| A blisful lyf, a paisible and a swete, |
| Ledden the peples in the former age. |
| They helde hem payed of the fruites that they ete, |
| Which that the feldes yave hem by usage; |
| 5 | They ne were nat forpampred with outrage. |
| Unknowen was the quern and ek the melle; |
| They eten mast, hawes, and swich pounage, |
| And dronken water of the colde welle. |
| |
| Yit nas the ground nat wounded with the plough, |
| 10 | But corn up-sprong, unsowe of mannes hond, |
| The which they gnodded and eete nat half ynough. |
| No man yit knew the forwes of his lond, |
| No man the fyr out of the flint yit fond, |
| Unkorven and ungrobbed lay the vyne; |
| 15 | No man yit in the morter spyces grond |
| To clarre ne to sause of galantyne. |
| |
| No mader, welde, or wood no litestere |
| Ne knew; the flees was of his former hewe; |
| No flesh ne wiste offence of egge or spere. |
| 20 | No coyn ne knew man which was fals or trewe, |
| No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe, |
| No marchaunt yit ne fette outlandish ware. |
| No trompes for the werres folk ne knewe, |
| Ne toures heye and walles rounde or square. |
| |
| 25 | What sholde it han avayled to werreye? |
| Ther lay no profit, ther was no richesse; |
| But cursed was the tyme, I dare wel seye, |
| That men first dide hir swety bysinesse |
| To grobbe up metal, lurkinge in derknesse, |
| 30 | And in the riveres first gemmes soghte. |
| Allas, than sprong up al the cursednesse |
| Of coveytyse, that first our sorwe broghte. |
| |
| Thise tyraunts putte hem gladly nat in pres |
| No wildnesse ne no busshes for to winne, |
| 35 | Ther poverte is, as seith Diogenes, |
| Ther as vitaile is ek so skars and thinne |
| That noght but mast or apples is therinne; |
| But, ther as bagges ben and fat vitaile, |
| Ther wol they gon, and spare for no sinne |
| 40 | With al hir ost the cite for to asayle. |
| |
| Yit was no paleis-chaumbres ne non halles; |
| In caves and wodes softe and swete |
| Slepten this blissed folk withoute walles |
| On gras or leves in parfit quiete. |
| 45 | Ne doun of fetheres ne no bleched shete |
| Was kid to hem, but in seurtee they slepte. |
| Hir hertes were al oon withoute galles; |
| Everich of hem his feith to other kepte. |
| |
| Unforged was the hauberk and the plate; |
| 50 | The lambish peple, voyd of alle vyce, |
| Hadden no fantasye to debate, |
| But ech of hem wolde other wel cheryce. |
| No pryde, non envye, non avaryce, |
| No lord, no taylage by no tyrannye; |
| 55 | Humblesse and pees, good feith the emperice. |
| |
| Yit was not Jupiter the likerous, |
| That first was fader of delicacye, |
| Come in this world; ne Nembrot, desirous |
| To regne, had nat maad his toures hye. |
| 60 | Allas, allas, now may men wepe and crye! |
| For in oure dayes nis but covetyse, |
| Doublenesse, and tresoun, and envye, |
| Poyson, manslawhtre, and mordre in sondry wyse. |