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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 seide； his swerd lay faste by 4980
To slen hire and hire folk aboute。
And thus he broghte hire herte in doute；
That lich a Lomb whanne it is sesed
In wolves mouth； so was desesed
Lucrece； which he naked fond：
Wherof sche swounede in his hond；
And； as who seith； lay ded oppressed。
And he； which al him hadde adresced
To lust； tok thanne what him liste；
And goth his wey； that non it wiste； 4990
Into his oghne chambre ayein；
And clepede up his chamberlein；
And made him redi forto ryde。
And thus this lecherouse pride
To horse lepte and forth he rod；
And sche； which in hire bed abod；
Whan that sche wiste he was agon；
Sche clepede after liht anon
And up aros long er the day；
And caste awey hire freissh aray； 5000
As sche which hath the world forsake；
And tok upon the clothes blake：
And evere upon continuinge；
Riht as men sen a welle springe；
With yhen fulle of wofull teres；
Hire her hangende aboute hire Eres；
Sche wepte； and noman wiste why。
Bot yit among full pitously
Sche preide that thei nolden drecche
Hire housebonde forto fecche 5010
Forth with hire fader ek also。
Thus be thei comen bothe tuo；
And Brutus cam with Collatin；
Which to Lucrece was cousin；
And in thei wenten alle thre
To chambre； wher thei myhten se
The wofulleste upon this Molde；
Which wepte as sche to water scholde。
The chambre Dore anon was stoke；
Er thei have oght unto hire spoke； 5020
Thei sihe hire clothes al desguised；
And hou sche hath hirself despised；
Hire her hangende unkemd aboute；
Bot natheles sche gan to loute
And knele unto hire housebonde；
And he； which fain wolde understonde
The cause why sche ferde so；
With softe wordes axeth tho；
〃What mai you be； mi goode swete？〃
And sche； which thoghte hirself unmete 5030
And the lest worth of wommen alle；
Hire wofull chiere let doun falle
For schame and couthe unnethes loke。
And thei therof good hiede toke；
And preiden hire in alle weie
That sche ne spare forto seie
Unto hir frendes what hire eileth；
Why sche so sore hirself beweileth；
And what the sothe wolde mene。
And sche； which hath hire sorwes grene； 5040
Hire wo to telle thanne assaieth；
Bot tendre schame hire word delaieth；
That sondri times as sche minte
To speke； upon the point sche stinte。
And thei hire bidden evere in on
To telle forth； and therupon；
Whan that sche sih sche moste nede；
Hire tale betwen schame and drede
Sche tolde； noght withoute peine。
And he； which wolde hire wo restreigne； 5050
Hire housebonde； a sory man；
Conforteth hire al that he can；
And swor； and ek hire fader bothe；
That thei with hire be noght wrothe
Of that is don ayein hire wille；
And preiden hire to be stille；
For thei to hire have al foryive。
Bot sche； which thoghte noght to live；
Of hem wol no foryivenesse；
And seide； of thilke wickednesse 5060
Which was unto hire bodi wroght；
Al were it so sche myhte it noght；
Nevere afterward the world ne schal
Reproeven hire； and forth withal；
Er eny man therof be war；
A naked swerd； the which sche bar
Withinne hire Mantel priveli；
Betwen hire hondes sodeinly
Sche tok； and thurgh hire herte it throng；
And fell to grounde； and evere among； 5070
Whan that sche fell； so as sche myhte；
Hire clothes with hire hand sche rihte；
That noman dounward fro the kne
Scholde eny thing of hire se：
Thus lay this wif honestely；
Althogh sche deide wofully。
Tho was no sorwe forto seke：
Hire housebonde； hire fader eke
Aswoune upon the bodi felle；
Ther mai no mannes tunge telle 5080
In which anguisshe that thei were。
Bot Brutus； which was with hem there；
Toward himself his herte kepte；
And to Lucrece anon he lepte；
The blodi swerd and pulleth oute；
And swor the goddes al aboute
That he therof schal do vengance。
And sche tho made a contienance；
Hire dedlich yhe and ate laste
In thonkinge as it were up caste； 5090
And so behield him in the wise；
Whil sche to loke mai suffise。
And Brutus with a manlich herte
Hire housebonde hath mad up sterte
