And as five zones the ethereal regions bind, Five, correspondent, are to earth assign’d: The sun, with rays directly darting down, Fires all beneath, and fries the middle zone; The two beneath the distant poles complain Of endless winter, and perpetual rain. Betwixt the extremes, two happier climates hold The temper that partakes of hot and cold. The fields of liquid air, enclosing all, Surround the compass of this earthly ball: The lighter parts lie next the fires above, The grosser near the watery surface move: Thick clouds are spread, and storms engender there, And thunder’s voice, which wretched mortals fear, And winds, that on their wings cold winter bear. Nor were those blust’ring brethren left at large, On seas and shores their fury to discharge: Bound as they are, and circumscribed in place, They rend the world, resistless, where they pass, And mighty marks of mischief leave behind; Such is the rage of their tempestuous kind. First Eurus to the rising morn is sent (The regions of the balmy continent), And eastern realms, where, early, Persians run

A creature of a more exalted kind Was wanting yet, and then was man design’d; Conscious of thought, of more capacious breast, For empire form’d, and fit to rule the rest: Whether with particles of heavenly fire The God of nature did his soul inspire, Or earth, but new divided from the sky, And pliant, still retained the ethereal energy, Which wise Prometheus temper’d into paste, And, mix’d with living streams, the godlike image cast. Thus, while the mute creation downward bend Their sight, and to their earthly mother tend, Man looks aloft, and with erected eyes Beholds his own hereditary skies. From such rude principles our form began, And earth was metamorphosed into man.

During the reign of Saturn the inhabitants of the earth enjoy a state of primeval happiness, secure from the intrusion of evil passions.

The golden age was first, when man, yet new, No rule but uncorrupted reason knew, And, with a native bent did good pursue. Unforced by punishment, unawed by fear, His words were simple, and his soul sincere; Needless was written law where none oppress’d; 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, And happy mortals, unconcern’d for more, Confined their wishes to their native shore. No walls were yet, nor fence, nor moat, nor mound, Nor drum was heard, nor trumpet’s angry sound, Nor swords were forged; but, void of care and crime, The soft creation slept away their time. The teeming earth, yet guiltless of the plough, And unprovoked, did fruitful stores allow: Content with food which Nature freely bred, On wildings and on strawberries they fed; Cornels and brambleberries gave the rest,

And falling acorns furnish’d out a feast. The flowers unsown, in fields and meadows reign’d; And western winds immortal spring maintain’d. In following years the bearded corn ensued From earth unask’d, nor was that earth renew’d. From veins of valleys milk and nectar broke, And honey sweating through the pores of oak.

The earth, no longer under the dominion of Saturn, begins to exhibit marks of degeneracy.

Origin of War.

The Virtues, in despair, quit the earth; and the depravity of man becomes universal and complete.