on, and does not speak
comfortable words. She is described as a middle-aged lady of a comely
and dignified appearance, crowned, and made specially in God's image
and likeness. She tells him that if he had not put himself under the
guidance of Idleness, Love would not have wounded him; that besides
Danger, he has made her own daughter Shame his foe, and also
Male-Bouche (Scandal, Gossip, Evil-Speaking), the third and most
formidable guardian of the Rose. He ought never to have surrendered
to Love. In the service of that power

"il a plus poine
Que n'ont hermite ne blanc moine;
La poine en est demesuree,
Et la joie a courte duree."

The Lover does not take this sermon well. He is Love's: she may go
about her business, which she does. He bethinks him that he has a
companion, Amis (the Friend), who has always been faithful; and he
will go to him in his trouble. Indeed Love had bidden him do so. The
Friend is obliging and consoling, and says that he knows Danger. His
bark is worse than his bite, and if he is spoken softly to he will
relent. The Lover takes the advice with only partial success. Danger,
at first robustious, softens so far as to say that he has no objection
to the Lover loving, only he had better keep clear of his roses. The
Friend represents this as an important point gained; and as the next
step Pity and Frankness go as his ambassadresses to Danger, who allows
Bialacoil to return to him and take him once more to see the Rose,
more beautiful than ever. He even, assisted by Venus, is allowed to
kiss his love.

[Sidenote: _"Shame" and "Scandal."_]

This is very agreeable: but it arouses the two other guardians of whom
Reason has vainly warned him, Shame and Evil-Speaking, or Scandal. The
latter wakes Jealousy, Fear follows, and Fear and Shame stir up
Danger. He keeps closer watch, Jealousy digs a trench round the
rose-bush and builds a tower where Bialacoil is immured: and the
Lover, his case only made worse by the remembered savour of the Rose
on his lips,[147] is left helpless outside. But as the rubric of the
poem has it--

"Cyendroit trespassa Guillaume
De Lorris, et n'en fist plus pseaulme."

[Footnote 147:

"Car ge suis a greignor meschief
Por la joie que j'ai perdue.
Que s'onques ne l'eussi eue."

Dante undoubtedly had this in his mind when he wrote the immortal
_Nessun maggior dolore_. All this famous passage, l. 4557 _sq._, is
admirable.]