Here begynnethe the boke calledde Iohn bochas descriuinge the falle of princis princessis [and] other nobles tra[n]slated i[n]to englissh by Iohn ludgate mo[n]ke of the monastery of seint edmu[n]des Bury ...

The greuous compleynt of Lucrece vpon hir oppression

FOr as moch quod she as I Lucrece Am by the lawe Ioyned in maryage To the my lorde whoos loue shall ay encrece Towardes the with all the surplusage Of wifely trouth to endure all myn age As humble subget with faythfull obeysaunce Vnder thy lordship and thy gouernaunce

O Collatyn my lorde and true husbonde Best beloued of hole affeccion I wyll no more no quarell take on honde Nor in no wise take none accion Withoute that thou list enclyne doun Goodly thyn erys to yeue me audience To that I shall reherce in thy presence

Iniury done or any maner wronge Ageyne my worship or myn honeste By the lawe my sentence is made stronge It toucheth you also wele as me I am so hooly yoldyn vnto the Thou art myn hede who cleerly can discerne Lorde and husbonde my body to gouerne

Parciall causes in soth there may none be Atwene vs twayne nor none disseueraunce For sote and bytter ioye and aduersite We must theym wey both in one balaunce Counterpeyse oure sorowes oure plesaunce Entermedle all thinge that stant in doute Receyue oure fortune as it cometh aboute

There may atwene vs be no menynge double But one herte one wyll and one corage And as woman that stondyth nowe in trouble Withoute polisshinge of any faire langage I must disclose to you the greate outrage Done vnto me and playnly it discure Which to redresse lith holy in youre cure

For the mater to speke in wordes playne A right oute serched and the trouth oute founde As a iust cause vndifferent to tweyne Towarde vs both the quarell doth rebounde And more strongly oure mater for to grounde Reherce I wil so that ye sauf it vouch A mortall wronge which the and me doth touch

In a castell which called is Collace Of which my lorde here hath the gouernaunce Tarquyn the yonge cam into that place I full disware to make purueaunce Ageyne his comynge or any ordenaunce Tofore nat warnyd of his officers Sat vnpurueyed amonge my chamberers

Of entent to eschewe Idylnesse We sate and span wollys soft For she of vices is a cheef maistres Where she is cherisshed and I set aloft But of custome as I haue done full oft I and my wymen duly as we ought To auoyde slouth full besyly wrought

His entrynge was meke and debonayre Benygne of porte of loke and of visage With a precence of many wordys fayre In whoos menynge was full greate outrage His chere contraire vnto his corage In this wise ••here ••e was receyuyd Wherby alas I falsly was deceyued

Atte pryuie face as me thought it due I him receyued at his in comynge ••oos vp mek••ly and gan him to salue As apperteyned in all maner thinge Vnto the sonne of a worthy kinge And truly tarquyn for which I say alas Me to be ••••aisshe stode in the same caas

A kynges sonne shulde of dutye 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to wymē wall and proteccion Prese••••e and kepe theym in all suerte T••at no man shulde of no presumpcion Doo them no wronge nor oppression ••a••he•• dye than se theym suffre vnright ••uer••singe the office of a knight

〈…〉〈…〉 contrarye of knighthode he hath wrought By fals outrage done ageyns me Wronge weyes and crokyd menys sought Of lawes tweyne to breke the liberte And difface the auctorite Of lawe Ciuile and naturall also In my persone offendynge both to

First by his subtyll compassinge He gan espye theserys of the place And whan abed alone I lay slepinge Lyke a lyon full sterne of loke and face With his left hande my throte he dyd enbrace And in his other helde ageyne all lawe Me to oppresse a nakyd swerde I drawe

Thus afforsynge my wifly chastite Ageyne knighthode he dyd this greate offeence My lyfe my worship put in {per}plexite Hauynge no might to make resistence Me manasynge by dedly violence The tone of tweyne to dye in his entent Or to auoutrye falsly to consent

Thus I stode sool atwene deth and dyffame My body corrupt my sprite abode clene My spousaile brokyn and my gode name For euer disclaundryd that whilom shone full shene Euyll fame of custome wil alwey waxe grene Neuer dye the people so theym disporte The worst of thinges gladly to reporte

Alas alas amonge my sorowes all This one •• the moost that doth my herte agrise I am nat worthy that men me shulde call Or haue the name in no maner wyse For the offence which ye haue herde diuise To be called in this wretchid life Of Collatyn fromhens forth the wife

Myn iyen also be blindyd with dirkenesse Only for shame to liftup their sight Outher their stremys or bemys vp dresse Of the cleer heuene to loke vpon the light Nor I may neuer be of the noumbre of right Of true matrones amonge theym ferre or nere For to be rekened in their kalendere

Let myn Iniurye and this mortall cryme Be so punysshed of right and equite Withoute delay of any lenger tyme That euer after it may exaumple be Through all the worlde and eke in thys cyte With such a peyne therupon diuised That all auoutours may be therby chastised

And if it seme in youre opinyon In this caas I shuld be vnpure I wyll receyue iust punycion And the peyne paciently endure If it so stonde that {per}auenture Ye deme of reson that be so iust and stable In this mater that I be culpable

Hir tale tolde whan they longe had mused On this complaynt in their inwarde sight Of trouth echon they helde hir full excused Made albeheft with all their full myght To auenge hir wronge and lucrece anone right Toke a sharpe knif or they might aduerte And roue hir silf euene through the herte