Lydgate's Fall of Princes Edited by Dr. Henry Bergen ... presented to The Early English Text Society by The Carnegie Institution of Washington |
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[The greuous compleynt of Lucrece vpon hir oppressioun.] |
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 | Lydgate's Fall of Princes |  |
[The greuous compleynt of Lucrece vpon hir oppressioun.]
For-asmoche,” quod she, “as I Lucrece
Am be the lawe ioyned in mariage
To the, my lord, whos loue shal ay encrece
Towardis the, with al the surplusage
Off wifli trouthe tenduren al myn age,
As humble subiect with feithful obeisaunce
Vnder thi lordshipe and thi gouernaunce,
Am be the lawe ioyned in mariage
To the, my lord, whos loue shal ay encrece
Towardis the, with al the surplusage
Off wifli trouthe tenduren al myn age,
As humble subiect with feithful obeisaunce
Vnder thi lordshipe and thi gouernaunce,
357
O Colatyn, my lord and trewe husbonde,
Best beloued off hool affeccioun,
I will no mor no quarell take on honde
Nor in no wise make non accioun,
Withoute that thou list enclyne doun
Goodli thyn eris to yiue me audience
To that I shall reherse in thi presence.
Best beloued off hool affeccioun,
I will no mor no quarell take on honde
Nor in no wise make non accioun,
Withoute that thou list enclyne doun
Goodli thyn eris to yiue me audience
To that I shall reherse in thi presence.
Iniurie doon or any maner wrong
Ageyn my worshepe or myn honeste,
Bi the lawe my sentence is maad strong,
It touchet[h] you also weel as me,
I am so hooli yolden onto the,—
Thou art myn hed, who cleerli can discerne,
Lord and husbonde my bodi to gouerne.
Ageyn my worshepe or myn honeste,
Bi the lawe my sentence is maad strong,
It touchet[h] you also weel as me,
I am so hooli yolden onto the,—
Thou art myn hed, who cleerli can discerne,
Lord and husbonde my bodi to gouerne.
Parcial causes in sooth ther may non be
Atwen vs tweyne nor no disseueraunce:
For soote and bittir, ioie and aduersite,
We must hem weie bothe in o balaunce,
Countirpeise our sorwes [&] our plesaunce,
Entirmedle all thynge that is in doubte,
Receyue our fortune as it komth aboute.
Atwen vs tweyne nor no disseueraunce:
For soote and bittir, ioie and aduersite,
We must hem weie bothe in o balaunce,
Countirpeise our sorwes [&] our plesaunce,
Entirmedle all thynge that is in doubte,
Receyue our fortune as it komth aboute.
Ther may atwen vs be no menyng double,
But oon herte, o will and o corage.
And as [a] woman that stondeth now in trouble,
Withoute polishyng off any fair language,
I mut disclose to you the gret outrage
Doon onto me, and pleynli it discure,
Which to redresse lith hooli in your cure.
But oon herte, o will and o corage.
And as [a] woman that stondeth now in trouble,
Withoute polishyng off any fair language,
I mut disclose to you the gret outrage
Doon onto me, and pleynli it discure,
Which to redresse lith hooli in your cure.
For the mater, to speke in woordes pleyne,
A-riht out serchid and the trouthe out founde,
As a iust cause, ondifferent to tweyne
Toward vs bothe the quarell doth rebounde.
And mor strongli our mater for to grounde,
Reherse I will, so that ye sauff it vouche,
A mortall wrong which the & me doth touche.
A-riht out serchid and the trouthe out founde,
As a iust cause, ondifferent to tweyne
Toward vs bothe the quarell doth rebounde.
And mor strongli our mater for to grounde,
Reherse I will, so that ye sauff it vouche,
A mortall wrong which the & me doth touche.
358
In a castell which callid is Collace,
Off which my lord heer hath the gouernaunce,
Tarquyn the yonge cam into that place.
