_Sextus, Tarquin, and Lucretia._
LX. Whenever the adventure of Sextus the son of Tarquin, with the
beautiful Lucretia, is talked of, people generally suppose that insult
was perpetrated by means of immediate and rigorous violence; which is a
circumstance that would greatly have aggravated the crime of the invader,
and have apologized for the innocence and virtue of that generous Roman
lady. But the thing, as Titus Livius and Dionysius Halicarnassus relate
it, happened in the following manner. Sextus, in the dead of night,
came to the bed-side of Lucretia, with a drawn sword in his hand, and
after waking her intimated to her, first of all, that she should be
quiet and not make a noise, for that, upon the first shriek she gave,
he would plunge the sword into her bosom. To this intimation succeeded
intreaties; and to the intreaties promises; which he carried so far,
according to one of the before-named authors, as to assure her, that
upon her condescending, he would make her his queen. When Sextus found
that neither promises nor intreaties would avail, he proceeded to
threatenings. He told her he would instantly put her to death, if she
did not comply with his desires. This was not capable of vanquishing
the constancy of Lucretia; and finally perceiving all other stratagems
useless, the cunning youth had recourse to one of signal force and
efficacy; which was, trying to overcome honour with honour; for this,
like a diamond, resists the impression of all other entities, and can
only be wrought or penetrated by those of its own species. He intimated
to Lucretia, that, if she did not consent, he would not only murder her,
but would put to death a slave also, whose dead body he would lay by
the side of hers in her own bed; so that when day-light came, and they
should be found thus lying together, she would be exposed to the public
disgrace of having been an adultress with so vile a person. Lucretia had
not fortitude to resist this last attack, but surrendered her honour to
escape infamy; for which criminal condescension, she afterwards punished
herself with excessive rigour, by taking away her own life.