From The Legend of Good Women (Translation)
V. The Legend Of Lucrece
Incipit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris.*
Now I must speak of the exile of kings of Rome by reason of their horrible deeds, and of the last king, Tarquin, as Ovid and Titus Livy relate. But it is not for that reason I tell this tale, but to praise and remember that true wife, the faithful Lucrece, for whose true wifehood and steadfastness not only do these pagans extol her but also he who is called in our legendaries the great Augustine has great pity for this Lucrece, who died in Rome. And of the manner of her death I will treat but briefly, and touch upon only the important matter of this thing. 1693
When Ardea was besieged with Romans who were stern and stout, long lay the siege and accomplished little, so that they lay there half idle, as they judged. And in his sport the young Tarquin began to jest, for he was loose tongued, and said that this was an idle existence, for no man there did more than his wife; "And let us speak of wives; that would be best. Let every man praise his own as it pleases him, and let us ease our hearts with converse. 1704
A knight named Collatine arose and spoke thus: "Nay, there is no need to rely on words, but on deeds. I have a wife," he said, "who is held to be good by all who know her. Let us go to Rome tonight and see." 1710
Tarquinius answered, "That is good." 1711
To Rome Tarquin and Collatine came and quickly went to the house of Collatine, and alighted. The husband well knew the whole shape of the house, and secretly they entered in, for there was no porter at the gate, and at the chamber-door they stopped. This noble wife sat beside her bed with hair unbound, for she suspected no harm. And she was working soft wool, our book says, to keep her from sloth and idleness, and she told her servants to perform their duties, and asked them, "What news do you hear? What do men say men of the siege and how it shall end? Would to God the walls would fall! My husband has been so long away from this town; for this reason the dread so sorely pains me, it stings to my heart just like a sword, when I think of the siege or of that place. God save my lord, I pray, in His mercy." 1731
And at that she wept tenderly and paid no more attention to her work, but meekly let her eyes fall. And this demeanor well became her. And her tears, full of virtue, embellished her wifely chastity. Her look was worthy of her heart, for they accorded in sign and in truth. And at her words Collatine her husband came bursting in, before she was aware of him, and cried, "Fear not, for I am here!" And immediately she rose up with blissful countenance, and kissed him, as wives use to do. 1744
Tarquin, this proud king's son, considered her beauty and her demeanor, her yellow hair, her form, her manner, her hue, her words of lament, and saw that her beauty was not feigned by any artfulness. And he conceived such desire for this lady that it burned in his heart like a flame, so furiously that his wits were entirely forgotten. For he well imagined that she could never be won; and thus he was continually in greater despair, the more he coveted her and thought of her loveliness. His blind lust was all his covetousness. 1756
In the morning, when birds began to sing, he returned secretly to the camp and walked sadly by himself, ever freshly recalling her image: "Thus lay her hair, and so fresh was her hue. Thus she sat, thus spoke, thus spun. This was her look, this fair was she, and this was her demeanor." His heart has now received all this thought. And as the sea, all tossed with a tempest, will yet heave for a day or two after the storm has all departed, so too, though her form was absent, yet the pleasure of it was present--but not pleasure, but rather evil delight or an unrighteous desire with evil intent. "For in spite of herself she shall be my mistress," he said; "chance always helps the hardy. However it ends, it shall be done." 1774
And he buckled on his sword and departed, and rode forth until he arrived at Rome, and all by himself took his way straight to the house of Collatine. The sun was down, and the day had lost its light. And in he came to a secret corner, and in the night stole out like a thief, when everyone had gone to their rest and none had a thought of such treachery. Whether it was by window or other sly means, he quickly entered in and with sword drawn came speedily where she lay, this noble wife Lucrece. And as she awoke she felt her bed pressed down. "What beast is that," she said, "weighs down my bed thus?" 1756
