# The Legend of Good Women/The Legend of Lucretia
### The Legend of Lucretia

| 1680 | Now moot I seyn the exiling of kinges |
| | Of Rome, for hir horrible doinges, |
| | And of the laste king Tarquinius, |
| | As saith Ovyde and Titus Livius. |
| | But for that cause telle I nat this storie, |
| | But for to preise and drawen to memorie |
| | The verray wyf, the verray trewe Lucressel, |
| | That, for her wyfhood and her stedfastnesse, |
| | Nat only that thise payens her comende, |
| | But he, that cleped is in our legende |
| 1690 | The grete Austin, hath greet compassioun |
| | Of this Lucresse, that starf at Rome toun; |
| | And it what wyse, I wol but shortly trete, |
| | And of this thing I touche but the grete. |
| | Whan Ardea beseged was aboute |
| | With Romains, that ful sterne were and stoute, |
| | Ful longe lay the sege, and litel wroghte, |
| | So that they were half ydel, as hem thoghte; |
| | And in his pley Tarquinius the yonge |
| | Gan for to iape, for he was light of tonge, |
| 1700 | And seyde, that "it was an ydel lyf; |
| | No man did ther no more that his wyf; |
| | And lat us speke of wyves, that is best; |
| | Praise every man his owne, as him lest, |
| | And with our speche lat us ese our herte." |
| | A knight, that highte Colatyne, up sterte, |
| | And seyde thus, "nay, for hit is no nede |
| | To trowen on the word, but on the dede. |
| | I have a wyf," quod he, "that, as I trowe, |
| | Is holden good of alle that ever her knowe; |
| 1710 | Go we to-night to Rome, and we shul see." |
| | Tarquinius answerde, "that lyketh me." |
| | To Rome be they come, and faste hem dighte |
| | To Colatynes hous, and doun they lighte, |
| | Tarquinius, and eek this Colatyne. |
| | The husbond knew the estres wel and fyne, |
| | And privly into the hous they goon; |
| | Nor at the gate porter was ther noon; |
| | And at the chambre-dore they abyde. |
| | This noble wyf sat by her beddes syde |
| 1720 | Dischevele, for no malice she ne thoghte; |
| | And softe wolle our book seith that she wroghte |
| | To kepen her fro slouthe and ydelnesse; |
| | And bad her servants doon hir businesse, |
| | And axeth hem, "what tydings heren ye? |
| | How seith men of the sege, how shal hit be? |
| | God wolde the walles weren falle adoun; |
| | Myn husbond is so longe out of this toun, |
| | For which the dreed doth me so sore smerte, |
| | Right as a swerd hit stingeth to myn herte |
| 1730 | What I think on the sege or of that place; |
| | God save my lord, I preye him for his grace:" -- |
| | And ther-with-al ful tenderly she weep, |
| | And of her werk she took no more keep, |
| | But mekely she leet her eyen falle; |
| | And thilke semblant sat her wel with-alle. |
| | And eek her teres, ful of honestee, |
| | Embelisshed her wyfly chastitee; |
| | Her countenaunce is to her herte digne, |
| | For they acordeden in dede and signe. |
| 1740 | And with that word her husbond Colatyn, |
| | Or she of him was war, com sterting in, |
| | And seide, "dreed thee noght, for I am here!" |
| | And she anoon up roos, with blisful chere, |
| | And kiste him, as of wyves is the wone. |
| | Tarquinius, this proude kinges sone, |
| | Conceived hath her beautee and her chere, |
| | Her yelow heer, her shap, and manere, |
| | Her hew, her wordes that she hath compleynded, |
| | And by no crafte her beautee nas nat feyned; |
| 1750 | And caughte to this lady swich desyr, |
| | That in his herte brende as any fyr |
| | So woodly, that his wit was al forgeten. |
| | For wel, thoghte he, she sholde nat be geten |
| | And ay the more that he was in dispair, |
| | The more he coveteth and thoghte her fair. |
| | His blinde lust was al his covetinge. |
| | A-morwe, whan the brid bragan to singe, |
| | Unto the sege he comth ful privily, |
| | And by himself he walketh sobrely, |
| 1760 | Thimage of her recording alwey newe; |
| | "Thus lay her heer, and thus fresh was her hewe; |
| | Thus sat, thus spak, thus span; this was her chere, |
| | Thus fair she was, and this was her manere." |
| | Al this conceit his herte hath now y-take. |
| | And, as the see, with tempest al to-shake, |
| | That, after whan the storm is al ago, |
| | Yet wol the water quappe a day or two, |
| | Right so, thogh that her forme wer absent, |
| | The plesaunce of her forme was present; |
| 1770 | But natheles, nat plesaunce, but delyt, |
| | Or an unrightful talent with despyt; |
| | "For, maugre her, she shal my lemman be; |
| | Hap helpeth hardy man alday," quod he; |
| | "What ende that I make, hit shal be so;" |
| | And girt him with his swerde, and gan to go; |
| | And forth he rit til he to Rome is come, |
| | And al aloon his wey than hath he nome. |
| | Unto the house of Colatyn ful right. |
| | Doun was the sonne, and day hath lost his light; |
| 1780 | And in he com un-to privy halke, |
| | And in the night ful theefly gan he stalke, |
| | Whan every night was to his reste broght, |
