Beholds his own hereditary skies. 110 THE GOLDEN AGE. 110 The golden age was first; when man, yet new, No rule but uncorrupted reason knew; And, with a native bent, did good pursue. Unforc'd by punishment, unaw'd by fear, His words were simple, and his soul sincere: Needless was written law, where none opprest; The law of man was written in his breast; No suppliant crowds before the judge appear'd; No court erected yet, nor cause was heard; But all was safe, for conscience was their guard. The mountain trees in distant prospect please, Ere yet the pine descended to the seas; Ere sails were spread, new oceans to explore; 125 And happy mortals, unconcern'd for more, Confin'd their wishes to their native shore. No walls were yet, nor fence, nor moat, nor mound; The soft creation slept away their time. 135 On wildings and on strawberries they fed; 140 THE SILVER AGE. 150 But when good Saturn, banish'd from above, Was driven to hell, the world was under Jove. 145 Succeeding times a silver age behold, Excelling brass, but more excell'd by gold. Then Summer, Autumn, Winter did appear; And Spring was but a season of the year. The sun his annual course obliquely made, Good days contracted, and enlarg'd the bad. Then air with sultry heats began to glow, The wings of winds were clogg'd with ice and snow; And shivering mortals, into houses driven, Sought shelter from the inclemency of heaven. 155 Those houses, then, were caves, or homely sheds, With twining oziers fenc'd, and moss their beds. Then ploughs, for seed, the fruitful furrows broke, And oxen labour'd first beneath the yoke. THE BRAZEN AGE. To this next came in course the brazen age: 160 A warlike offspring prompt to bloody rage, Not impious yet THE IRON AGE. Hard steel succeeded then ; And stubborn as the metal were the men. 175 Gave mischief birth, and made that mischief bold: Now (brandish'd weapons glittering in their hands) The guest, by him who harbour'd him, is slain: 185 190 THE GIANTS' WAR. Nor were the gods themselves more safe above; Against beleaguer'd heaven the giants move. Hills piled on hills, on mountains mountains lie, To make their mad approaches to the sky. Till Jove, no longer patient, took his time To avenge with thunder their audacious crime : Red lightning play'd along the firmament, And their demolish'd works to pieces rent. Sing'd with the flames, and with the bolts transfix'd, With native earth their blood the monsters mix'd; The blood, indu'd with animating heat, 200 Did in the impregnate earth new sons beget: 210 215 Which when the king of gods beheld from high The gods of greater nations dwell around, And on the right and left the palace bound; 220 The commons where they can; the nobler sort, 228 When all were plac'd, in seats distinctly known, Then shook his head, that shook the firmament: 235 |