Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/260

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If he to trust her word disdain,

And so she gets the gold amain.

For a last squeezing she demands

A silver girdle at his hands,

Or wimple fair, to deck her head,

And gold her follies to bestead.

If he, unable to supply

Such things, yet seeks to satisfy

Her cravings, by expressing sorrow

And bezants vows to bring to-morrow,

To all his promises should she

Her ears shut fast inexorably.

All men are naturally liars—

In dear days past vile flatterers

More oaths towards me have used to leaven

Their lies, than are there saints in heaven.

If no gold pieces he can spin,

At least can he some wine send in

On credit, or if not, he may

Take himself off, elsewhere to play.

Unless a woman’s void of sense,

Of shrinking fear she’ll make pretence,

Affect to tremble, shake and shiver,

And ’neath quick apprehensions quiver

When she receiveth furtively

Her friend, and let him plainly see

The dangers she for him doth dare,

Saying, were spouse and friends aware

Of that she doth, most surely they,

Surprising them, would make her pay

With life the fond affection she

Bears towards him, while alas! that he