THE ARGUMENT.

LUCIUS TARQUINIUS, surnamed Superbus from his excessive pride, after he had caused his father-in-law, Servius Tullius, to be cruelly murdered, and contrary to the Roman laws and customs, not requiring or staying for the people's suffrages, had possessed himself of the throne and kingdom, went, accompanied with his sons, and other noblemen of Rome to besiege Ardea ; during which siege, the principal men of the army meeting one evening at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son, in their discourses after supper every one commended the virtues of his own wife; among whom Colatinus extolled the incomparable chastity of his wife Lucrece. In that pleasant humour they all posted to Rome, intending by their secret and sudden arrival to make trial of that, which every one had before avouched: only Colatinus finds his wife, though it were late in the night, spinning amongst her maids, the other ladies were found all dancing and revelling, or in several disports. Whereupon the noblemen yielded Colatinus, the victory, and his wife the fame. At that time Sextus Tarquinius being inflamed with Lucrece's beauty, yet smothering his passion for the present, departed with the rest back to the camp; from whence he shortly after privily withdrew himself, and was, according to his state, royally entertained, and lodged by Lucrece at Colatium. The same night, he, treacherously stealing into her chamber, violently ravished her; and early in the morning speeded away. Lucrece, in this lamentable plight, hastily despatched messengers, 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 attired in a mourning habit, demanded the cause of her sorrow. She, first taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the actor, and the whole matter of his dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed herself. Which done, with one consent they all vowed 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; to which he added a bitter invective against the tyranny of the king; wherewith the people were so moved, that with one consent, and a general acclamation, the Tarquins were all exiled,and the state government changed, from kings to consuls.

TARQUIN AND LUCRECE.

FROM the besieg'd Ardea all in post,

Borne by the trustless wings of false desire,
Lust-breathing Tarquin leaves the Roman host,
And to Colatium bears the lightless fire,
Which in pale embers hid lurks to aspire,
And girdle with embracing flames the waist
Of Colatine's fair love, Lucrece the chaste.

Haply that name of chaste, unhaply set
This baitless edge on his keen appetite :
When Colatine unwisely 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 as heaven'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;
Reck'ning his fortune at so high a rate,

That kings might be espoused to more fame,
But king nor prince to such a peerless dame.

O happiness enjoy'd but of a few!
And if possess'd, as soon decay'd and done!
As is the morning's silver melting dew,
Against the golden splendour of the sun;
A date expir'd and cancell'd ere begun.
Honour and beauty in the owner's arms,
Are weakly fortress'd from a world of harms.

[] Did not forbear. ΚΑΙ ΟΝΕ.

Beauty itself doth of itself persuade
The eyes of men without an orator;
What needed then apologies be made,
To set forth that which is not singular?
Or why is Colatine the publisher

Of that rich jewel he should keep unknown
From thievish cares, because it is his own?
Perchance his boast of Lucrece' sov'reignty
Suggested this proud issue of a king;
For by our ears our hearts oft tainted be.
Perchance, that envy of so rich a thing
Braving compare, disdainfully did sting

His high pitcht thoughts, that meaner men should vaunt,
The golden-hap which their superiors want.

But some untimely thought did instigate
His all too timeless speed, if none of those.
His honour, his affairs, his friends, his state,
Neglected all, with swift intent he goes

To quench the coal, which in his liver glows.2
O rash false heat, wrapt in repentant cold!
Thy hasty spring still blasts, and ne'er grows old.

When at Colatium this false lord arriv'd,
Well was he welcom'd by the Roman dame,
Within whose face beauty and virtue striv'd,

Which of them both should underprop her fame.
When virtue bragg'd, beauty would blush for shame ;
When beauty boasted blushes, in despite,
Virtue would stain that o'er with silver white.

But beauty, in that white intituled,

From Venus' doves doth challenge that fair field ;
Then virtue claims from beauty beauty's red,

Which virtue gave the golden age to gild

Her silver cheeks, and call'd it then her shield;
Teaching them thus to use it in the fight,

When shame assail'd, the red should fence the white.

This heraldry in Lucrece' face was seen,
Argu'd by beauty's red and virtue's white;
Of either's colour was the other queen,
Proving from world's minority their right;
Yet their ambition makes them still to fight:

[2] The liver was formerly supposed to be the seat of love.

MALONE

The sov'reignty of either being so great,
That oft they interchange each other's seat.

This silent war of lilies and of roses,

Which Tarquin view'd in her fair face's field,
In their pure ranks his traitor eye incloses,
Where, lest between them both it should be kill'd,
The coward captive vanquished doth yield

To these two armies, that would let him go,
Rather than triumph o'er so false a foe.

Now thinks he, that her husband's shallow tongue,
The niggard prodigal that prais'd her so,
In that high task hath done her beauty wrong,
Which far exceeds his barren skill to show.
Therefore that praise, which Colatine doth owe,3
Inchanted Tarquin answers with surmise,
In silent wonder of still gazing eyes.

This earthly saint, adored by this devil,
Little suspected the false worshipper.

"For thoughts unstain'd do seldom dream of evil,
"Birds never lim'd, no secret bushes fear :"
So guiltless she securely gives good cheer
And reverend welcome to her princely guest,
Whose inward ill no outward harm exprest.

For that he colour'd with his high estate,
Hiding base sin in pleats of majesty,
That nothing in him seem'd inordinate,
Save sometimes too much wonder of his eye :
Which having all, all could not satisfy ;

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 stranger eyes,
Could pick no meaning from their parling looks,
Nor read the subtle shining secresies

Writ in the glassy margents of such books,

She touch'd no unknown baits, nor fear'd no hooks ;
Nor could she moralize his wanton sight

More, than his eyes were open'd to the light.

[3] Praise here signifies the object of praise; i. e. Lucretia. To owe, in old language, signifies to possess. MALONE

He stories to her ears her husband's fame,
Won in the fields of fruitful Italy;

And decks with praises Colatine's high name,
Made glorious by his manly chivalry,

With bruised arms and wreaths of victory.
Her joy with heav'd-up hand she doth express,
And, wordless, so greets heav'n for his success.
Far from the purpose of his coming thither,
He makes excuses for his being there;
No cloudy show of stormy blust'ring weather,
Doth yet in his fair welkin once appear,
Till sable night, sad source of dread and fear,
Upon the world dim darkness doth display,
And in her vaulty prison shuts the day.

For then is Tarquin brought unto his bed,
Intending weariness with heavy sprite ;
For after supper long he questioned

With modest Lucrece, and wore out the night.
Now leaden slumber with life's strength doth fight,
And every one to rest themselves betake,

Save thieves, and cares, and troubled minds that wake.

As one of which doth Tarquin lie revolving

The sundry dangers of his will's obtaining,

Yet ever to obtain his will resolving,

Tho' weak-built hopes persuade him to abstaining ;
Despair to gain doth traffic oft for gaining;

And when great treasure is the meed propos'd,
Tho' death be adjunct, there's no death suppos'd,

Those that much covet are of gain so fond,
That oft they have not that which they possess ;
They scatter and unloose it from their bond,
And so by hoping more, they have but less;
Or gaining more the profit of excess

Is but to surfeit and such griefs sustain,

That they prove bankrupt in this poor, rich gain.
The aim of all, is but to nurse the life
With honour, wealth, and ease in waning age;
And in this aim there is such thwarting strife,
That one for all, or all for one we gage;

[4] Intending is here for pretending,