# Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 37

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XXXVII
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,5950 Preferring rather that his child Should die unstained than live defiled ; Then the sad head to Appius sent. Who met his well-earned chastisement.
“FOR not in rage, but fondest love, Virginius slew this spotless dove, And then, all gory, at the feet Of Appius cast her visage sweet Tn open court, before the eyes Of all who stood there, and loud cries5960 ​Of horror raised they. History saith That the vile judge ordained the death good Virginius, but the crowd, The tale all heard, cried out aloud That such foul treason must not be Wrought, and yet find impunity: But for his treachery, to the jail Straightway the unjust judge they hale, Who there foul expiation made, By his own hand to hell betrayed.5970 And Claudius, witness false and base, Had met the hangman face to face Had not Virginius nobly craved His pardon from the crowd, and saved His pitiful life; agreed he went Thenceforth to outer banishment, While other witnesses forsworn Met death beneath the people’s scorn. Power and virtue consort not Judges, in short, are scoundrels vile; List ye what Lucan saith the while5980 In golden verse: ‘Vain hope! to find Great power with virtuous will com­bined.’ But if with hardened hearts they cling To crime, and strive by pilfering And robbery base to swell their stream Of worldly wealth, the Judge supreme Shall cast them down to hell, and there Bid Satan cords of steel prepare To bind their necks. Except I not Proud kings or prelates, for their lot5990 Is cast with judges, whether they Be shaven pates or people lay. ​’Tis not for us these men to crown With state, that they may trample down Suitors, and every cause exploit To fill their purses by adroit Chicanery, and shut their door To claimants cursed in being poor. Judges the people's servants But theirs in person ’tis to sit Each cause to hear, and judge of it6000 With righteous care, for false or true, With all the points that ’long thereto. Slaves of the populace are they, Who win full foison day by day From mother earth, and not their will It was to let these miscreants fill Their maws by foul despoil. Their time All folk should pass in peace, for crime Judges should punish, and ’tis theirs Themselves to mount the gallows stairs6010 And execution do on thieves, If no man willingly relieves Their hands thereof, for justice they Should do whate’er the price they pay. For since the people ’tis who ’quite The justicers, undoubted right Have they to justice, and a vow These judges made thereto, I trow. On their investment. Thy request Is now fulfilled, and thou mayst rest6020 Content, since I have given thee proof Of all thou wouldst for thy behoof.”
The Lover.
Unseemly phrase “That I allow, and fain confess That words would fail me to express My boundless thanks; but yet I heard, Methinks, one most unseemly word, Both wanton and inconsequent, Which, if thereon my wit were spent, All lightly I could show to be Most gross, used indecorously,6030 Leaving you bare of all excuse.”
Reason.
“I know the word that doth induce Thy wrath,” quoth she, “but thou shalt hear Me later purge and make all clear That word, if such be thy desire.”
The Lover.
“That certainly shall I require. Most clearly in my memory fixed Is that unseemly word you mixed In your discourse, when you began To rail at justice dealt to man.6040 But my great master bid me not (His counsel ne’er have I forgot) Speak any ribald word, and he Shall be obeyed implicitly. But since that word I did not name, To me ’twill not be counted shame ​Reason reproved Though I repeat it. Not in vain He speaks who to a fool makes plain His foolishness. It is but right That you should see in clearest light6050 How you, who hold yourself so high, Have spoken most immodestly.”
Reason.
“I think I understand the gist Of what thou say’st, but wherefore twist My words to mean that I would urge Thee on to hate? Shouldst thou emerge From out one folly, pray what need Is there that what I say should lead On to another ? If I advise Thee to forsake thy mad emprise6060 Of love, should that then indicate A wish to see thee turn towards hate? Horace hath writ—no dullard he— That fools from one absurdity Fall to a greater, and their last Estate is worse than that they’ve passed.
The love whereof I raise alarm, Is one that scarce can fail to harm Thy life. If I on thee should press To flee the vice of drunkenness,6070 Wouldst thou suppose I’d have thee shrink From every kind of wholesome drink? Such counsel wouldst thou treat with scorn, As not worth one poor peppercorn. ​If I condemn a spendthrift’s ways, It follows not I therefore praise And recommend the converse vice Of hard and grasping avarice. I never spake so foolishly.”
The Lover.
“Nay, but you did.”
Reason.
Reason justifies herself “’Fore God, ye lie!6080 Think’st thou to baffle me, I pray? ’Tis not to flatter thee I say That of old lore thou know’st but little, And of sound logic not a tittle. It is not thus that I have read Of love; but ne’er my mouth hath said That hate should thrive. Another sort Of love is that which I exhort Thee to embrace, the which I find To bring both grace and peace of mind.6090
Another love Dame Nature gives To every bird and beast that lives On earth, through which to birth they bring Their young and give them nourishing.
