Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 3: SATIRE: 1, by JOSEPH HALL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 3: SATIRE: 1, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Time was, and that was term'd the time of gold
Last Line: Thriuing in ill, as it in age decayes.
Variant Title(s): The Golden Age
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Life; Pride; Sea; Time; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens; Self-esteem; Self-respect; Ocean


Time was, and that was term'd the time of Gold,
When world & time were yong, 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 hungry sires gap't for the falling mast of the Dodonian okes.
Could no vnhusked Akorne leaue the tree,
But there was chalenge made whose it might bee.
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 thick's of hedgy-rowes,
For bryer-berryes, 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 Vintner mixt the strained grape.
The kings pauilion, was the grassy greene,
Vnder safe shelter of the shadie treene.
Vnder each banke men laide their lims along,
Not wishing any ease, not fearing wrong:
Clad with their owne, as they were made of olde,
Not fearing shame, not feeling any cold.
But when by Ceres huswifrie and paine,
Men learn'd to bury 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 farewell fayrest age, the worlds best daies,
Thriuing in ill, as it in age decaies.
Then crept in Pride, and peeuish Couetise:
And men grew greedy, discordous and nice.
Now man, that earst Haile-fellow was with beast,
Woxe on to weene himselfe a God at least.
No aery 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 fearefull beast can dig his caue so lowe,
All could he further then Earths center goe:
As that the ayre, the earth, or Ocean,
Should shield them from the gorge of greedy 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 sauord of thriftie Leekes,
Or manly Garlicke: But thy fornace reekes
Hote steams of wine, and can aloofe descrie
The drunken draughts of sweet Autumnitie.
They naked went: or clad in ruder hide,
Or home-spun Russet, voyd of forraine pride:
But thou canst maske in garish gauderie,
To suit a fooles far-fetched liuery.
A French head ioynd to necke Italian:
Thy thighs from Germanie, and brest fro Spaine:
An Englishman in none, a foole in all,
Many in one, and one in seuerall.
Then men were men, but now the greater part
Bestes 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 vndergroome of the Ostlerie,
Husbanding it in work-day yeomanrie:
Lo the long date of those expired daies,
Which the inspired Merlins word foresaies:
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 decayes.





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