# Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 32

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XXXII
This tells how Jealousy, by spite Urged on, a towering prison dight Amidst the precinct, wherein she Immured Fair-Welcome, for that he Had let the Lover's lips once press The Rose, through courteous kindliness.
The Author.
Jealousy builds a tower And now behoveth me to tell How Jealousy, beneath the spell3980 Of dark suspicious promptings, wrought.
Through all the country-side she sought Masons and engineers, who made A wide deep moat, with pick and spade, Which many a penny cost to dig, And there beside they raised a big Thick towering wall of solid stone; No marsh or bog it stood upon, But firm and solid rock. It went Within the moat by sheer descent,3990 And then rose upwards towards the sky With ’minished breadth, and gained thereby Great strength and firmness. Well was set The wall in perfect square, and met Each side of equal length, which ran Well-nigh a hundred fathoms span. Embattled towers, of stone well hewed, Rose at the corners, each indued With portal strong, which might defy The assault of fiercest enemy;4000 ​The tower described And every tower was fenced with tall And strongly-masoned outer wall, Which need not fear the heaviest stone By catapult or engine thrown. A barred portcullis o’er each gate Hung, ready poised, to fix the fate Of those who rashly dared to put Their feet therein ere yet ’twas shut. And lastly, midmost of the close, Another strong-built tower arose,4010 Than which none grander, as I ween, The long piled ages e’er have seen. The walls were made so thick and well, That doubt ye not they might repel The heavy ram, balister, sling, And every sort of deadly thing Employed in siege. The stones were fixed With mortar, made of quick-lime mixed With vinegar. The native rock Had furnished stone to bear a shock4020 ’Neath which firm adamant might shake. This inner tower was round of make, And both within and out so dight, That ween I well, no fairer sight The world could show. On every side ’Twas circled round by bailey wide, And wondrous strong; and then betwixt This barrier and the wall was fixed A closure broad of rose-trees rare, Whose blossoms sweet perfumed the air4030 Both far and wide. A mighty hoard Of warlike implements was stored ​Within the tower, whereby it might Be safely kept by day and night. From every battlement looked out Great mangonels to cast about Gigantic stones, while east and west, And north and south, an arbalest From every loophole peered, ’gainst which No man could stand who neared the ditch,4040 And but a dotard fool, I swear, Were he who rashly ventured there. A long embattled wall extends Around the moat, the which forfends Assault of knights, until that they At least have shown good battle play.
The tower garrison Within hath Jealousy arrayed A garrison, and Danger made The castellan; right surlily He bears in hand the master-key4050 That locks the gate, which looketh east, And under him he hath at least A thirty warders. Next there came The southern gate, which boasted Shame For trusty portress; many a guard She hired to keep strict watch and ward By night and day. Towards the north A gate ’neath Fear’s command looks forth, The which she keepeth closely locked, Mistrusting lest her guard be mocked4060 The while she sleeps, and rarely she Will open whosoe’er it be Demandeth entrance. Trembleth sore Her heart if e’en soft gales sweep o’er ​The aspen trees, and fever shakes Her limbs at each small noise that wakes.
The doings of Evil-Tongue Then Evil-Tongue, of God accurst! Who never in his heart hath nursed Aught else but baseness, at the last Gate set himself, but quickly passed4070 From one to other busily: And if perchance it happed that he Should keep the night-watch, haste he made To mount the tower, and there arrayed Bagpipes, trumpets, horns and shalms, On which, for hours on end, no psalms He tuned, but merry songs and lays And fables told in olden days; Or times he made a dismal wail On bagpipes loud of Cornouaille.4080 Another time he fluting sang Old tales, whereof the burden rang, That never woman, maid or wife, Had lived a chaste and honest life, But said that nought they loved so well As legends, tales, and songs that tell Of lawless love and luxury. This woman he declares to be A wretched strumpet, that one paints, Another he of crime attaints, And such an one he calls a fool, While such another fails to rule Her speech. Thus Evil-Tongue declares War on all women—none he spares. ​Then Jealousy, whom God confound! A garrison within the round And formidable tower had set, Of myrmidons, videlicet: Her closest friends. The duenna Fair-Welcome wears His days therein, and hardly fares;4100 His prison door so strongly barred, And so close tended by a hard Old harridan, that little chance Seems left him of deliverance. This evil carline doth but watch Good opportunity to catch Fair-Welcome out in some misdeed. As adder deaf, she scorns to heed The softest word or kindliest look, For she in youth had read love’s book4110 So heedfully, that every ruse Is known to her that lovers use. Fair-Welcome scarce dare speak a word, So doubts he lest the hag preferred Some charge against him. Well she knows
The blood that thrills, the heart that glows,
The languorous look, the amorous glance, Which all keep step in love’s old dance.
