one commended the Vertues of his own Wife; among whom Colatinus extol'd the incomparable Chastity of his Wife Lucrece. In that pleasant Humor they all pofted to Rome, and intending by their fecret and Judden Arrival, to make trial of that which every one bad before avouch'd, only Colatinus finds his Wife (tho it were late in the Night) Spinning amongst her Maids, the other Ladies were found all dancing and revelling, or in feveral Difports. Whereupon the Noblemen yielded Colatinus the Victory, and his Wife the Fame. At that time Sextus Tarquinius being inflam'd with Lucrece's Beauty; yet Smothering bis Paffions for the prefent, departed with the reft back to the Camp, from whence he fhortly after privily withdrew himself, and was (according to his state) royally entertain'd and lodg'd by Lucrece at Colatium. The fame night, he treacherously stealeth into her Chamber, violently ravifh'd her, and early in the Morning Speedeth away. Lucrece in this lamentable plight, baftily dispatcheth Meffengers, one to Rome for her Father, another to the Camp for Colatine. They came, the one accompanied with Junius Brutus, the other with Publius Valerius: and finding Lucrece attir'd in Mourning Habit, demanded the Caufe of her Sorrow. She first taking an Oath of them for her Revenge, reveal'd the Actor, and whole Matter of his Dealing, and witball fuddenly Stabb'd her felf. which done, with one Confent, they all vow'd to root out the whole hated Family of the Tarquins and bearing the dead Body to Rome, Brutus acquainted the People with the Doer and Manner of the vile Deed, with a bitter Invective against the Tyranny of the King; wherewith the People were fo mov'd with one Confent, and a general Acclamation, that the Tarquins were all exil'd,and the State-Government chang'd from Kings to Confuls.

The

The Rape of Lucrece.

1.

ROM the befieg'd Ardea all in post, FROM Born by the truftlefs Wings of falfe The prai

Lucrece

(defire, fing of Luft-breathed Tarquin leaves the Roman Holt, as chaft, And to Colatium bears the lightless Fire, vertuous Which in pale Embers hid, lurks to afpire, and beauAnd girdle with imbracing Flames the tiful,makethTar

(Wast

quin enOf Colatine's fair Love, Lucrece the chaft.amor'd.

Haply that Name of Chaft, unhaply fet
This bateless Edg on his keen appetite :
When Colatine unwifely did not let

To praise the clear unmatched Red and White,
Which triumph'd in that Sky of his Delight,
Where mortal Star,as bright asHeaven's Beauties,
With pure Aspects did him peculiar Duties.

For he the Night before in Tarquin's Tent,
Unlock'd the Treasure of his happy state:
What Prizeless Wealth the Heavens had him lent,
In the Possession of his Beauteous Mate;
Reckoning his Fortune at fo high a rate,

That Kings might be espoused to more Fame,
But King nor Prince to fuch a peerless Dame.

O Happiness enjoy'd but of a few,
And if poffeft, as foon decay'd and done!
As if the Morning's filver melting dew,
Against the golden Splendor of the Sun,
A date expir'd, and cancel'd e'er begun.

Honour and Beauty in the Owner's Arms,
Are weakly fortreft from a World of Harms.

Beauty it felf, doth of it felf perfuade
The Eyes of Men without an Orator;
What needed then Apologies be made
To fet forth that which is fo fingular?
Or why is Colatine the Publisher

Of that rich Jewel he should keep unknown
From thievish Cares because it is his own?

Perchance his boaft of Lucrece Sov'reignty,
Suggested this proud Iffue of a King;
For by our Ears our Hearts oft tainted be:
Perchance that Envy of fo rich a thing
Braving compare, difdainfully did fting
(fhould vant
His high pitcht Thoughts, that meaner Men
The Golden Hap which their Superiors want.

But fome untimely Thought did instigate
His all too timeless speed; if none of those,
His Honor, his Affairs, his Friends, his State,
Neglected all, with fwift Intent he
goes
To quench the Coal which in his Liver glows.
O rafh falfe Heat, wrapt in repentant cold!
Thy hafty Spring ftill blafts,and ne'er grows old.

Lucrece.

When at Colatia this falfe Lord arriv❜d, Tarquin Well was he welcom'd by the RomanDame, welcom'd by Within whofe Face Beauty and Vertue (striv❜d, Which of them both fhould underprop her Fame: When Vertue brag'd,Beauty would blush for fhame; When Beauty boasted blushes, in despight Vertue would ftain that o'er with Silver white.

But

But Beauty in that White intituled,

From Venus Doves doth challenge that fair Field;
Then Vertue claims from Beauty Beauty's Red,
Which Vertue gave the Golden Age to guild
Her Silver Cheeks, and call'd it then their Shield;
Teaching them thus to use it in the Fight,
When Shame affail'd, the Red fhould fence the
(White,

This Heraldry in Lucrece Face was feen,
Argu'd by Beauties red and Vertues white,
Of either's Color was the other Queen;
Proving from World's Minority their Right,
Yet their Ambition makes them still to fight:
The Sov❜reignty of either being fo great,
That oft they interchange each other's Seat,

This filent War of Lillies and of Rofes,
Which Tarquin view'd in her fair Face's Field,
In their pure Ranks his Traitor Eye incloses;
Where left between them both it should be kill'd,
The Coward Captive vanquished doth yield

To those two Armies that would let him go,
Rather than triumph in fo falfe a Foe.

Now thinks he that her Husband's fhallow Tongue,
The niggard Prodigal that prais'd her fo,

In that high Task hath done her Beauty wrong,
Which far exceeds his barren Skill to fhow.
Therefore that Praise which Colatine doth owe,'
Inchanted Tarquin answers with Surmife,
In filent Wonder of ftill gazing Eyes.

This earthly Saint adored by this Devil,
Little fufpected the falfe Worshipper;

'For Thoughts unftain'd do feldom dream on Evil, 'Birds never limb'd, no fecret Bushes fear:

So guiltless fhe fecurely gives good Chear,

L 2

And

And reverend Welcome to her Princely Guest, Whose inward Ile no outward Harm exprest.

For that he color'd with his high Estate,
Hiding bafe Sin in pleats of Majefty:
That nothing in him feem'd inordinate,
Save sometime too much Wonder of his Eye,
Which having all, all could not fatisfy;
But poorly rich so wanteth in his store,
That cloy'd with much, he pineth still for more.

But she that never cop'd with ftranger Eyes,
Could pick no meaning from their parling Looks,
Nor read the fubtle fhining Secrecies

Writ in the Glaffy Margents of such Books:
She touch'd no unknown Baits, nor fear'd no Hooks,
Nor could fhe moralize his wanton fight,
More than his Eyes were open'd to the light.

He stories to her Ears her Husband's Fame,
Won in the Fields of fruitful Italy;
And decks with Praifes Colatine's high Name,
Made glorious by his manly Chivalry,
With bruifed Arms and Wreaths of Victory;

Her Joy with heav'd-up hand fhe doth express.
And wordless so greets Heav'n for his Success.

Far from the purpose of his coming thither,
He makes Excufes for his being there;
No cloudy show of stormy bluftring Weather
Doth yet in his fair Welkin once appear,
Till fable Night, fad fource of Dread and Fear,
Upom the World dim Darkness doth display,
And in her vaulty Prison shuts the Day.

For then is Tarquin brought unto his Bed,
Intending Wearinefs with heavy Sprite:

For