登陆注册
5150300000015

第15章 THE ARGUMENT(14)

That blow did bail it from the deep unrest Of that polluted prison where it breathed.

Her contrite sighs unto the clouds bequeathed Her winged sprite and through her wounds doth fly Life's lasting date from cancelled destiny.

Stone-still, astonished with this deadly deed, Stood Collatine and all his lordly crew;Till Lucrece' father, that beholds her bleed, Himself on her self-slaught'red body threw;And from the purple fountain Brutus drew The murd'rous knife, and, as it left the place, Her blood, in poor revenge, held it in chase;And bubbling from her breast, it doth divide In two slow rivers, that the crimson blood Circles her body in on every side, Who like a late-sacked island vastly stood Bare and unpeopled in this fearful flood.

Some of her blood still pure and red remained, And some looked black, and that false Tarquin stained.

About the mourning and congealed face Of that black blood a wat'ry rigol goes, Which seems to weep upon the tainted place;And ever since, as pitying Lucrece' woes, Corrupted blood some watery token shows;And blood untainted still doth red abide, Blushing at that which is so putrified.

'Daughter, dear daughter,' old Lucretius cries, 'That life was mine which thou hast here deprived.

If in the child the father's image lies, Where shall I live now Lucrece is unlived?

Thou wast not to this end from me derived.

If children predecease progenitors, We are their offspring, and they none of ours.

'Poor broken glass, I often did behold In thy sweet semblance my old age new born;But now that fair fresh mirror, dim and old, Shows me a bare-boned death by time outworn;O, from thy cheeks my image thou hast torn, And shivered all the beauty of my glass, That I no more can see what once I was.

'O time, cease thou thy course and last no longer, If they surcease to be that should survive.

Shall rotten death make conquest of the stronger, And leave the falt'ring feeble souls alive?

The old bees die, the young possess their hive.

Then live, sweet Lucrece, live again, and see Thy father die, and not thy father thee.'

By this, starts Collatine as from a dream, And bids Lucretius give his sorrow place;And then in key-cold Lucrece' bleeding stream He falls, and bathes the pale fear in his face, And counterfeits to die with her a space;Till manly shame bids him possess his breath, And live to be revenged on her death.

The deep vexation of his inward soul Hath served a dumb arrest upon his tongue;Who, mad that sorrow should his use control Or keep him from heart-easing words so long, Begins to talk; but through his lips do throng Weak words, so thick come in his poor heart's aid That no man could distinguish what he said.

Yet sometime 'Tarquin' was pronounced plain, But through his teeth, as if the name he tore.

This windy tempest, till it blow up rain, Held back his sorrow's tide, to make it more;At last it rains, and busy winds give o'er;Then son and father weep with equal strife Who should weep most, for daughter or for wife.

The one doth call her his, the other his, Yet neither may possess the claim they lay.

The father says 'She's mine'.'O, mine she is,'

Replies her husband: 'do not take away My sorrow's interest; let no mourner say He weeps for her, for she was only mine, And only must be wailed by Collatine.'

'O,' quoth Lucretius, 'I did give that life Which she too early and too late hath spilled.'

'Woe, woe,' quoth Collatine, 'she was my wife;I owed her, and 'tis mine that she hath killed.'

1

Brutus, who plucked the knife from Lucrece' side, Seeing such emulation in their woe, Began to clothe his wit in state and pride, Burying in Lucrece' wound his folly's show.

He with the Romans was esteemed so As silly jeering idiots are with kings, For sportive words and utt'ring foolish things.

But now he throws that shallow habit by Wherein deep policy did him disguise, And armed his long-hid wits advisedly To check the tears in Collatinus' eyes.

'Thou wronged lord of Rome,' quoth he, 'arise;Let my unsounded self, supposed a fool, Now set thy long-experienced wit to school.

'Why, Collatine, is woe the cure for woe?

Do wounds help wounds, or grief help grievous deeds?

Is it revenge to give thyself a blow For his foul act by whom thy fair wife bleeds?

Such childish humour from weak minds proceeds.

Thy wretched wife mistook the matter so To slay herself, that should have slain her foe.

