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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 torneth out of kinde； 5220
And half in wraththe as thogh it were；
In presence of hem alle there
Deceived of concupiscence
Yaf for his brother the sentence；
And bad him that he scholde sese
This Maide and make him wel at ese；
Bot al withinne his oghne entente
He wiste hou that the cause wente；
Of that his brother hath the wyte
He was himselven forto wyte。 5230
Bot thus this maiden hadde wrong；
Which was upon the king along；
Bot ayein him was non Appel；
And that the fader wiste wel：
Wherof upon the tirannie；
That for the lust of Lecherie
His douhter scholde be deceived；
And that Ilicius was weyved
Untrewly fro the Mariage；
Riht as a Leon in his rage； 5240
Which of no drede set acompte
And not what pite scholde amounte；
A naked swerd he pulleth oute；
The which amonges al the route
He threste thurgh his dowhter side；
And al alowd this word he cride：
〃Lo； take hire ther； thou wrongfull king；
For me is levere upon this thing
To be the fader of a Maide；
Thogh sche be ded； that if men saide 5250
That in hir lif sche were schamed
And I therof were evele named。〃
Tho bad the king men scholde areste
His bodi； bot of thilke heste；
Lich to the chaced wylde bor；
The houndes whan he fieleth sor；
Tothroweth and goth forth his weie；
In such a wise forto seie
This worthi kniht with swerd on honde
His weie made； and thei him wonde； 5260
That non of hem his strokes kepte；
And thus upon his hors he lepte；
And with his swerd droppende of blod；
The which withinne his douhter stod；
He cam ther as the pouer was
Of Rome； and tolde hem al the cas；
And seide hem that thei myhten liere
Upon the wrong of his matiere；
That betre it were to redresce
At hom the grete unrihtwisnesse； 5270
Than forto werre in strange place
And lese at hom here oghne grace。
For thus stant every mannes lif
In jeupartie for his wif
Or for his dowhter； if thei be
Passende an other of beaute。
Of this merveile which thei sihe
So apparant tofore here yhe；
Of that the king him hath misbore；
Here othes thei have alle swore