[Sidenote: [The fyfthe met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: Happy was the first age of men. They were contented
with what the faithful earth produced.]
++Blysful was þe first age of men. þei helden hem
apaied wiþ þe metes þat þe trewe erþes brouȝten 1324
furþe. ¶ þei ne destroyed[e] ne desceyued[e] not hem
self wiþ outerage.
[Sidenote: With acorns they satisfied their hunger.]
¶ þei weren wont lyȝtly to slaken
her hunger at euene wiþ acornes of okes
[Sidenote: They knew not Hypocras nor Hydromel.]
¶ þei ne
couþe nat medle þe ȝift of bacus to þe clere hony. 1328
þat is to seyn. þei couþe make no piment of clarre.
[Sidenote: They did not dye the Serian fleece in Tyrian purple.]
ne þei couþe nat medle þe briȝt[e] flies of þe co{n}tre
of siriens wiþ þe venym of tirie. þis is to seyne. þei
couþe nat dien white flies of sirien contre wiþ þe 1332
blode of a manar shelfysshe. þat men fynden in tyrie.
wiþ whiche blode men deien purper.
[Sidenote: They slept upon the grass, and drank of the running
stream, and reclined under the shadow of the tall pine.]
¶ þei slepen
holesom slepes vpon þe gras. and dronken of þe rynnyng
watres. {and} laien vndir þe shadowe of þe heyȝe 1336
pyne trees.
[Sidenote: No man yet ploughed the deep, nor did the merchant
traffick with foreign shores.]
¶ Ne no gest ne no straunger [ne] karf
ȝit þe heye see wiþ oores or wiþ shippes. ne þei ne
hadden seyne ȝitte none newe strondes to leden merchaundyse [[pg 51]]
in to dyuerse co{n}tres.
[Sidenote: The warlike trumpet was hushed and still.]
¶ þo weren þe cruel 1340
clariou{n}s ful whist {and} ful stille.
[Sidenote: Bloodshed had not yet arisen through hateful quarrels.]
ne blode yshed by
egre hate ne hadde nat deied ȝit armurers.
[Sidenote: Nothing could stimulate their rage to engage in war,
when they saw that wounds and scars were the only meeds.]
for wherto
or whiche woodenesse of enmys wolde first moeuen
armes. whan þei seien cruel woundes ne none medes 1344
ben of blood yshad
[Sidenote: O that those days would come again!]
¶ I wolde þat oure tymes sholde
turne aȝeyne to þe oolde maneres.
[Sidenote: The thirst of wealth torments all; it rages more
fiercely than Ætna’s fires.]
¶ But þe anguissous
loue of hauyng brenneþ in folke moore cruely þan þe
fijr of þe Mou{n}taigne of Ethna þat euer brenneþ. 1348
[Sidenote: Cursed be the wretch who first brought gold to light.]
¶ Allas what was he þat first dalf vp þe gobets or
þe weyȝtys of gold couered vndir erþe. {and} þe p{re}cious
stones þat wolden han ben hid. he dalf vp p{re}cious
perils. þat is to seyne þat he þat hem first vp dalf. he 1352
dalf vp a p{re}cious peril.
[Sidenote: It has since proved perilous to many a man.]
for-whi. for þe p{re}ciousnesse
of swyche haþ many man ben in peril.
[Linenotes:
1324 _erþes_--feeldes
1325 _furþe_--forth
_destroyed[e]_--dystroyede
1327 _her_--hyr
_at_--MS. as, C. at
_euene_--euen
1328 _couþe_--cowde
_medle_--medly
_ȝift_--yifte
_clere_--cleer
1329 _couþe_--cowde
_of_--nor
1330 _couþe_--cowde
_briȝt[e] flies_--bryhte fleeȝes
1331 _siriens_--Seryens
_seyne_--seyn
1332 _couþe_--cowde
_dien_--deyen
_flies_--fleȝes
1333 _blode_--blood
_shelfysshe_--shyllefyssh
1334 _blode_--blood
1335 _holesom_--holsom
_rynnyng watres_--rennynge wateres
_shadowe_--shadwes
_heyȝe_--heye
1337 _pyne_--pyn
_no_ (2)--omitted
[_ne_]--from C.
_karf_--karue
1339 _hadden seyne ȝitte_--hadde seyn yit
1341 _whist_--hust
_blode yshed_--blod I-shad
1343 _whiche woodenesse_--whych wodnesse
1344 _seien_--say
1346 _turne aȝeyne_--torne ayein
1347 _folke_--folk
1348 _þe_--omitted
_euer_--ay
1351 _hid_--MS. hidde, C. hydd
1352 _seyne_--seyn
_he_ (2)--omitted
1354 _swyche_--swych thinge
_haþ_--MS. haþe
_ben_--be]
[Headnote:
OF DIGNITIES AND POWERS.]