I, full diswarre to make purueiaunce
Ageyn his comyng or any ordenaunce,
Toforn nat warnyd off his officeris,
Sat onpurueied among my chaumbereris.
Off which my lord heer hath the gouernaunce,
Tarquyn the yonge cam into that place.
I, full diswarre to make purueiaunce
Ageyn his comyng or any ordenaunce,
Toforn nat warnyd off his officeris,
Sat onpurueied among my chaumbereris.
Off entent teschewen idilnesse,
We sat and span vpon wolles soffte;
For she off vices is a cheeff maistresse
Wher she is cherisshid & iset aloffte:
But off custum as I haue do ful offte,
I and my women duli as we ouhte,
Tauoide slouthe ful bisili we wrouhte.
We sat and span vpon wolles soffte;
For she off vices is a cheeff maistresse
Wher she is cherisshid & iset aloffte:
But off custum as I haue do ful offte,
I and my women duli as we ouhte,
Tauoide slouthe ful bisili we wrouhte.
His ent[e]ryng was meek and debonaire,
Benygne off port, off look & off visage,
With a pretence off many woordes faire,
In whos menyng was ful gret outrage,
His cheer contrarie onto his corage.
In this wise ther he was receuyed,
Wherbi, alas, I falsli was deceyued!
Benygne off port, off look & off visage,
With a pretence off many woordes faire,
In whos menyng was ful gret outrage,
His cheer contrarie onto his corage.
In this wise ther he was receuyed,
Wherbi, alas, I falsli was deceyued!
At pryme face, as me thouhte it due,
I hym receyued at his in comyng:
Roos up meekli and gan hym to salue,
As appertened in alle maner thyng
Onto the sone off a worthi kyng.
And treuli Tarquyn, for which I seie alas,
Me to be-traisshe stood in the same caas.
I hym receyued at his in comyng:
Roos up meekli and gan hym to salue,
As appertened in alle maner thyng
Onto the sone off a worthi kyng.
And treuli Tarquyn, for which I seie alas,
Me to be-traisshe stood in the same caas.
A kynges sone sholde off du[e]te
Been to wommen wall and proteccioun,
Preserue and keepe hem in al surete,
That no man sholde, off no presumpcioun,
Doon hem no wrong nor oppressioun,
Rather deie than seen hem suffre onriht,
Aduertisynge thoffice off a knyht.
Been to wommen wall and proteccioun,
Preserue and keepe hem in al surete,
That no man sholde, off no presumpcioun,
Doon hem no wrong nor oppressioun,
359
Aduertisynge thoffice off a knyht.
But in contraire off knyhthod he hath wrouht,
Be fals outrage doon ageyn[e]s me.
Wrong[e] weies and crokid menys souht
Off lawes tweyne to breke the liberte,
And difface the auctorite
Off lawe ciuyle & natural also,
In my persone offendyng bothe too.
Be fals outrage doon ageyn[e]s me.
Wrong[e] weies and crokid menys souht
Off lawes tweyne to breke the liberte,
And difface the auctorite
Off lawe ciuyle & natural also,
In my persone offendyng bothe too.
First be his fals[e] subtil compassyng
He gan espie thestris off the place;
And whan a-bedde alone I lay slepyng,
Lik a leoun, ful sterne off look and face,
With his lefft hand my throte he dede enbrace,
And in his other heeld ageyn al lawe
Me for toppresse a naked suerd idrawe.
He gan espie thestris off the place;
And whan a-bedde alone I lay slepyng,
Lik a leoun, ful sterne off look and face,
With his lefft hand my throte he dede enbrace,
And in his other heeld ageyn al lawe
Me for toppresse a naked suerd idrawe.
Thus afforcyng my wifli chastite,
Ageyn knyhthod he dede this gret offence,
Mi liff, my worshepe put in perplexite,
Hauyng no myht to make resistence,—
Me manacyng be dedli violence,
The ton off tweyne: to deie in his entente,
Or to auoutri falsli to consente.
