With gastly vois, that alle it herde, The Romeins in this wise ansuerde, And seide hou for the wikkidnesse Of Pride and of unrihtwisnesse, That Tarquin and his Sone hath do, The Sacrifice is wasted so, Which myhte noght ben acceptable Upon such Senne abhominable. And over that yit he hem wisseth, And seith that which of hem ferst kisseth 4730 His moder, he schal take wrieche Upon the wrong: and of that speche [Sidenote: =P. iii. 251=] Thei ben withinne here hertes glade, Thogh thei outward no semblant made. Ther was a knyht which Brutus hihte, And he with al the haste he myhte To grounde fell and therthe kiste,[1389] Bot non of hem the cause wiste, Bot wenden that he hadde sporned Per chance, and so was overtorned. 4740 Bot Brutus al an other mente; For he knew wel in his entente Hou therthe of every mannes kinde Is Moder: bot thei weren blinde, And sihen noght so fer as he. Bot whan thei leften the Cite[1390] And comen hom to Rome ayein, Thanne every man which was Romein And moder hath, to hire he bende And keste, and ech of hem thus wende 4750 To be the ferste upon the chance, Of Tarquin forto do vengance, (4950*) So as thei herden Phebus sein. [Sidenote: [THE RAPE OF LUCRECE.]] Bot every time hath his certein,[1391] So moste it nedes thanne abide, Til afterward upon a tyde [Sidenote: Hic narrat quod, cum Tarquinus in obsidione Ciuitatis Ardee, vt eam destrueret, intentus fuit, Arrons filius eius Romam secreto adiens in domo Collatini hospitatus est; vbi de nocte illam castissimam dominam Lucreciam ymaginata fraude vi oppressit: vnde illa pre dolore mortua, ipse cum Tarquino patre suo tota conclamante Roma in perpetuum exilium delegati sunt.] Tarquinus made unskilfully A werre, which was fasteby Ayein a toun with walles stronge Which Ardea was cleped longe, 4760 And caste a Siege theraboute, That ther mai noman passen oute. [Sidenote: =P. iii. 252=] So it befell upon a nyht, Arrons, which hadde his souper diht, A part of the chivalerie With him to soupe in compaignie Hath bede: and whan thei comen were And seten at the souper there, Among here othre wordes glade Arrons a gret spekinge made, 4770 Who hadde tho the beste wif Of Rome: and ther began a strif,[1392] For Arrons seith he hath the beste. So jangle thei withoute reste, Til ate laste on Collatin, A worthi knyht, and was cousin To Arrons, seide him in this wise: ‘It is,’ quod he, ‘of non emprise To speke a word, bot of the dede, Therof it is to taken hiede.[1393] 4780 Anon forthi this same tyde