Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 2.pdf/109

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Their hearts aflame with envious rage

’Gainst dwellers in this golden age

Of peace, o’erran the pleasant earth,

Sowing ill will and murdering mirth,

While envy, malice, spite, and hate

They strove to spread and propagate.

Longing the ruddy gold to win

From mother earth, her very skin

Men tore, and then for treasures stored

Beneath her breast deep caverns bored,

And precious stones and metals sought,

With life and labour dearly bought.

For Avarice and Covetousness

Torment the minds of men, and press

Them on, e’en while they curse and ban

Their lot, to win whate’er they can.

This strives to gain, and that to keep,

For ne’er from out his useless heap

The miser will one denier spend

The while he lives, but when the end

Falls on him, to his heir it goes,

Unless God otherwise dispose

Thereof; and if he lost it all,

Pity therefor need be but small.

Ere long the unhappy human race

Corrupted grew, and every trace

Of simple living lost, they came

To be false tricksters, void of shame;

The land they set about to share

In seigniories, and here and there

Fixed lines and limitations, but

Thereout full many a man was shut.