Again he to his lady hies,
With all the haste he may;90
She into furious passion flies,
And orders him away.
Still back again does he return
To hear her tender cries;
The virgin now had ceas'd to mourn,95
Which fill'd him with surprize.
In grief, and horror, and affright,
He listens at the walls
But finding all was silent quite,
He to his lady calls.100
"Too sure, O lady," now quoth he,
"Your cruelty hath sped;
Make haste, for shame, and come and see;
I fear the virgin's dead."
She starts to hear her sudden fate,105
And does with torches run;
But all her haste was now too late,
For death his worst had done.
The door being open'd, strait they found
The virgin stretch'd along;110
Two dreadful snakes had wrapt her round,
Which her to death had stung.
One round her legs, her thighs, her waist,
Had twin'd his fatal wreath;
The other close her neck embrac'd,115
And stopt her gentle breath.
The snakes being from her body thrust,
Their bellies were so fill'd,
That with excess of blood they burst,