'Courageous Roman, do not steep thy heart In such relenting dew of lamentations, But kneel with me and help to bear thy part To rouse our Roman gods with invocations That they will suffer these abominations, Since Rome herself in them doth stand disgraced, By our strong arms from forth her fair streets chased.

'Now by the Capitol that we adore, And by this chaste blood so unjustly stained, By heaven's fair sun that breeds the fat earth's store, By all our country rights in Rome maintained, And by chaste Lucrece' soul that late complained Her wrongs to us, and by this bloody knife, We will revenge the death of this true wife.'

This said, he struck his hand upon his breast, And kissed the fatal knife to end his vow, And to his protestation urged the rest, Who, wond'ring at him, did his words allow;Then jointly to the ground their knees they bow, And that deep vow which Brutus made before He doth again repeat, and that they swore.

When they had sworn to this advised doom, They did conclude to bear dead Lucrece thence, To show her bleeding body thorough Rome, And so to publish Tarquin's foul offence;Which being done with speedy diligence, The Romans plausible did give consent To Tarquin's everlasting banishment.

-THE END-

.

同类推荐
  • 炀帝开河记

    炀帝开河记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 前后七国志

    前后七国志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西河旧事

    西河旧事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • CLIGES

    CLIGES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 观世音菩萨秘密藏神咒经

    观世音菩萨秘密藏神咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 家诫要言

    家诫要言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 摆脱死亡

    摆脱死亡

    白雪深埋着大草原。胶轮拖拉机在银色的世界里吼着,向塔利花嘎查(嘎查:村)艰难地挺进。塔利花是边境线上的一个弹丸之地。这片草地与毗邻的蒙古。国山水相连,因为远离边防哨所,所以虽然有庄严的界碑林立着,虽然也偶有边防军人驱车来去,但是牲畜不懂国界,对方的牛马骆驼羊常常因为贪吃或者呼啸北风的驱赶而进入我国境内。还常常有对方牧民或者牧场工人毫无顾忌地越境放牧、打草,蚕食我方巴彦塔拉苏木的牧场。
  • 八岁

    八岁

    《八岁》是邓一光后期创作的短篇小说集。作者后期的短篇小说将背景转向深圳等沿海城市,创作手法日益成熟、多变,塑造人物时代气息强,然目光向下,反映底层的人和事的情怀不变,具有较强的现实观照力。
  • 九爷爷的黄昏

    九爷爷的黄昏

    年前腊月十五日晚,十三婶被鬼上身的事情,整个小周庄都知道了。第二天中午,人们心有余悸,我奶奶曹氏喊我九爷爷周千九一家到自家吃饭。饭桌上,九奶奶南枝好奇地询问曹氏,昨晚十三婶被我九爷爷的前妻翠心附上身,到底是怎么回事。我奶奶曹氏说道,能是怎么回事?还不是因为你男人死赌,连死去十多年的翠心都看不过去了。听我奶奶曹氏讲完事情的经过,九奶奶南枝停下筷子,把饭碗朝小方桌上一搁,对我奶奶说道,四嫂,我今晚和青桃想在你家睡。曹氏一开始没怎么领会南枝的意思,只漫不经心地答应道,那就和以前一样,你俩睡里屋,吃完饭我去收拾收拾,铺好被子。
  • 子弹无痕

    子弹无痕

    赵林、武侯、程平会终于成长为特战队员。他们在坚守特战队员誓言的同时,也收获着爱情的喜悦。高考生吴铭因为特警学校没有女学员名额而苦恼。在大学里。徐文风对赵雪一见钟情,并为得到赵雪青睐努力改造自己。 刘欣竭力成全女儿孔圆圆与赵林的婚事,赵林之父牺牲真相浮出水面,赵林不得不经受事业与感情的考验。程平会与田蕊,事业与爱情之间必须作出选择。面对挫折,是逆风前行还是知难而退?老一辈武警人卸下肩上的枪交到下一代人手里。赵林、武侯等成长起来的武警人成为共和国安全屏障的中间力量。以徐文风、吴铭、马小宁为代表的新一代武警人,以崭新的姿态站在共和国绿色舞台上,延续着前辈的信念和理想。
  • 世界历史1000问(超值金版)

