lorne, C. lorn] [Headnote: THE GOLDEN AGE.] FELIX IN MIRU{M} PRIOR ETAS. [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.]