1319 haþ—MS. haþe
1320 preciouse—precyos
clere—cler
1321 rycchesse—rychesses
1322 lorn—MS. lorne, C. lorn
THE GOLDEN AGE.
[FELIX IN MIRUM PRIOR ETAS.]
Blysful was Happy was the first age of men. They were contented with what the faithful earth produced. 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. With acorns they satisfied their hunger. ¶ þei weren wont lyȝtly to slaken
her hunger at euene wiþ acornes of okes 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.
They did not dye the Serian fleece in Tyrian purple. ne þei couþe nat medle þe briȝt[e] flies of þe contre
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. 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. 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
in to dyuerse contres. The warlike trumpet was hushed and still. ¶ þo weren þe cruel [1340]
clariouns ful whist and ful stille. Bloodshed had not yet arisen through hateful quarrels. ne blode yshed by
egre hate ne hadde nat deied ȝit armurers. 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 O that those days would come again! ¶ I wolde þat oure tymes sholde
turne aȝeyne to þe oolde maneres. 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 Mountaigne of Ethna þat euer brenneþ. [1348]
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 precious
stones þat wolden han ben hid. he dalf vp precious
perils. þat is to seyne þat he þat hem first vp dalf. he [1352]
dalf vp a precious peril. It has since proved perilous to many a man. for-whi. for þe preciousnesse
of swyche haþ many man ben in peril.
1324 erþes—feeldes
1325 furþe—forth
destroyed[e]—dystroyede
1327 her—hyr
at—MS. as, C. at
euene—euen