4 KING ALFRED'S
40 lines✦
arted from thee, then mightest thou scoff at these presentriches, and mightest say, O, how good and pleasant it is,that any one should possess great wealth, since he who ob-tains it is never secure ! When Reason had made this speech, she began to sing,and thus said: O, how happy was the first age of this middle-earth, when to every man there seemed enough in the fruitsof the earth! There were not then splendid houses, norvarious sweetmeats nor drinks; nor were they desirous ofcostly apparel, for they as yet were not, nor did they see orhear anything of them. They cared not for any luxury, butvery temperately followed nature. They always ate oncein the day, and that was in the evening. They ate the fruitsof trees, and herbs. They drank no pure wine, nor knewthey how to mix any liquor with honey, nor cared they forsilken garments of various colors. They always slept outin the shade of trees. They drank the water of the clearsprings. No merchant visited island or coast, nor did anyman as yet hear of any ship-army, nor even the mention ofany war. The earth was not yet polluted with the blood ofslain men, nor was any one even wounded. They did notas yet look upon evil-minded men. Such had no honor; nordid any man love them. Alas, that our times cannot nowbecome such! But now the covetousness of men is as burn-ing as the fire in the hell, which is in the mountain that iscalled ^tna, in the island that is called Sicily. The moun-tain is always burning with brimstone, and bums up all thenear places thereabout. Alas, what was the first avariciousman, who first began to dig the earth after gold, and aftergems, and found the dangerous treasure, which before washid and covered with the earth ! When Wisdom had sung this lay, then began he againto speak, and thus said: What more can I say to thee, con-cerning the dignity and concerning the power of this world?For power ye would raise yourselves up to heaven, if yewere able. This is, because ye do not remember, nor un-derstand, the heavenly power and the dignity which is yourown, and whence ye came. What, then, with regard to yourwealth, and your power, which ye now call dignity, if itshould come to the worst men of all, and to him that of all
✦