Book III, Satire 1

TIme was, and that was term'd the time of Gold,
When world and time were young, that now are old.
(When quiet Saturne swaid the mace of lead,
And Pride was yet vnborne, and yet vnbred.)
Time was, that whiles the Autumne fall did last,
Our hungrie sires gapte for the falling mast of the Dodonian oakes.
Could no vnhusked Akorne leaue the tree,
But there was challenge made whose it might be.
And if some nice and licorous appetite,
Desir'd more daintie dish of rare delite,
They scal'd the stored Crab with clasped knee,
Till they had sated their delicious eye:
Or search'd the hopefull thicks of hedgy-rowes,
For brierie berries, or hawes, or sowrer sloes:
Or when they meant to fare the fin'st of all,
They lickt oake-leaues besprint with hony fall.
As for the thrise three-angled beech nut-shell,
Or chesnuts armed huske, and hid kernell,
No Squire durst touch, the law would not afford,
Kept for the Court, and for the kings owne bord.
Their royall Plate was clay, or wood, or stone:
The vulgar, saue his hand, else had he none.
Their onely seller was the neighbour brooke.
None did for better care, for better looke.
Was then no playning of the Brewers scape,
Nor greedie Uintner mixt the strained grape.
The kings pauilion, was the grassy green,
Vnder safe shelter of the shadie treen.
Vnder each banke men layd their lims along,
Not wishing anie ease, not fearing wrong:
Clad with their owne, as they were made of old,
Not fearing shame, not feeling anie cold,
But when by Ceres huswifrie and paine,
Men learn'd to burie the reuiuing graine:
And father Ianus taught the new found vine,
Rise on the Elme, with many a friendly twine..
And base desire bad men to deluen low,
For needlesse mettals: then gan mischiefe grow.
Then farwell fayrest age, the worlds best dayes:
Thriuing in ill as it in age decaies.
Then crept in Pride, and peeuish Couetise:
And men grue greedie, discordous and nice.
Now man, that earst Haile fellow was with beast,
Woxe on to weene himselfe a God at least.
No aerie foule can take so high a flight,
Tho she her daring wings in clouds haue dight:
Nor fish can diue so deepe in yeelding Sea.
Tho Thetis-selfe should sweare her safetie:
Nor fearfull beast can dig his caue so lowe,
All could he further then earths center go:
As that the ayre, the earth, or Ocean,
Sould shield them from the gorge of greedie man.
Hath vtmost Inde ought better then his owne?
Then vtmost Inde is neare, and rife to gone.
O Nature: was the world ordain'd for nought,
But fill mans maw, and feede mans idle thought?
Thy Grandsires words sauor'd of thriftie Leekes,
Or manly Garlicke, But thy furnace reekes,
Hote steams of wine: and can a loofe descrie
The drunken draughts of sweete Autumnitie.
They naked went: or clad in ruder hide:
Or home-spun Russet, void of forraine pride:
But thou canst maske in garish gauderie,
To suit a fooles far-fetched liuerie.
A French head ioyn'd to necke Italian:
Thy thighs from Germanie, and brest fro Spains:
An Englishman in none, a foole in all:
Many in one, and one in seuerall.
Then men were men, but now the greater part
Beasts are in life, and women are in heart.
Good Saturne selfe, that homely Emperour?
In proudest pompe was not so clad of yore,
As is the vnder-groome of the Ostlerie,
Husbanding it in work-day yeomanrie.
Lo the long date of those expired daies,
Which the inspired Merlins word fore-saies:
When dunghill Pesants shall be dight as kings,
Then one confusion another brings:
Then farewell fairest age, the worlds best daies,
Thriuing in ill, as it in age decaies.