This worthy Duke answér’d anon again, And said, “This is a short conclusión. Your own mouth, by your own confessión Hath damned you, and I will it record; It needeth not to pain you with the cord; Ye shall be dead, by mighty Mars the Red.”
The queen anon for very womanhead Began to weep, and so did Emily, And all the ladies in the company. Great pity was it as it thought them all, That ever such a chancë should befall, For gentle men they were, of great estate, And nothing but for love was this debate; They saw their bloody woundës wide and sore, And cried all at once, both less and more, “Have mercy, Lord, upon us women all.” And on their barë knees adown they fall, And would have kiss’d his feet there as he stood, Till at the last aslaked was his mood (For pity runneth soon in gentle heart); And though at first for ire he quoke and start, He hath consider’d shortly in a clause The trespass of them both, and eke the cause: And although that his ire their guilt accused, Yet in his reason he them both excused; As thus; he thoughtë well that every man Will help himself in love if that he can, And eke deliver himself out of prison. And eke his heartë had compassión Of women, for they wepten ever-in-one: And in his gentle heart he thought anon, And soft unto himself he saidë: “Fie Upon a lord that will have no mercy, But be a lion both in word and deed, To them that be in répentance and dread, As well as to a proud dispiteous man That will maintainë what he first began. That lord hath little of discretión, That in such case can no división: But weigheth pride and humbless after one.” And shortly, when his ire is thus agone, He gan to look on them with eyen light, And spake these samë wordës all on height.