81561561Her pity-pleading eyes are sadly fixed
562562In the remorseless wrinkles of his face.
563563Her modest eloquence with sighs is mixed,
564564Which to her oratory adds more grace.
565565She puts the period often from his place,
566566And midst the sentence so her accent breaks
567567That twice she doth begin ere once she speaks.
82568568She conjures him by high almighty Jove,
569569By knighthood, gentry, and sweet friendship's oath,
570570By her untimely tears, her husband's love,
571571By holy human law, and common troth,
572572By heaven and earth, and all the power of both,
573573That to his borrowed bed he make retire
574574And stoop to honor, not to foul desire.
83575575Quoth she, "Reward not hospitality
576576With such black payment as thou hast pretended;
577577Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee.
578578Mar not the thing that cannot be amended.
579579End thy ill aim before thy shoot be ended;
580580He is no woodman that doth bend his bow
581581To strike a poor unseasonable doe."
84582582"My husband is thy friend; for his sake spare me.
583583Thyself art mighty; for thine own sake leave me.
584584Myself a weakling, do not then ensnare me.
585585Thou look'st not like deceit; do not deceive me.
586586My sighs, like whirlwinds, labor hence to heave thee.
587587If ever man were moved with woman's moans,
588588Be moved with my tears, my sighs, my groans."
85589589"All which together, like a troubled ocean,
590590Beat at thy rocky and wrack-threat'ning heart
591591To soften it with their continual motion;
592592For stones dissolved to water do convert.
593593O, if no harder than a stone thou art,
5945594Melt at my tears and be compassionate;
595595Soft pity enters at an iron gate."