So now that Jealousy at last Hath seen Fair-Welcome, hard and fast,4120 Within this prison tower immured, Boundeth her heart, of peace assured Against all violence and wrong, Misdoubting nought that castle strong. ​No longer hath she cause to fear Lest rude marauders come anear Roses or rosebuds, they repose Safely within that high-built close. Or fast asleep or wide awake She, undisturbed, full rest may take.4180
The Lover.
The Lover’s lament Alas! what wretched fate is mine, Outside that envious wall to pine, All desolate and in misery. What heart but must bestow on me Some pity, did it wot the price At which I offer sacrifice To Love. My wound but bleeds afresh, And caught anew within the mesh Of Cupid am I. Short delight Was mine, and now a darker night4140 O’erclouds my heart. What think ye then, Am I not like to husbandmen Who cast the seed to earth, and see With joy how springeth sturdily In spring-tide’s days, and through the hours Of summer, fed by sun and showers, The stalk, and flourisheth the ear? But ere the season comes to shear The ripening grain, the hail descends, Destroys the tender growth, and ends4150 The peasant’s fairest hope. So I, Alas! must see my hope pass by, And all my patience lost. But Love, (Who helped my gentle suit above ​My dearest hopes) whene’er I poured the tale of what my soul endured Into Fair-Welcome’s willing ear, Caused me to pay my rashness dear, Dashing from out my hand the cup Of happiness ere yet a sup4160 The tricks of Fortune My lips had tasted. So it is That Fortune’s fickle hand, ywis, A man full oft will raise amain, Then cast him to the ground again; Now smiles she sweetly, now a frown O’erspreads her visage; this one down She casteth, but anon, on high Will raise another suddenly, For she the fate of men resolveth, E’en as her restless wheel revolveth.4170 Alas! now falls on me the shock Of Fortune; walls and moat bemock My hopes, and promised happiness Gives way to weeping and distress; Since now forbidding walls enclose At once Fair-Welcome and the Rose. Deprived of these and left alone, All hope is past, all comfort gone. If Love desire that I should live, Nought can avail unless he give4180 Fair-Welcome to mine arms again, The source of joy, the cure of pain.
Ah! sweet Fair-Welcome! though you be Set fast in cruel slavery, I pray you, keep for me my heart, Nor let fierce Jealousy dispart ​Jealousy is cruel Our friendship, but remember you, That though she keep you from my view, Your heart is mine, e’en though your flesh She torture. O keep ever fresh4190 And free your spirit ’gainst her guile, Nor suffer that her rede defile Your mind with treason; keep it pure, Although your body may endure Dark prison. Gentle hearts but show More brightly when they undergo Fierce chastisement. If Jealousy Declare herself thine enemy, Take courage and defend your right, Nor courage lack to face her spite,4200 At least in thought: do this, and I
Shall peace and solace gain thereby. But now am I borne down by dole, Lest you, within your secret soul Perchance but con me little thank, Since ’twas for me, alas! you drank This cup of bitterness. But ne’er My heart hath been so base as bear One treasonous thought against you. None Dare ever charge me to have done4210 One deed whereof I need repent. God knows ’neath what a weight is bent My sorrowing heart: e’en more than you I suffer, for remorse doth brew For me a bitter draught; well-nigh, In truth, I come near death when I Remember all my loss. ’Twould be Small marvel though fear mastered me, ​Fair-Welcome in prison Who now on every side behold These traitors, venomous as bold,4220 Who fain would hunt my soul to death. Ah! dear Fair-Welcome, they their breath But spend with purpose to deceive And bind you with the cord they weave. Alas! God help me, know I not But what already they have got Their will against you. Darkest fear Invades me, lest it should appear That you forget me quite; what woe Untold would fall on me to know4230 That I had lost your friendship, then Were I unhappiest of men; All pleasure, joy, and comfort sped, And hope itself nigh perishèd.