    世界历史1000问(超值金版)

    本书以时间为序,从远古的史前文明说起,一直叙述到2011年为止,在所有的同类书里是时间跨度最大的,这也是本书的第一个特点。其次,本书与同类书相比,虽都是选取历史片段、勾勒历史故事,但本书的选取面非常宽泛,从而使本书的信息量颇为庞大,这是本书的第二个特点。再次,本书在叙述时,力求尊重史实,不妄加评论,让读者做阅读的主人,去思考、去感悟……这是本书的第三个特点。最后,本书在讲述一些历史故事时,不仅考证了正史,也辨析地引用了一些稗官野史、逸闻琐事,从而使本书的叙述角度更为客观,这也是本书的最大特色。
  • 妃娶不可,腹黑九皇子

    妃娶不可,腹黑九皇子

    【简介】她是二十一世纪大龄黄金剩女,有房有车,没男人。一朝穿越,她变成了表白被拒投湖未遂的相府嫡出二小姐唐蓁蓁。既然上天给了她重活一次的机会,这辈子怎么样也要有房有车,有男人。太子欲纳她为妾?抱歉了,她只愿为正妻。沐公子要八抬大轿把她娶进门?好,就他了!-------他是耀王朝荣宠无限的九皇子,妖娆,美丽,绝世倾华。这个装模作样的女人先是对太子眉目含情,然后又对他身边的沐云投怀送抱……他这么大的活人,她看不到么?于是他三番五次的出现在她的面前,让她认清他!可她却避之惟恐不及!他冷笑连连,妖魅的眸子异彩夺目……*人都说,九皇子殿下倾城容颜,但若上街必是掷果盈车。人都说,九皇子殿下天资绝伦,过目不忘。人都说,九皇子殿下霸道狂妄,颇有太祖之姿。*可就是这样的绝世男子却要请皇上下旨赐相府木讷成性的二小姐为妃。直叫听者伤心,闻者流泪。这不是一朵鲜花插到牛粪上吗?背着包袱跑路的唐蓁蓁咬牙暗骂,她才是那朵鲜花,好不好!
  • 在哈佛学管理

    在哈佛学管理

    管理学不是一门高高在上的学问,而是每个现代人必备的知识。绩效、产品、人事、财务、生产流程,甚至时间、压力、个人情绪,无一不需要管理,但管理到底是一门艺术还是一门科学?本书以浅显易懂的文字,理论与实例的结合,引领读者纵观管理学的兴衰起落,告诉大家顶尖商学院的管理学者现在正在研究、关注,乃至争论的主题,并逐一阐明竞争策略、创新困局、组织学习、社群网络、企业购并、全球管理、国际创业、实质选择权、新创公司等学界与业界都相当重视的议题。互联网时代,每个人都应该懂得运用管理,为自己及团队创造最大的价值。
  • 有你便是暖冬

    有你便是暖冬

    本书又名《校霸说要罩着她》。一次偶然的情况下,她和校霸成了同桌。老师还把辅导他成绩这个重任交给了她,众人都没太当回事儿,就干啥啥不行、惹事第一名的高冷校霸会学习?除非太阳打西边出来了。但让人不可置信的是,太阳还真就从西边出来了,高冷校霸竟安分守己的坐在座位上认真的听起了课!众人惊,就连老师们也都是一副见了鬼的模样!以前不交作业的高冷校霸是这样的——直接一个冷眼过去。现在不交作业的高冷校霸是这样的——“不会写,要不你再给我多讲几遍?”“……”(注意,本书不虐!真心不虐,保证!不要被开头误导了!只是一个铺垫!保证!)
  • 学会做人、学会做事

    学会做人、学会做事

    如何做人是一门学问。然而人生的复杂性使人们不可能在有限的时间里洞察人生的全部内涵。要真正做到不较真、能容人,也不是简单的事。做人和做事是相辅相成的。学会了做人,其实也就学会了做事,就知道了该干什么和不该干什么,由此我们的工作交往就会快乐,我们的朋友就会越来越多,大家就会有成功的希望。