Ten Leagues Beneath Contempt

Awaking in a sweat

Forsaking pleasure for regret

Another night of blight had slowly passed

The morning skies once fresh and bright

Darkened down no near twilight

Once could smell the end of days were coming fast

Gilles wandered as in purgatory

Beyond the grave of his estate

Neither Heaven, Hell or peasantry

Were present save projected hatred

He knew suspicion, he felt derision

And grief like a sharpened stake

Pierce his heart, and now the start

Of his unknitting began to take

Vain glorious, a Lord, devout?

He thought his soul exempt

From guilt and doubt, there's no way out

Ten leagues beneath contempt

(He drank an ocean quoting Joan the maiden

A vampire's pious rant

His hot blood stank of devotion laden

With bias for love's covenant)

Awaking in a sweat

Forsaking pleasure for regret

His choired chapel sighed with his laments

As accusations reached a roar

Investigations breached the door

He put up nothing save his favours in defense

The Church stirred in it's Roman lair

The grease had long been spent

Now all tongues spat at Tiffauges there

Ten leagues beneath contempt

Just one falter

One misplaced deed

And Gilles would be undone

As he teetered on the verge of defeat

Profaning God's altar

Bursting in on evening Mass

He threatened there to crucify the priest

Drunk on fiery wine

With the storm lashing behind

He then threw this Philistine

To his foulest dungeon

And money owed or not

The Priest released or left to rot

His blatant sacrilege begot

A war machine of papal Rome

They came for him in mourning splendour

With the blessing of the Saints

His fawning grin in sweet surrender

A lesson in enforced restraint

He knew suspicion, he felt derision

And fear like a sharpened stake

Pierce his heart, and now the start

Of his unknitting began to take

He thought courts bought with golden crowns

Rich Bishops he could tempt

But traitor's gate was sought and found

Ten leagues beneath contempt

Ten leagues beneath contempt