'The former Age' is a title taken from l. 2 of the poem. In MS. Hh., at the
end, are the words--'Finit Etas prima: Chaucers.'
Both MSS. are poor, and omit a whole line (l. 56), which has to be supplied
by conjecture; as we have no other authority. The spelling requires more
emendation than usual.
The poem is partly a verse translation of Boethius, De Consolatione
Philosophiæ, lib. ii. met. 5. We possess a prose translation by Chaucer of
the entire work (see vol. II. p. 40). This therefore contains the same
passage in prose; and the prose translation is, of course, a much closer
rendering of the original. Indeed there is nothing in the original which
corresponds to the last four stanzas of the present poem, excepting a hint
for l. 62.
The work of Boethius, in Latin, consists of five books. Each book contains
several sections, written in prose and verse alternately. Hence it is usual
to refer to bk. ii. prose 5 (liber ii. prosa 5); bk. ii. metre 5 (liber ii.
metrum 5); and the like. These divisions are very useful in finding one's
place.
Chaucer was also indebted to Ovid, Metam. i. 89-112, for part of this
description of the Golden Age; of which see Dryden's fine translation. See
also Le Roman de la Rose, ll. 8395-8492: and compare the Complaint of
Scotland, ed. Murray, p. 144; and Dante, Purg. xxii. 148. For further
remarks, see the Introduction.
1. 'Decaearchus ... refert sub Saturno, id est, in aureo saeculo, cum omnia
humus funderet, nullum comedisse carnes: sed uniuersos uixisse frugibus et
pomis, quae sponte terra gignebat'; Hieron. c. Iouin. lib. ii.