Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/202

174

A villainous and cruel blade

That had in Cut-throat’s forge been made.

So hand in hand they limp along,

And thus approach foul Evil-Tongue,

Who stood his castle gate beside,

And all who fared thereby espied.

The pilgrims notes he come anigh,

Bearing themselves most holily.

HEN Abstinence saluteth first,

With humble gest, this man accurst

And next False-Seeming bends him low,

With courteous reverential bow,

And he saluteth them again;

For, all unruffled, he amain

Seemed Abstinence beneath her feint

To know, yet saw not her constraint,

But innocently deemed that she

Was even that she seemed to be;

And took the garb which tricked her out

All in good faith, unchecked by doubt,

But ’tis forsooth her customed way

Ever such juggling tricks to play;

And if she e’er sincere hath been,

Her virtue was short-lived, I ween.