If thou perchance shouldst wish to know What is this love, and whence doth flow Its force, I answer that ’tis given To all God’s creatures under heaven, ​Fecundity Nature’s end That they in loving pairs may mate, And duly thus perpetuate6100 Their varied kinds with joyance rare, Alike in water, earth, and air. All creatures that Dame Earth doth own For children, to this love are prone; Which though it profits divers ways, Yet casts no blame, nor merits praise, For neither is it good or bad, But since the world first rose it had Its laws, and following those, no wrong, Or vice, or blame, thereto belong,6110 But grievous wrong ’twere to reject Dame Nature, and her laws neglect.
For instance, he who eats his food Scarce merits praise as wise and good Therefor, but he who nought at all Will eat, a fool we justly call.
’Tis not this love, I doubt, that thou Wouldst give thy heart to, but I trow A love more mad dost thou design To spend thy youth on; O incline6120 Thine ear to my advice, and leave That love, it flattereth to deceive.
But prithee, dream not that my will It is no loving friend should fill Thy heart. Wilt thou not for thy love Take me? Am I not fair above Ten thousand, fit to rule the home
Reason
Reason proffers her love Behold then, as my love and friend Thou hast the choice thy life to spend.6130 Wot’st thou how great the gift I throw Here at thy feet? Thou ne’er shouldst know The pain of void unsatisfied, But over all mischance shouldst ride Triumphant, and shouldst lordly soar ’Bove proudest king or emperor. How high soe’er thy soul aspire Thou nought shalt fail of thy desire, Seen thou art ready to fulfil, Unmurmuring, all my sovereign will.6140
Dost thou with me in love engage, One shall be thine whose lineage Surpasseth all men might compare Therewith, for I am child and heir To God supreme, whose power and grace Hath shed o’er all my form and face His own unclouded brightness. See, Dear friend, what beauty glows in me: Yet ne’er hath dame of high repute Loved with a love so absolute.6150 ’Tis by my father’s will I make That man my friend whose love I wake; Nor need we tremble to incur From him displeasure or demur, But he will guard us ’neath his wing. Say then, what think’st thou of this thing?
The god who holds thy heart in snare So tightly, is his yoke more fair ​Than this I offer? Doth he give Guerdon more rich to those who live6160 Beneath his sceptre? For God’s sake Refuse me not, or else will ache My heart with pain which maidens know Alone, who pine ’neath passion’s glow. Bethink thee what Dan Ovid saith Of Echo, and her woeful death.”
The Lover.
“From your hard Latin phrase I blench, Can you not speak plain wholesome French? Say plainly what you ask of me.”
Reason.
Despise Love and Fortune “Fain would I thou my friend shouldst be,6170 And I thy humble slave. Forsake Thy cruel God of Love, and make No count of Fortune and her wheel (Not worth a prune is she), but steel Thy heart like Socrates, who ne’er In all his life was swayed by her. She smiled, his heart grew nowise gay; She frowned, he laughed her frowns away. Whatso of good or ill he met, Was each ’gainst each in balance set,6180 Nor deigned he say that this was good, Or that was fraught with drearihood. No evil chances could destroy His peace, nor good luck move to joy. ​Fortitude of Socrates Of all who lived was he the man Judged by Apollo Pythian For wisest, as Solinus saith; For ne’er could Fortune’s changeful breath Alter his visage—still ’twas seen, In joy unmoved—in woe serene.6190 And even when, because, quoth he, ‘There is but one great Deity,’ They brought to him the poison cup, Calmly he drank the potion up, Charging his gaolers they should ne’er By more than one God use to swear.
Bethink you of Diogenes And Heraclitus, both of these Had held it scorn that joy or woe Should glad their souls or overthrow6200 Their calm of mind; without a sigh Or smile they met stern destiny. Follow these wise men’s ways, nor swerve Therefrom, wouldst thou my love deserve. But let not Fortune’s freaks dismay Thine heart, although foul tricks she play. A puny wrestler should I call The man who suffers Fortune’s fall Without a struggle, but a-low Will lie, abashed by overthrow.6210 No man should let himself be ta’en, But give her buffets back again With vigour; Fortune faintly fights With him who hardy battle dights, And he who strikes and fears her not, Whether in palace or in cot, ​Shall win the vantage. Caitiff base Is he who flincheth ’fore the face Of Fortune when he feels her grip, And suffereth her his feet to trip. Shame and disgrace it is to see A strong man unresistingly Submit his neck to hangman’s cord; Nor sympathy nor pitying word Have I for such an one. Despise With sturdy heart the flattering lies Of Fortune, whether she pretend On thee her love or spite to spend.”
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