"I am the king's son Tarquin," he said; "but if you cry out or make a noise, or awake any creature, by that God who formed man alive, I shall thrust this sword through your heart." And at that he leaped at her throat and set the sharp point on her heart. 1774
She spoke no word, she had no strength; what should she say? Her wit had entirely fled. Just as when a wolf finds a solitary lamb, to whom should she lament or make moan? What! Shall she struggle against a hardy knight? Men well know a woman has no strength. What! Shall she cry? How shall she escape him who has her by the throat, with his sword at her heart? She begged for mercy, and said all she could. 1788
"If you yield not," he said, this cruel man, "so surely may Jupiter save my soul, as I will slay your groom in the stable and lay him in your bed, and raise the alarm that I found you in such adultery. And thus you shall die, and also lose your good name, for you have no other choice." 1795
Now at this time these Roman matrons so loved their fair reputation, and so dreaded shame, that, for fear of scandalous talk and fear of dying, she lost her wit and breath at once, and lay in a swoon so deathlike that a man might have smitten her arm or head off; she felt nothing, fair or foul. 1818
Tarquin, heir to a king, who by lineage and justice should bear yourself as a lord and a true knight, why have you done dishonor to chivalry? Why have you basely wronged this lady? Alack! This was a villainous deed of you! 1824
But now to the point: I read in the history that after he departed, the misfortune that occurred was this. The lady sent for all her friends, father, mother, husband together; and with her shining hair all disheveled, in dress such as women then used to go in to the burial of their friends, she sat in the hall with a sorrowful look. Her friends asked what could ail her, and who was dead? And she sat continually weeping; for shame she could not fetch forth a word, nor did she dare to look upon them. But at last she told them of Tarquin, this sorrowful case, all this horrible thing. It would be impossible to tell the lament that she and all her friends made together. Had people's hearts been of stone, it would have made them pity her, so wifely and so true was her heart. She said that for her guilt or infamy her husband should not have a foul name; that she would not permit in any way. And they all answered, upon their word they forgave her, as was just; it was no fault of hers, it lay not under her control. And they told her many examples. 1850
But it was all for nothing, and thus she directly replied. "Be as it may," she said, "as to forgiving, I will by no means have forgiveness." And secretly she snatched forth a knife, and with it slew herself. And as she fell, she looked and still paid attention to her clothes; for as she fell down she still remained mindful lest her feet or the like would be bare, so well she loved purity and fidelity. 1860
All the town of Rome felt pity for her, and Brutus swore by her chaste blood that for that deed Tarquin should be banished, and all his kinsfolk; and he had the people summoned, and openly told the tale to them all, and openly had her carried on a bier through the entire town, so that men might see and learn the horrible deed of her violation. And never since that day was there a king in Rome; and she was held there to be a saint, and her day was always dearly worshipped in their law. 1872
And thus ended Lucrece the noble wife, as Titus Livy* bears witness. I tell the tale because she was so faithful in love, and never by her will changed to any new lover, and for the sake of the constant heart, steadfast and kind, which men may ever feel in these women; where they set their heart, there it remains. For well I know Christ himself tells that in all Israel, broad though the land may be, he found not so great faith as in a woman;* and this is no lie. And as for men, look what tyrannical deeds they do every day. Test them who may wish: the truest is entirely fickle to trust. 1885
Explicit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris.*
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44 Incipit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris. Here begins the Legend of Lucretia of Rome, Martyr.
45 Livy. See note near line 287.
46 Faith as in a woman. Likely refers to Matthew 15.28 in which a woman whose daughter is tormented by a demon persists in asking Christ's aid, to the effect that he heals her.
47 Explicit Legenda Lucrecie Rome, Martiris. Here ends the Legend of Lucretia of Rome, Martyr.
Translated and Edited by Gerard NeCastro
© Copyright, 2007, All Rights Reserved
Citation. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Legend of Good Women. NeCastro, Gerard, ed. and trans. eChaucer: https://www.echaucer.com. [Site Visit Date.]