| | Ne no wight had of tresoun swich a thoght. |
| | Were hit by window or by other gin, |
| | With swerde y-drawe, shortly he comth in |
| | Ther as she lay, this noble wyf Lucresse. |
| | And, as she wook, her bed she felte presse. |
| | "What beste is that," quod she, "that weyeth thus?" |
| | "I am the kinges sone, Tarquinius," |
| 1790 | Quod he, "but and thou crye, or noise make, |
| | Or if thou any creature awake, |
| | By thilke god that formed man on lyve, |
| | This swerd through-out thyn herte shal I ryve." |
| | And ther-withal unto her throte he sterte, |
| | And sette the point al sharp upon her herte. |
| | No word she spak, she hath no might therto. |
| | What shal she sayn? her wit is al ago. |
| | Right as a wolf that fynt a lomb aloon, |
| | To whom shal she compleyne, or make moon? |
| 1800 | What! shal she fighte with an hardy knight? |
| | Wel wot men that a woman hath no might. |
| | What! shal she crye, or how shal she asterte |
| | That hath her by the throte, with swerde at herte? |
| | She axeth grace, and seith al that she can. |
| | "Ne wolt thou nat," quod he, this cruel man, |
| | "As wisly Iupiter my soule save, |
| | As I shal in the stable slee thy knave, |
| | And leye him in thy bed, and loude crye, |
| | That I thee finde in suche avouterye; |
| 1810 | And thus thou shalt be deed, and also lese |
| | Thy name, for thou shalt non other chese." |
| | Thise Romain wyves loveden so hir name |
| | At thilke tyme, and dredden so the shame, |
| | That, what for fere of slaundre and drede of deeth, |
| | She loste bothe at-ones wit and breeth, |
| | And in a swough she lay and wex so deed, |
| | Men mighte smyten of her arm or heed; |
| | She feleth no-thing, neither foul ne fair. |
| | Tarquinas, that art a kinges eyr, |
| 1820 | And sholdest, as by linage and by right, |
| | Doon as a lord and as a verray knight, |
| | Why hastow doon dispyt to chivalrye? |
| | Why hastow doon this lady vilanye? |
| | Allas! of thee this was a vileins dede! |
| | But now to purpos; in the story I rede, |
| | Whan he was goon, al this mischaunce is falle. |
| | This lady sente after her frendes alle, |
| | Fader, moder, husbond, al y-fere; |
| | And al dischevele, with her heres clere, |
| 1830 | In habit swich as women used tho |
| | Unto the burying of her frendes go, |
| | She sit in halle with a sorweful sighte. |
| | Her frendes axen what her aylen mighte, |
| | And who was deed? And she sit ay wepinge, |
| | A word for shame ne may she forth out-bringe, |
| | Ne upon hem she dorste nat beholde. |
| | But atte laste of Tarquiny she hem tolde, |
| | This rewful cas, and al this thing horrible. |
| | The wo to tellen hit were impossible, |
| 1840 | That she and alle her frendes made atones. |
| | Al hadde folkes hertes been of stones, |
| | Hit mighte have maked hem upon her rewe, |
| | Her herte was so wyfly and so trewe. |
| | She seide, that, for her gilt ne for her blame, |
| | He husbond sholde nat have the foule name, |
| | That wolde she nat suffre, by no wey. |
| | And they answerden alle, upon hir fey, |
| | That they foryeve hit her, for hit was right; |
| | Hit was no gilt, hit lay nat in her might; |
| 1850 | And seiden her ensamples many oon. |
| | But al for noght; for thus she seide anoon, |
| | "Be as be may," quod she, "of forgiving, |
| | I wol nat have no forgift for no-thing." |
| | But prively she caughte forth a knyf, |
| | And therwith-al she rafte her-self her lyf; |
| | And as she fel adoun, she caste her look, |
| | And of her clothes yit she hede took; |
| | For in her falling yit she hadde care |
| | Lest that her feet or swiche thing lay bare; |
| 1860 | So wel she loved clennesse and eek trouthe. |
| | Of her had al the toun of Rome routhe, |
| | And Brutus by her chaste blode hath swore |
| | That Tarquin sholde y-banisht be ther-fore, |
| | And al his kin; and let the peple calle, |
| | And openly the tale he tolde hem alle, |
| | And openly let carie her on a bere |
| | Through al the toun, that men may see and here |
| | The horrible deed of her oppressioun. |
| | Ne never was ther king in Rome toun |
| 1870 | Sin thilke day; and she was holden there |
| | A seint, and ever her day y-halwed dere |
| | As in hir lawe: and thus endeth Lucresse, |
| | The noble wyf, as Titus bereth witnesse. |
| | I tell hit, for she was of love so trewe, |
| | Ne in her wille she chaunged for no newe. |
| | And for the stable herte, sad and kinde, |
| | That in these women men may alday finde; |
| | Ther as they caste hir herte, ther hit dwelleth. |
| | For wel I wot, that Crist him-selve telleth, |
| 1880 | That in Israel, as wyd as is the lond, |
| | That so gret feith in al the lond he ne fond |
| | As in a woman; and this is no lye. |
| | And as of men, loketh which tirannye |
| | They doon alday; assay hem who so liste, |
| | The trewest is ful brotel for to triste. |
| | Explicit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris. |