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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.

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 last

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.”

Hearing these words, a shiver past

O’er Fear, who, trembling and aghast,

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