close shut
Their lips, nor faith in women put.
But this word holdeth not for you,
Dame Nature, for that ever true
And loyal is your heart, indeed
That may we in the Scripture read,17520
How God hath set you far above
All folly, in his boundless love.
The Author.
And thus doth Genius comfort bring
To Nature by his counselling,
Exhorting her to dry her tears,
And cast aside her grief and fears,
For nought of good can e’er be gained
By sorrow, nor a heart be fained
By tears, joy wakes when tears are sped.
When all his mind he thus had said,17530
He stayed his mouth from speech or prayer,
And sat him in the shriving chair
Beside the altar—Nature knelt
Adown and full confession spelt.
But much it irked the worthy priest
When found he that nowise decreased
Her grief for aught that he could say,
But on the winds were cast away
His words. Then gave he silent ear,
While she confessed with many a tear17540
Her miseries, and the shrift he heard,
I here report you, word for word.