Page 2331 - Shakespeare - Vol. 4

Is it revenge to give thyself a blow
For his foul act by whom thy fair wife bleeds?
Such childish humour from weak minds proceeds; [1825]
Thy wretched wife mistook the matter so,

To slay herself that should have slain her foe.

«Courageous Roman, do not steep thy heart
In such relenting dew of lamentations;
But kneel with me and help to bear thy part [1830]

To rouse our Roman gods with invocations,
That they will suffer these abominations, −
Since Rome herself in them doth stand disgraced, −
By our strong arms from forth her fair streets chased.

«Now by that Capitol that we adore, [1835]

And by this chaste blood so unjustly stained,
By heaven’s fair sun that breeds the fat earth’s store,
By all our country rights in Rome maintained,
And by chaste Lucrece’ soul that late complained
Her wrongs to us, and by this bloody knife, [1840]

We will revenge the death of this true wife».

This said, he strook his hand upon his breast,
And kiss’d the fatal knife to end his vow;
And to his protestation urg’d the rest,

Who wond’ring at him, did his words allow. [1845]
Then jointly to the ground their knees they bow,
And that deep vow which Brutus made before,
He doth again repeat, and that they swore.

When they had sworn to this advised doom,

They did conclude to bear dead Lucrece thence, [1850]
To show her bleeding body thorough Rome,
And so to publish Tarquin’s foul offence;
Which being done with speedy diligence,

The Romans plausibly did give consent
To Tarquin’s everlasting banishment. [1855]