Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Principal Characters

by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun

Layout 2

Though commonly regarded as a narrative poem, may not the “Romance of the Rose ” be more properly described as an allegorical drama? It is in truth written much after the manner of the sacred dramas known as “Mysteries,” but deals with secular instead of sacred matters. In this respect it appears to stand alone in medieval literature.

The principal characters in the drama are:—

1. The Dreamer, afterwards called the Lover.
2. The God of Love.
3. Fair-Welcome.
4. The Friend.
5. Danger.
6. Reason.
7. Franchise.
8. Pity.
9. Courtesy.
10. Shame.
11. Fear.
12. Idleness.
13. Jealousy.
14. Wicked-Tongue.
15. Venus.

The second part introduces the characters of:—

16. Richesse.
17. False-Seeming.
18. Hypocrisy.
19. Nature.
20. Genius.

The author acts as a sort of chorus, ex­plaining the action from time to time in both parts.

FAULTS ESCAPED

line	882,	for “of loving kiss” read “of a kiss,”
line„	1297,	delete “he was”
line„	1421,	in place of “For wearied” read “Fore­-wearied”
line„	1462,	read “sweet odorous”
line„	1486,	for “there” read “rare”
line„	1516,	read “She wasted, pined”
line„	1640,	for "Pourtrayed ” read “Portrayed”
line„	2089,	for “ wondrous ” read “yet ’tis”
line„	2764	for “whom” read “who”
line„	2841,	for “who” read “whom”
line„	3153,	for “she” read “her”
line„	3202,	read “beneath love’s smart”’
line„	4353	for “It’s” read “Alone”
line„	4507,	insert comma after “Thereby,”
line„	4696,	for “men’s” read “man’s”
line„	4735,	for “Flees;” read “Fleeth;”
line„	4805,	read “They bind around her, while they scourge”
line„	5695,	for “Pressed” read “Press”
line„	6197-9,	read “Bethink you of Diogenes And Heraclitus, both of these Had”
line„	6549-50,	for “where he conceived Had been,” read “where conceived He’d been”