The English Parnassus, or, A helpe to English poesie containing a collection of all rhyming monosyllables, the choicest epithets, and phrases : with some general forms upon all occasions, subjects, and theams, alphabeticaly digested : together with a short institution to English poesie, by way of a preface / by Joshua Poole.

Golden age.

The age of better mettal. Strife only raign'd, for all strove to be good. Rivers ran with streams of milk. Honey-dropped from the trees. The earth unto the husbandman Gave her voluntary sees. When no freezing cold beguile. The eternal flowry spring. And th•• heavens a constant smile, Darted upon every thing, When no ship had brought from farre Neither ill sought ware nor war, Pale conscience started not at ugly sinne When good old Saturn's peacefel throne Was unusurped by his beardlesse son. When jealous Ops nere fear'd the abuse Of her chast bed, or breach of nuptial truce, When just Ast aea poys'd her scales, in mortal hearts. Saturnes reigne, when as the homely cave, A narrow dwelling to the people ga••.

A litle hearth, small fire, when beasts and men Slept in the shadow of one common den, The hearb gave wholsome seeds at first, And the clear fountain quencht their thirst, Beneath the shadow of the pine, Men slept, then in the Ocean brine; No keele was washt, no unknown guest On any forraigne coasts did rest, No blood was shed through bitter hate, No armes took up to pluck on fate, For what should hostile fury do? Or stir up mad mens spirits unto. Saturnes reign, When as the earth unmeted did remain, And no long journey's known, the sea not cut By any crooked sterne, as ye•• 〈…〉〈…〉 To such new but thens, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••dering wind To play withal, no limber say 〈◊〉〈◊〉 could find; Nor did the erring mariner so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Travel, or yet find out the constant star. By which to steer, nor as they now do roame from remote places to bring traffique home. The servile yoke did not the bull disturbe The unbackt Jennet knew no bit or curbe, The dwelling house no dore had, but stood ope, Nor was the stone prefixt, that bounds the scope Of common fields, the bollow oake the hive That yeilded honey, neither did they drive Their cattel home, but with their udders swel••'d, They flockt unto the milk-paile uncompell'd, No wrath, no war, no armies to invade, For no smith then, knew how to cast a blade. In the worlds young dayes Nation 'gainst nation did no forces raise T▪ invade each other, no man then for gain Da••'d in a thin rib'd bark to crosse the main. No craft was knowne, no fraud then understood, The udders of their cattel lent them food, The fleece their garments, only to defend. From wind and weather (for no other end Was clothing made) pride was a monster then Unheard, unthought, one fashion was to men.

Women another, for no change they knew, One garbe they kept, and studied nothing new, None idle was, but liv'd by his own sweat, ••he brook their drink, the herbe and root their meat, ••he industrious oxe safe wanders up and down. ••ares and bright felicity do crown And seede the land; through seas by Neptune tam'd No sailors fly, faith feareth to be blam'd. No chast house with adultery defil'd, C••stome and law had spotted sin exil'd, Each man about his own hills shut up day, And 'bout the widow elmes doth vines display, And frolick in free earouses. When every thought a seed did bring. And every look a plant did bring. And every breath a flower, Then earth unplough'd did yeild her crop, P••e honey from the oake did drop; The fountains did run milke, The thistle did the lilly bear, And every bramble roses wear, And every worm made silke, The very shrub did balsome sweat, And nectar melt the rock with heat, And earth did drink her fill, That she no harmful weed did kow, Nor barren ferne, nor mandrake low, Nor mineral to kil, The male and female us'd to joynt, And into all delight did coyne That pure simplicity, Then feature did to forme advance, And youth call'd beauty forth to dance, And every grace was by, It was a time of no distrust So much of love, had nought of lust, None fear'd a jealous eye. The language melted in the ear, Yet all without a blush might hear, They liv'd with open vow. Each touch and kisse was so well plac't, They were as sweet as they were chast.

The goates their swelling udders home did bear The droves did then no shaggie lyons fear; No herbes did with deceitful poison flow, And sweet Amomum every where did grow. Ripe grapes did dangle from the briars tops Hard oakes sweet hony formed in dewie drops The pine did then no use of trade retaine. Each country bred all fruit, the earth disdaind The harrows weight, and vines the sickles stroke. Strong ploughmen let their bulls go free from yokes, Wooll learn'd not to dissemble colours strange, But rams their fleeces then in pastures chang'd To pleasing purple, or to saffron die, And lambes turne ruddie, as they feeding lie. The golden time which uncompell'd, And without rule in faith and truth excell'd, As then there was nor punishment, nor fear Nor threatning lawes in brasse preseribed were, Nor suppliant crouching prisoners stoopt to see Their angry judge, but all was safe and free. To visit other worlds no wounded pine Did yet from hills to faithlesse seas decline. Then unambitious mortals knew no more But their own countries natur-bounded shore, Nor swords nor armes were yet no trenches round Beseiged townes nor strifefull trumpets sound, The souldier of no vse in firme content And harmeless ease their happy dayes were spent, The yet free earth did of her owne accord, Untorn with ploughes, all sorts of fruits afford, Content with natures unenforced food. They gather wildings, straw buries of the wood, Sower cornells, what upon the bramble growes, And Acorns which Joves spreading oak bestowes. 'Twas alwaies spring, warm Zephyr sweetly blew On smiling flowers, which without setting grew; Forth with the earth, corn unmanured bears, And every tree renewes her golden ears, With milk and nectar were the rivers fili'd, And honey from green holly-oaks distili'd. When froth-born Venus, and her br••t, With all that furious brood young Jove begar.

In horrid shapes, were yet unknown Those Haleyon daies, those golden daies are gone. There was no clyent then to wait The leisure of a long-tail'd Advocate. The Talion law was in request, And Chancery courts were kept in every breast; Abused statutes had no tenters, And men could deal secure without indenters; There was no peeping hole, to clear The wittols eye from his incarnate fear. There were no lustful cinders then To broyl, the ca••bonadoed hearts of men; The rosie cheek did then proclaime A shame of guilt, but not a guilt of shame. There was no whining soul to start At Cupids twang, or curse his flaming dart. The boy had then but callow wings, And fell Erynnis scorpions had no stings. The better acted world did move Upon the fixed poles of truth and love; Love essenc'd in the hearts of men, Then reason rul'd, there was no passion then, Till lust and rage began to enter, Love the circumference was, and love the center, Untill the wanton daies of Jove, T••e simple world was all compos'd of love. V. Britannia's Pastorals. Lib. 2. Song 3. Boet. Matam, lib. 2. Met. 5. Juvenal. Sat. 6. Tibullus. Lib. 1. Eclog. 3.