Forth with hire fader ek also
In alle haste； and seide hem tho
That thei anon withoute lette
A Beere for the body fette；
Lucrece and therupon bledende
He leide； and so forth out criende 5100
He goth into the Market place
Of Rome： and in a litel space
Thurgh cry the cite was assembled；
And every mannes herte is trembled；
Whan thei the sothe herde of the cas。
And therupon the conseil was
Take of the grete and of the smale；
And Brutus tolde hem al the tale；
And thus cam into remembrance
Of Senne the continuance； 5110
Which Arrons hadde do tofore；
And ek； long time er he was bore；
Of that his fadre hadde do
The wrong cam into place tho；
So that the comun clamour tolde
The newe schame of Sennes olde。
And al the toun began to crie；
〃Awey； awey the tirannie
Of lecherie and covoitise！〃
And ate laste in such a wise 5120
The fader in the same while
Forth with his Sone thei exile；
And taken betre governance。
Bot yit an other remembrance
That rihtwisnesse and lecherie
Acorden noght in compaignie
With him that hath the lawe on honde；
That mai a man wel understonde；
As be a tale thou shalt wite；
Of olde ensample as it is write。 5130
At Rome whan that Apius；
Whos other name is Claudius；
Was governour of the cite；
Ther fell a wonder thing to se
Touchende a gentil Maide； as thus；
Whom Livius Virginius
Begeten hadde upon his wif：
Men seiden that so fair a lif
As sche was noght in al the toun。
This fame； which goth up and doun； 5140
To Claudius cam in his Ere；
Wherof his thoght anon was there；
Which al his herte hath set afyre；
That he began the flour desire
Which longeth unto maydenhede；
And sende； if that he myhte spede
The blinde lustes of his wille。
Bot that thing mai he noght fulfille；
For sche stod upon Mariage；
A worthi kniht of gret lignage； 5150
Ilicius which thanne hihte；
Acorded in hire fader sihte
Was； that he scholde his douhter wedde。
Bot er the cause fully spedde；
Hire fader； which in Romanie
The ledinge of chivalerie
In governance hath undertake；
Upon a werre which was take
Goth out with al the strengthe he hadde
Of men of Armes whiche he ladde： 5160
So was the mariage left；
And stod upon acord til eft。
The king； which herde telle of this；
Hou that this Maide ordeigned is
To Mariage； thoghte an other。
And hadde thilke time a brother；
Which Marchus Claudius was hote；
And was a man of such riote
Riht as the king himselve was：
Thei tuo togedre upon this cas 5170
In conseil founden out this weie；
That Marchus Claudius schal seie
Hou sche be weie of covenant
To his service appourtenant
Was hol； and to non other man；
And therupon he seith he can
In every point witnesse take；
So that sche schal it noght forsake。
Whan that thei hadden schape so；
After the lawe which was tho； 5180
Whil that hir fader was absent；
Sche was somouned and assent
To come in presence of the king
And stonde in ansuere of this thing。
Hire frendes wisten alle wel
That it was falshed everydel；
And comen to the king and seiden；
Upon the comun lawe and preiden；
So as this noble worthi knyht
Hir fader for the comun riht 5190
In thilke time； as was befalle；
Lai for the profit of hem alle
Upon the wylde feldes armed；
That he ne scholde noght ben harmed
Ne schamed； whil that he were oute；
And thus thei preiden al aboute。
For al the clamour that he herde；
The king upon his lust ansuerde；
And yaf hem only daies tuo
Of respit； for he wende tho； 5200
That in so schorte a time appiere
Hire fader mihte in no manere。
Bot as therof he was deceived；
For Livius hadde al conceived
The pourpos of the king tofore；
So that to Rome ayein therfore
In alle haste he cam ridende；
And lefte upon the field liggende
His host； til that he come ayein。
And thus this worthi capitein 5210
Appiereth redi at his day；
Wher al that evere reson may
Be lawe in audience he doth；
So that his dowhter upon soth
Of that Marchus hire hadde accused
He hath tofore the court excused。
The king； which sih his pourpos faile；
And that no sleihte mihte availe；
Encombred of his lustes blinde
The lawe tor