[The next eighty lines, which give a sort of conclusion to the story, are found only in some manuscripts. M. Méon gives it as his opinion that they were suppressed by Jean de Meun, in order that they might not interfere with his continuation of the poem. M. Croissandeau, on the other hand, considers them altogether spurious, inasmuch as they are not, as he very clearly points out, in accord with the spirit of the tale or of William Lorris. As M. Croissandeau thought well to print them, it has been judged advisable to give the transla­tion. They were evidently unknown to the English translator of the fourteenth century.]
[Might I but see your face, and speak In converse sweet, but once the week ​With you, dear friend, it would assuage The griefs that in my bosom rage So fiercely, but no light I see4240 To lead me where I fain would be. Help for the Lover Thus in the direst woe was I Plunged, when behold, all suddenly Dame Pity came from towards the tower, Who many a heart in darkest hour Consoleth; and at once began To comfort me: “O sorrowing man,” She said, “I come to cheer thy heart, And bring kind friends to bear me part In that good work. Simplicity,4250 Joined with Sweet-Looks and Loyalty And Beauty, and Fair-Welcome eke, Are ’scaped from forth the tower to seek With me thy comfort. Though right high The keep is built, no walls defy True faithful hearts, although array Of death and danger bar the way. We watched, till weariness ’gan steep The eyes of Jealousy in sleep, And then sped forth although ’mid great Alarm; for Fear, whose constant fate4260 It is to cry and tremble, ran Hither and thither, and our plan Well-nigh defeated, filled with doubt If Evil-Tongue were not about And listening. But the brave Strong-Love, Who joys to serve his friends, above All else, destroyed the envious door Though Fear scarce dared to tread the floor. ​’Fore Heaven! if Evil-Tongue had known, Thereof no power on earth had thrown4270 It open. But Queen Venus, fair And ever kind, with loving care Snatched us the keys, and thus are we Freed from the tower of Jealousy.
A premature ending And then all round me in a ring These six sat, greatly comforting My griefworn heart. Then Beauty gave In secret that my heart did crave, The precious Rosebud, which I took With rapture, while my being shook4280 With tremulous joy. Couched on the grass, New sprung, we saw the moments pass In soft content; our coverlet Of fragrant rose-leaves made, while met Our lips in fond embrace. The night We passed in transports of delight Fearful of morn, which all too soon Appears when Maytide treads on June. With dawn we rose, fordone with grief To find such joy must be so brief:4290 But Beauty much desired to gain Once more the bud, and I, though fain To keep it, dared not disobey Her high behest, woe worth the day! Whate’er my pains. But ne’ertheless The Rose no more in hard duress Was shut, for, ere all thither sped. Came Beauty, smilingly, and said: “Though Jealousy should now espy Our doings, and more thick and high4300 ​Should make the wall and hedge, while on The tower she sets strong garrison, With joy have I been satiate Comes not her labour somewhat late? Of loving friends it hath been said. Each finds of each the goodlihead. Love then with loyal heart and free, And of the Rosebud shall thou be Master, and to the tower mayst go Whenso thou hast the will thereto,4310 Although it be enclosed and bound With wall and thorny brake around; For my part, on my road I wend Waked from my dream, my tale hath end.]