Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/212

184 For absolution, just confess

Your sins, and I with readiness

will shrive you, and when once you’ve got

My shrift—thank God, your sins are not.

HEN Evil-Tongue with humbleness

Would on his bended knees confess

His crime, and shrive him of his fault;

False-Seeming made no weakling halt,

But seized his throat, and forthwith stayed

His cackle, once for all, with blade

Of razor, and his tongue cut out,

From whence fell many a bloody gout.

And next the pair make haste to pitch

His body in the castle ditch,

And then the unguarded door they break,

And o’er the threshold passage make,

And find the Norman soldiers sunk

In senseless slumber deadly drunk.

The wine they down their throats had cast,

Cast them upon the floor at last,

And as they lay, the wretches all,

Ere they had time for help to call,

Were strangled in their drunken sleep,

Henceforth strict fast from lies they’ll keep.