men." They all pledge their honour; they attempt to console her,
distracted as she was in mind, by turning away the guilt from her,
constrained by force, on the perpetrator of the crime; that it is the
mind sins, not the body; and that where intention was wanting guilt
could not be. "It is for you to see," says she, "what is due to him. As
for me, though I acquit myself of guilt, from punishment I do not
discharge myself; nor shall any woman survive her dishonour pleading the
example of Lucretia." The knife, which she kept concealed beneath her
garment, she plunges into her heart, and falling forward on the wound,
she dropped down expiring. The husband and father shriek aloud.
[Footnote 64: _To do so, and that quickly_,--a use of the participles
_facto_ and _maturato_ similar to that already noticed in chap. 53,
_degeneratum_.]
59. Brutus, while they were overpowered with grief, having drawn the
knife out of the wound, and holding it up before him reeking with blood,
said, "By this blood, most pure before the pollution of royal villany, I
swear, and I call you, O gods, to witness my oath, that I shall pursue
Lucius Tarquin the Proud, his wicked wife, and all their race, with
fire, sword, and all other means in my power; nor shall I ever suffer
them or any other to reign at Rome." Then he gave the knife to
Collatinus, and after him to Lucretius and Valerius, who were surprised
at such extraordinary mind in the breast of Brutus. However, they all
take the oath as they were directed, and converting their sorrow into
rage, follow Brutus as their leader, who from that time ceased not to
solicit them to abolish the regal power. They carry Lucretia's body
from her own house, and convey it into the forum; and assemble a number
of persons by the strangeness and atrocity of the extraordinary
occurrence, as usually happens. They complain, each for himself, of the
royal villany and violence. Both the grief of the father moves them, as
also Brutus, the reprover of their tears and unavailing complaints, and
their adviser to take up arms against those who dared to treat them as
enemies, as would become men and Romans. Each most spirited of the youth
voluntarily presents himself in arms; the rest of the youth follow also.
From thence, after leaving an adequate garrison at the gates at
Collatia, and having appointed sentinels, so that no one might give
intelligence of the disturbance to the king's party, the rest set out
for Rome in arms under the conduct of Brutus. When they arrived there,
the armed multitude cause panic and confusion wherever they go. Again,
when they see the principal men of the state placing themselves at their
head, they think that, whatever it may be, it was not without good
reason. Nor does the heinousness of the circumstance excite less violent
emotions at Rome than it had done at Collatia; accordingly they run from
all parts of the city into the forum, whither, when they came, the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account