And fills with blood faint faces of men dead, And with the sound between his lips are fed Iron and fire and the white body of snow, And blossom of all trees in places low, And small bright herbs about the little hills, And fruit pricked softly with birds' tender bills, And flight of foam about green fields of sea, And fourfold strength of the great winds that be Moved always outward from beneath his feet, And growth of grass and growth of sheavèd wheat And all green flower of goodly-growing lands; And all these things he gathers with his hands And covers all their beauty with his wings; The same, even God that governs all these things, Hath set my feet to be upon his ways. Now therefore for no painfulness of days I shall put off this service bound on me. Also, fair sir, ye know this certainly, How God was in his flesh full chaste and meek And gave his face to shame, and either cheek Gave up to smiting of men tyrannous. And here with a great voice this Gabalus Cried out and said: By God's blood and his bones, This were good game betwixen night and nones For one to sit and hearken to such saws: I were as lief fall in some big beast's jaws As hear these women's jaw-teeth clattering; By God a woman is the harder thing, One may not put a hook into her mouth. Now by St. Luke I am so sore adrouth For all these saws I must needs drink again. But I pray God deliver all us men From all such noise of women and their heat. That is a noble scripture, well I weet, That likens women to an empty can; When God said that he was a full wise man, I trow no man may blame him as for that. And herewithal he drank a draught, and spat, And said: Now shall I make an end hereof. Come near all men and hearken for God's love, And ye shall hear a jest or twain, God wot. And spake as thus with mouth full thick and hot; But thou do this thou shalt be shortly slain. Lo, sir, she said, this death and all this pain I take in penance of my bitter sins. Yea now, quoth Gabalus, this game begins. Lo, without sin one shall not live a span. Lo, this is she that would not look on man Between her fingers folded in thwart wise. See how her shame hath smitten in her eyes That was so clean she had not heard of shame. Certes, he said, by Gabalus my name, This two years back I was not so well pleased. This were good mirth for sick men to be eased And rise up whole and laugh at hearing of. I pray thee show us something of thy love, Since thou wast maid thy gown is waxen wide. Yea, maid I am, she said, and somewhat sighed, As one who thought upon the low fair house Where she sat working, with soft bended brows Watching her threads, among the school-maidens. And she thought well now God had brought her thence She should not come to sew her gold again. Then cried King Gabalus upon his men To have her forth and draw her with steel gins.