You may be wondering why this mad writer failed to mention the counterpart writer of the Romance of the Rose who finished the job from Guillaume De Lorris’s initial work. He is not to be named here. That is because I care little for his prolonged Aristotelian philosophies and want to focus on the keys that unlock the truth of this text which is found in the first one hundred pages of the incomplete manuscript. Guillaume leaves us at the fortress of rebuff that must be assailed in order to free Fair Welcome and the rose, whom are imprisoned. What more is there but the true attainment of love? While I understand the elaborations on the many types of love, provided by Guillaume’s predecessor, and acknowledge those insights to be fruitful, I can’t seem to comprehend how the second writer managed to make love about indifference, for love is about passion! It is about storming the castle, not cooling the flames. Furthermore, the narrative, in my heart, ends where Guillaume does. So I conclude tat the second text feels more like a book of philosophy to be appended to Boethius’s consolation, which is referenced only too often. Yet, love is not deserving of the consolation prize but rather the gold trophy at first place. So, I have made a strong statement by making Guillaume De Lorris the only author I acknowledge here and the other will have to suffer my harsh critique.
The objective of this article is to map out the fortress of Rebuff, as described in the text by Guillaume. This clear image will allow the imagination to derive what it will. The attainment of love, what is it about? To attain love is to siege the castle. The enemy forces that preclude love are challenged. As has been said before: if love is with us, who is against us? The first image shows the fortress, exactly as described by Guillaume. The Rose, along with Fair Welcome, are imprisoned in the bailey. Fear, rebuff, shame and evil tongue guard the various gates and archways, along with defense equipment that is manned at each of the four towers.
And yet, while the fortress of Rebuff is seemingly impenetrable, isn’t it true that their is an oppositional force at play to combat these villainous characters? So, in my own imagination, I have contrived a contrary fortress that expresses the opposing elements of Rebuff’s. The object of love is to meet evil with good, darkness with light. Rebuking Fear is the warrior Courage, so bold that everyone flees from him. To combat Rebuff there is Liberty, who severs the fetters that bind him. Assailing Shame is Honor, who returns with fiery vengeance. And Evil-tongue is forced to yield to Truth-sayer, who catches him in his own snare. In the overtaking of Rebuff’s fortress I suggest an underground passage that leads these esteemed warriors into the bailey, and from the inside they attack out, destroying their opponents with ease!
Ian T. Cleary 