Ageyn knyhthod he dede this gret offence,
Mi liff, my worshepe put in perplexite,
Hauyng no myht to make resistence,—
Me manacyng be dedli violence,
The ton off tweyne: to deie in his entente,
Or to auoutri falsli to consente.
Thus I stood sool atwen deth & diffame,
Mi bodi corupt, my sperit abood[e] cleene;
Mi spousaile broke, & my good[e] name
For euer disclaundred, that whilom shon ful sheene.
Euel fame off custum will alwei wexe greene,
Neuer deie, the peeple so hem disporte
The werste off thynges gladli to reporte.
Mi bodi corupt, my sperit abood[e] cleene;
Mi spousaile broke, & my good[e] name
For euer disclaundred, that whilom shon ful sheene.
Euel fame off custum will alwei wexe greene,
Neuer deie, the peeple so hem disporte
The werste off thynges gladli to reporte.
Alas, alas! among my sorwes all,
This oon the moste that doth myn herte agrise;—
I am nat worthi that men me sholde call,
Or haue the name in no maner wise,
For thoffence which ye han herd deuise,
To be callid, in this wrecchid liff,
Off Collatyn from hen[ne]sfoorth the wiff.
This oon the moste that doth myn herte agrise;—
I am nat worthi that men me sholde call,
Or haue the name in no maner wise,
For thoffence which ye han herd deuise,
To be callid, in this wrecchid liff,
Off Collatyn from hen[ne]sfoorth the wiff.
360
Myn eien also be blyndid with derknesse,
Onli for shame to lefften vp ther siht,
Outher ther stremys or bemys vp to dresse,
Off the cleer heuene to looke vpon the liht.
Nor I mai neuer been off the noumbre off riht,
Off trewe matrones, among hem ferr nor neer,
For to be rekned in ther kalendeer.
Onli for shame to lefften vp ther siht,
Outher ther stremys or bemys vp to dresse,
Off the cleer heuene to looke vpon the liht.
Nor I mai neuer been off the noumbre off riht,
Off trewe matrones, among hem ferr nor neer,
For to be rekned in ther kalendeer.
Lat myn Iniurie and this mortal cryme
Be so pun[y]shed off riht and equite,
Withoute delay off any lenger tyme,
That euer afftir it may exaumple be
Thoruh al the world and eek in this cite,—
With such a peyne therupon deuised,
That all auoutours may be therbi chastised.
Be so pun[y]shed off riht and equite,
Withoute delay off any lenger tyme,
That euer afftir it may exaumple be
Thoruh al the world and eek in this cite,—
With such a peyne therupon deuised,
That all auoutours may be therbi chastised.
And yiff it seeme in your opynyoun,
In this caas I sholde been onpure,
I will receyue iust punycioun
And the peyne pacientli endure,
Yiff it so stonde that parauenture
Ye deeme off resoun, that be so iust & stable,
In this mateer that I be coupable.”
In this caas I sholde been onpure,
I will receyue iust punycioun
And the peyne pacientli endure,
Yiff it so stonde that parauenture
Ye deeme off resoun, that be so iust & stable,
In this mateer that I be coupable.”
Hir tale told. Whan thei longe hadde musid
On this compleynt in ther inward siht,
Off trouthe echon thei heeld hir ful excusid,
Made all beheste, with al ther ful[le] myht
Tauenge hir wrong; and Lucrece anon riht
Took a sharp knyff, or thei myhte aduerte,
And rooff hirsilff euene thoruh the herte.
On this compleynt in ther inward siht,
Off trouthe echon thei heeld hir ful excusid,
Made all beheste, with al ther ful[le] myht
Tauenge hir wrong; and Lucrece anon riht
Took a sharp knyff, or thei myhte aduerte,
And rooff hirsilff euene thoruh the herte.
| Lydgate's Fall of Princes | |