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And he with al the haste he myhte
To grounde fell and therthe kiste；
Bot non of hem the cause wiste；
Bot wenden that he hadde sporned
Per chance； and so was overtorned。 4740
Bot Brutus al an other mente；
For he knew wel in his entente
Hou therthe of every mannes kinde
Is Moder： bot thei weren blinde；
And sihen noght so fer as he。
Bot whan thei leften the Cite
And comen hom to Rome ayein；
Thanne every man which was Romein
And moder hath； to hire he bende
And keste； and ech of hem thus wende 4750
To be the ferste upon the chance；
Of Tarquin forto do vengance；
So as thei herden Phebus sein。
Bot every time hath his certein；
So moste it nedes thanne abide；
Til afterward upon a tyde
Tarquinus made unskilfully
A werre； which was fasteby
Ayein a toun with walles stronge
Which Ardea was cleped longe； 4760
And caste a Siege theraboute；
That ther mai noman passen oute。
So it befell upon a nyht；
Arrons； which hadde his souper diht；
A part of the chivalerie
With him to soupe in compaignie
Hath bede： and whan thei comen were
And seten at the souper there；
Among here othre wordes glade
Arrons a gret spekinge made； 4770
Who hadde tho the beste wif
Of Rome： and ther began a strif；
For Arrons seith he hath the beste。
So jangle thei withoute reste；
Til ate laste on Collatin；
A worthi knyht； and was cousin
To Arrons； seide him in this wise：
〃It is；〃 quod he； 〃of non emprise
To speke a word； bot of the dede；
Therof it is to taken hiede。 4780
Anon forthi this same tyde
Lep on thin hors and let ous ryde：
So mai we knowe bothe tuo
Unwarli what oure wyves do；
And that schal be a trewe assay。〃
This Arrons seith noght ones nay：
On horse bak anon thei lepte
In such manere； and nothing slepte；
Ridende forth til that thei come
Al prively withinne Rome； 4790
In strange place and doun thei lihte；
And take a chambre； and out of sihte
Thei be desguised for a throwe；
So that no lif hem scholde knowe。
And to the paleis ferst thei soghte；
To se what thing this ladi wroghte
Of which Arrons made his avant：
And thei hire sihe of glad semblant；
Al full of merthes and of bordes；
Bot among alle hire othre wordes 4800
Sche spak noght of hire housebonde。
And whan thei hadde al understonde
Of thilke place what hem liste；
Thei gon hem forth； that non it wiste；
Beside thilke gate of bras；
Collacea which cleped was；
Wher Collatin hath his duellinge。
Ther founden thei at hom sittinge
Lucrece his wif； al environed
With wommen； whiche are abandoned 4810
To werche； and sche wroghte ek withal；
And bad hem haste； and seith； 〃It schal
Be for mi housebondes were；
Which with his swerd and with his spere
Lith at the Siege in gret desese。
And if it scholde him noght displese；
Nou wolde god I hadde him hiere；
For certes til that I mai hiere
Som good tidinge of his astat；
Min herte is evere upon debat。 4820
For so as alle men witnesse；
He is of such an hardiesse；
That he can noght himselve spare；
And that is al my moste care；
Whan thei the walles schulle assaile。
Bot if mi wisshes myhte availe；
I wolde it were a groundles pet；
Be so the Siege were unknet；
And I myn housebonde sihe。〃
With that the water in hire yhe 4830
Aros； that sche ne myhte it stoppe；
And as men sen the dew bedroppe
The leves and the floures eke；
Riht so upon hire whyte cheke
The wofull salte teres felle。
Whan Collatin hath herd hire telle
The menynge of hire trewe herte；
Anon with that to hire he sterte；
And seide； 〃Lo； mi goode diere；
Nou is he come to you hiere； 4840
That ye most loven； as ye sein。〃
And sche with goodly chiere ayein
Beclipte him in hire armes smale；
And the colour； which erst was pale；
To Beaute thanne was restored；
So that it myhte noght be mored。
The kinges Sone； which was nyh；
And of this lady herde and syh
The thinges as thei ben befalle；
The resoun of hise wittes alle 4850
Hath lost； for love upon his part
Cam thanne； and of his fyri dart
With such a wounde him hath thurghsmite；
That he mot nedes fiele and wite
Of thilke blinde maladie；
To which no cure of Surgerie
