Lucretia to Collatinus<hr>
Is it possible that I may see Collatinus without daring to call him my husband? Yes, reason<hr>
demands it and I approve. No, Collatinus, I am no longer your wife. I am a victim that the wrath<hr>
of the gods has chosen to endure the most atrocious tyranny ever heard of.<hr>
I am no longer that Lucretia whose nobility of character charmed you more than beauty. I am a<hr>
martyr whom another's crime has made guilty. But to enable me to confide in you<hr>
with some tranquility, swear to me that you will avenge the outrage I have suffered. Show me in<hr>
your eyes the desire for vengeance. Show me the dagger that will eradicate the affront done to me.<hr>
Ask me fervently for the name of the assailant. But can I speak it out loud? Today,<hr>
for my justification and for my punishment, I must be at once my accuser, my witness,<hr>
my defender and my judge.<hr>
       You are about to hear, Collatinus, that this Lucretia, who has always loved her honor more than<hr>
her life or yours, whose chastity has always been irreproachable, whose purity of heart is<hr>
incorruptible, has been the victim of the cowardice of a vile man, son of a tyrant, and tyrant himself. Yes,<hr>
Collatinus, the cunning Sextus Tarquin, whom you called your friend when you introduced him to me, this<hr>
traitor has forcibly defeated my prudence. In disrespecting his own fame, he has tainted yours by<hr>
totally staining mine. With unprecedented cruelty, he reduced me to the most<hr>
desolate state in which a woman with pure inspirations can find herself. I see<hr>
well, Collatinus, that my discourse amazed you and that you find it hard to believe what I am saying, but it is<hr>
an undeniable truth. I am both witness and accomplice of this crime. Yes, Collatinus,<hr>
since I am still alive, I am not innocent. Yes, my father, your daughter is guilty<hr>
of prioritizing her life over her honor. Yes, Brutus, I deserve the hatred of all my relatives.<hr>
Even if I had only fallen in love with the cruel tyrant who treated me with contempt,<hr>
thus violating the principles of humanity and friendship, offending the Roman people and challenging the<hr>
gods, that would be already a sufficient reason to be detested by all. But is it possible that I<hr>
could have felt such cowardly sentiments? That my fatal beauty could have ignited a flame in<hr>
him, which was to destroy myself? And that his seemingly innocent gaze could have aroused so<hr>
criminal desires? Rather, I am surprised that I did not tear out my heart before my ultimate<hr>
misfortune. That was the occasion to demonstrate my courage and the love I<hr>
had for glory. I would have died innocent, my life would have been spotless, and the gods<hr>
would have certainly watched over my reputation. But ultimately, things did not turn out<hr>
this way. I am miserable, unfit to behold the light, unworthy of being the daughter of Spurius Lucretius,<hr>
unworthy of being the wife of Collatinus, and unworthy of being a Roman.<hr>
       After this, Collatinus, I ask for the punishment I deserve. Deprive me of your<hr>
affection, erase me from your memory. Avenge the outrage that has been done to me, solely for the love of<hr>
you and not out of love for me. See me only as a vile individual, and<hr>
even though my misfortune is extreme, deny me the compassion reserved for all the unfortunate.<hr>
<hr>
                                                    78<hr>