16121612Begins the sad dirge of her certain ending.
16131613"Few words," quoth she, "shall fit the trespass best,
16141614Where no excuse can give the fault amending.
16151615In me more woes than words are now depending,
16161616And my laments would be drawn out too long
16171617To tell them all with one poor tirèd tongue."
16191619Dear husband, in the interest of thy bed
16201620A stranger came, and on that pillow lay
16211621Where thou wast wont to rest thy weary head;
16221622And what wrong else may be imaginèd
16231623By foul enforcement might be done to me,
16241624From that, alas, thy Lucrece is not free."
16261626With shining falchion in my chamber came
16271627A creeping creature with a flaming light,
16281628And softly cried, 'Awake, thou Roman dame,
16291629And entertain my love; else lasting shame
16301630On thee and thine this night I will inflict,
16311631If thou my love's desire do contradict."
23416321632"'For some hard-favored groom of thine,' quoth he,
16331633'Unless thou yoke thy liking to my will,
16341634I'll murder straight, and then I'll slaughter thee
16351635And swear I found you where you did fulfill
16361636The loathsome act of lust, and so did kill
16371637The lechers in their deed. This act will be
16381638My fame and thy perpetual infamy.'"
16401640And then against my heart he set his sword,
16411641Swearing, unless I took all patiently,
16421642I should not live to speak another word.
16431643So should my shame still rest upon record,
16441644And never be forgot in mighty Rome
16451645Th' adulterate death of Lucrece and her groom."