Page:Shakespeare Collection of Poems.djvu/69

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The Argument.
57

her Chamber, violently ravisht her, and early in the morning speedeth away. Lucrece in this lamentable plight, hastily dispatcheth 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 mourning habit, demanded the cause of her sorrow. She first taking an oath of them for her revenge, revealed the acter, and whole manner of his dealing, and withal suddenly stabbed her self. Which done, with 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, with a bitter invective against the tyranny of the King, wherewith the people were so moved with one consent, and a general acclamation, that the Tarquins were all exiled, and the state government changed from Kings to Consuls.

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