COLATYNE UP STERTE."

145

Preise every man hys owne as him lest,
And with oure speche let us ease oure herte."

A knyght, that highte Colatyne, up sterte,
And sayde thus: "Nay, for hit ys no nede
To trowen on the worde, but on the dede.
I have a wife," quod he, "that as I trowe
Y's holden good of al that ever hir knowe.
Go we to Rome, to nyght, and we shul se."
Tarquynyus answerde, "That lyketh' me."

To Rome they be come, and faste hem dighte To Colatynes house, and doun they lyghte, 1711 Tarquynyus, and eke this Colatyne.

2

The housbonde knywe the estres wel and

fyne,

And ful prevely into the house they goon,
For at the gate porter was there noon:
And at the chambre dore they abyde.
This noble wyfe sat by hir beddys syde

8

Disshevely, for no malice she ne thoghte, And softe wolle, sayeth our boke, that she wroghte,

4

1720

To kepen hir fro slouthe and ydilnesse;
And bad hir servauntes doon hir besynesse ;
And axeth hem, "What tydynges heren ye?
How sayne men of the sege? how shal yt be?
God wolde the walles werne falle adoune !
Myn housbonde ys to longe out of this toune,
For which the drede doth me so to smerte;
Ryght as a swerde hyt styngeth to myn herte,
1 Pleaseth. Passages 3 Evil. 4 Were.

Whan I thenke on these or of that place.
God save my lorde, I pray him for his grace!"
And therwithalle ful tendirly she wepe, 173C
And of hir werke she toke no more kepe,

But mekely she let hire eyen falle,

And thilke semblant sat1 hir wel withalle.
And eke the teeres ful of hevytee
Embelysshed hire wifely chastitee.
Hire countenance ys to her herte digne,
For they acordeden in dede and in signe.
And with that worde hir husbonde Colatyne,
Or she of him was ware, come stertyng ynne,
And sayede, "Drede the noght, for I am here!'
And she anoon up roos, with blysful chere, 1741
And kyssed hym, as of wyves ys the wone.2

Tarquynyus, this prowde kynges sone,
Conceyved hath hir beaute and hir chere,
Hire yelow heer, hir bounte, and hire manere,
Hir hywe, hir wordes that she hath compleyned,

3

And by no craft hire beaute was not feyned;
And kaughte to this lady suche desire,

That in his herte brent as any fire

So wodely that hys witte was forgeten,

For wel he thoghte she shulde nat be geten.

1750

And ay the more he was in dispaire,
The more he covetyth, and thoght hir faire;
Hys blynde lust was al hys covetynge.
On morwe, whan the brid began to synge,
Unto the sege he cometh ful pryvely,

1 Appearance became. 2 Wont. 8 Hue.

THIS TARQUINIUS.

And by himselfe he walketh sobrely,

The ymage of hir recordyng alwey newe:

147

“Thus lay hir heer, and thus fressh was hir

hewe;"

“Thus sate, thus spake, thus spanne, this was

hir chere ;"

1760 "Thus faire she was, and thys was hir manere." Al this conceyte hys herte hath new ytake, And as the see, with tempeste al to-shake, That after whan the storme ys al agoo, Yet wol the watir quappe1 a day or twoo ; Ryght so, thogh that hir forme were absent, The plesaunce of hir forme was present.

8

But natheles, nat plesaunce, but delyte, Or an unryghtful talent 2 with dispite, - 1769 "For mawgree hir, she shal my lemman be: Happe helpeth hardy man alway," quod he, "What ende that I make, hit shal be soo!" And gyrt hym with his swerde, and gan to goo, And he forthe-ryght til he to Rome ys come, And al allon hys way than hath he nome Unto the hous of Colatyne ful ryght.

5

Doune was the sonne, and day hath lost hys lyght,

And inne he come unto a prevy halke,
And in the nyght ful thefely gan he stalke,"
Whan every wyght was to hys reste broght,
Ne no wyghte had of tresoun suche a thoght.

1 Cf. 1. 865. 2 Inclination. 3 In spite of. Mistress. Taken Corner. Cf. Shakespeare's Rape of Lucrece, l. 365.

Whether by wyndow, or by other gynne,1 1782 With swerde ydrawe, shortly he cometh ynne There as she lay, thys noble wyfe Lucresse, And as she woke, hir bed she felte presse. "What best ys that," quod she, "that weyeth thus?"

"I am the kynges sone Tarquynyus,"

Quod he, "but and thow crye, or noyse make, Or yf thou any creature awake,

Be thilke God that formede man on lyve, 1790 This swerde thurgh thyn herte shal I ryve." And therwithal unto hir throte he sterte,

And sette the swerde al sharpe unto hir herte. No worde she spake, she hath no myght

therto,

What shal she sayne? hir wytte ys al agoo!
Ryght as a wolfe that fint a lomb allone,
To whom shal she compleyne or make mone?
What shal she fyghte with an hardy knyghte?
Wel wote men a woman hath no myghte.
What! shal she crye, or how shal she asterte,2
That hath hir by the throte, with swerde at
herte ?

he axeth grace, and seyde al that she kan.

1801

"Ne wolt thou nat?" quod this cruelle man

3

"As wisly Jupiter my soule save!

I shal in the stable slee thy knave,

And lay him in thy bed, and lowde crye,

That I the fynde in suche avowtrye;

1809

And thus thou shalt be ded, and also lese
Thy name, for thou shalt not chese."

Thise Romaynes wyfes loveden so hir1 name At thilke tyme, and dredden so the shame, That, what for fere of sklaundre, and drede of dethe,

She loste both attones wytte and brethe;
And in a swowgn she lay, and woxe so ded,
Men myghten smyten of hir arme or hed,
She feleth nothinge, neither foule ne feyre.
Tarquynyus, thou art a kynges eyre,
And sholdest as by lynage and by ryght
Doon as a lorde and as a verray knyght;
Why hastow doon dispite to chevalrye?
Why hastow doon thys lady vylanye?
Allas, of the thys was a vilenouse dede!

1820

But now to the purpose; in the story I rede Whan he was goon al this myschaunce ys falle. Thys lady sent aftir hir frendes alle,

Fader, moder, housbonde, alle yfere,2
And dysshevelee with hir heere clere,
In habyte suche as wymmen usede thoo
Unto the buryinge of hir frendes goo,

She sytte in halle with a sorowful syghte. 1830
Hir frendes axen what hir aylen myghte,
And who was dede, and she sytte aye wepynge.
A worde for shame ne may she forthe out

brynge,

Ne upon hem she durste nat beholde,

1 Their. Together.