# Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 30

Layout 2
XXX
Here green-eyed Jealousy doth scold Fair-Welcome for the falsehoods told3690 By Evil-Tongue against him, he Loves to load men with calumny.
Jealousy attacks Fair-Welcome Then on Fair-Welcome straightway fell Wan Jealousy: “I prithee tell,” Quoth she, “how thou dost boldly dare To bring one here towards whom I bear Suspicious hatred? Unto me, It seems that thou too easily Tak’st strangers for thy friends, henceforth I trust no more thy faith and worth,3700 But straightway bound, within a tower, Will hold thee prisoner ’neath my power. Too far from thee hath wandered Shame, Who well deserves to suffer blame For negligence to hold thee fast; Full many a time I’ve stood aghast, Noting the scanty succour she Affords her sister Chastity. ’Tis she hath suffered thee to bring Within these precincts a loseling,3710 Whose presence doth but cast disgrace On each and all who guard the place.”
The Lover.
Fair-Welcome all dumfounded stood: Right willingly had he made good ​His flight, but nought could he deny: We twain stood there in company. Soon as I saw this angry hag, Knew her vile face, and heard her wag Her cursed tongue, I strove to hide, In hope to shirk her spite’s full tide.3720 Then coming towards us Shame appeared, With downcast look, as though she feared Correction. On her head a simple Nun’s convent veil she wore for wimple, And thus with faltering words outspake:
Shame speaks to Jealousy.
Shame excuses him “ Madame, I pray you, for God’s sake. The words of Evil-Tongue despise, A man is he who lightly lies. And worthy folk calumniates: If now he wrathfully delates3730 Fair-Welcome, he is not the first To suffer ’neath his tongue accurst. For, ever Evil-Tongue delights To mar the fame of noble knights And gentle damosels. In truth Fair-Welcome, though a gentle youth, Doth make his leash sometimes too long, Nor may he be acquit of wrong In gathering friends too readily; Yet do I not believe that he3740 Should be accused of ill intent, For is he not of good descent Through Courtesy, his mother, who, Life-long hath never stooped unto ​Base folk for friends? No man can be More free from all iniquity Than is Fair-Welcome; only this His foes may charge him with, he is Mirthful and merry, and to each And all he meeteth, free of speech.3750 Too easy have I been, past doubt, In passing o’er his faults without Due chastisement. I humbly plead Guilty hereof, if evil deed Account ye this. If I forgot My duty, I repent with hot And scalding tears, and nevermore Shall you have reason to deplore My negligence herein; he ne’er Shall step one pace beyond my care.”3760
Jealousy addresseth Shame.
Jealousy scolds Shame. “Ah! Shame!” cried Jealousy, “afraid Am I to be again betrayed, For vice is now so widely spread, That soon I fear all past and dead Will virtue be. Nor is my fear Needless, when now we see appear On every side such wantonness, Such luxury, such pride of dress, Which day by day yet seem to grow, Nor e’er was abbey built, I trow,3770 With walls so close, well-barred and high, As safely to keep Chastity. But for these Rose-trees and the Rose, I will with stronger walls inclose ​Their beauties. All the confidence I placed in you is lost, and hence My surest guard is gone. A year Will not go by before all here Will take me for a sot or fool, Unless I hold some safer rule. A strong tower needful But now have I devised a plan, Whereby to circumvent each man Who boldly dares to come anigh My precious Roses. Never I Shall be content, until a tower I’ve built to be at once a bower And fortress to protect my Roses, And planned it so that it incloses A keep, the which Fair-Welcome fast Shall hold, for fear that he at last3790 Betray me. And with such strong guard Shall he be kept, that monstrous hard ’Twill be for him to issue out, Or converse with the rabble rout Who’d fain disgrace me; he hath been Too easily deceived I ween; But if I live, thine eyes shall see What gain he gets deceiving me.”
The Author.
Hearing these words, a shiver past O’er Fear, who, trembling and aghast,3800 Stood still, and not a word dared say The wrath of Jealousy to stay, Whose eyes expressed her spiteful heart. Therewith the beldame did depart ​Fear and Shame tremble And Shame and Fear were left alone, Both trembling to the buttock bone, Fear, low-voiced, with drooping head, To Shame, her cousin, spake and said:
Fear.
“Fair Cousin Shame, it sore doth fret My soul to think we twain should get3810 Reproach for crime that was not ours. Through April’s tears and Maytide’s flowers, Long years we’ve passed devoid of blame, Till Jealousy, the green-eyed, came Brimmed with suspicions. Let us go Whither fell Danger lurks, and show Clearly to him what mischief he Hath done, that not more warily He kept strict watch and ward. A fool Was he to let Fair-Welcome rule3820 The Garden at his wont. ’Twere well That we, in plain-set terms, should tell To him his duty, and that he Must mend his ways, or speedily Betake him otherwhere. If so It happed that Jealousy should grow To hate him, then, beyond all doubt, War should she wage, and thrust him out, As guerdon of the feeble ward And watch he kept the Rose to guard.”3830