18221822Do wounds help wounds, or grief help grievous deeds?
18231823Is it revenge to give thyself a blow
18241824For his foul act by whom the fair wife bleeds?
18251825Such childish humor from weak minds proceeds.
18261826Thy wretched wife mistook the matter so,
18271827To slay herself that should have slain her foe."
18291829In such relenting dew of lamentations,
18301830But kneel with me and help to bear thy part
18311831To rouse our Roman gods with invocations
18321832That they will suffer these abominations --
18331833Since Rome herself in them doth stand disgraced --
18341834By our strong arms from forth her fair streets chased."
18361836And by this chaste blood so unjustly stained,
18371837By heaven's fair sun that breeds the fat earth's store,
18381838By all our country rights in Rome maintained,
18391839And by chaste Lucrece' soul that late complained
18401840Her wrongs to us, and by this bloody knife,
18411841We will revenge the death of this true wife."
26418421842This said, he struck his hand upon his breast,
18431843And kissed the fatal knife to end his vow,
18441844And to his protestation urged the rest,
18451845Who, wond'ring at him, did his words allow.
18461846Then jointly to the ground their knees they bow,
18471847And that deep vow which Brutus made before
18481848He doth again repeat, and that they swore.
18501850They did conclude to bear dead Lucrece thence,
18511851To show her bleeding body thorough Rome,
18521852And so to publish Tarquin's foul offense;
18531853Which being done with speedy diligence,
18541854The Romans plausibly did give consent
18551855To Tarquin's everlasting banishment.