Can helpe。 Bot yit natheles
At thilke time he hield his pes；
That he no contienance made；
Bot openly with wordes glade； 4860
So as he couthe in his manere；
He spak and made frendly chiere；
Til it was time forto go。
And Collatin with him also
His leve tok； so that be nyhte
With al the haste that thei myhte
Thei riden to the Siege ayein。
Bot Arrons was so wo besein
With thoghtes whiche upon him runne；
That he al be the brode Sunne 4870
To bedde goth； noght forto reste；
Bot forto thenke upon the beste
And the faireste forth withal；
That evere he syh or evere schal；
So as him thoghte in his corage；
Where he pourtreieth hire ymage：
Ferst the fetures of hir face；
In which nature hadde alle grace
Of wommanly beaute beset；
So that it myhte noght be bet； 4880
And hou hir yelwe her was tresced
And hire atir so wel adresced；
And hou sche spak； and hou sche wroghte；
And hou sche wepte； al this he thoghte；
That he foryeten hath no del；
Bot al it liketh him so wel；
That in the word nor in the dede
Hire lacketh noght of wommanhiede。
And thus this tirannysshe knyht
Was soupled； bot noght half ariht； 4890
For he non other hiede tok；
Bot that he myhte be som crok；
Althogh it were ayein hire wille；
The lustes of his fleissh fulfille；
Which love was noght resonable；
For where honour is remuable；
It oghte wel to ben avised。
Bot he； which hath his lust assised
With melled love and tirannie；
Hath founde upon his tricherie 4900
A weie which he thenkth to holde；
And seith； 〃Fortune unto the bolde
Is favorable forto helpe。〃
And thus withinne himself to yelpe；
As he which was a wylde man；
Upon his treson he began：
And up he sterte； and forth he wente
On horsebak； bot his entente
Ther knew no wiht； and thus he nam
The nexte weie； til he cam 4910
Unto Collacea the gate
Of Rome； and it was somdiel late；
Riht evene upon the Sonne set；
As he which hadde schape his net
Hire innocence to betrappe。
And as it scholde tho mishappe；
Als priveliche as evere he myhte
He rod； and of his hors alyhte
Tofore Collatines In；
And al frendliche he goth him in； 4920
As he that was cousin of house。
And sche； which is the goode spouse；
Lucrece； whan that sche him sih；
With goodli chiere drowh him nyh；
As sche which al honour supposeth；
And him； so as sche dar； opposeth
Hou it stod of hire housebonde。
And he tho dede hire understonde
With tales feigned in his wise；
Riht as he wolde himself devise； 4930
Wherof he myhte hire herte glade；
That sche the betre chiere made；
Whan sche the glade wordes herde；
Hou that hire housebonde ferde。
And thus the trouthe was deceived
With slih tresoun； which was received
To hire which mente alle goode；
For as the festes thanne stode；
His Souper was ryht wel arraied。
Bot yit he hath no word assaied 4940
To speke of love in no degre；
Bot with covert subtilite
His frendly speches he affaiteth；
And as the Tigre his time awaiteth
In hope forto cacche his preie。
Whan that the bordes were aweie
And thei have souped in the halle；
He seith that slep is on him falle；
And preith he moste go to bedde；
And sche with alle haste spedde； 4950
So as hire thoghte it was to done；
That every thing was redi sone。
Sche broghte him to his chambre tho
And tok hire leve； and forth is go
Into hire oghne chambre by；
As sche that wende certeinly
Have had a frend； and hadde a fo；
Wherof fell after mochel wo。
This tirant； thogh he lyhe softe；
Out of his bed aros fulofte； 4960
And goth aboute； and leide his Ere
To herkne； til that alle were
To bedde gon and slepten faste。
And thanne upon himself he caste
A mantell； and his swerd al naked
He tok in honde； and sche unwaked
Abedde lay； but what sche mette；
God wot； for he the Dore unschette
So prively that non it herde；
The softe pas and forth he ferde 4970
Unto the bed wher that sche slepte；
Al sodeinliche and in he crepte；
And hire in bothe his Armes tok。
With that this worthi wif awok；
Which thurgh tendresce of wommanhiede
Hire vois hath lost for pure drede；
That o word speke sche ne dar：
And ek he bad hir to be war；
For if sche made noise or cry；
He