to receive the same.
Yet when old Saturn heaven's rule possest,
All gain in darkness the deep earth supprest.
Gold, silver, iron's heavy weight, and brass,
In hell were harboured; here was found no mass.
But better things it gave, corn without ploughs,
Apples, and honey in oaks' hollow boughs. 40
With strong ploughshares no man the earth did cleave,
The ditcher no marks on the ground did leave.
Nor hanging oars the troubled seas did sweep,
Men kept the shore and sailed not into deep.
Against thyself, man's nature, thou wert cunning,
And to thine own loss was thy wit swift running.
Why gird'st thy cities with a towered wall,
Why let'st discordant hands to armour fall?
What dost with seas? with th' earth thou wert content;
Why seek'st not heaven, the third realm, to frequent? 50
Heaven thou affects: with Romulus, temples brave,
Bacchus, Alcides, and now Caesar have.
Gold from the earth instead of fruits we pluck;
Soldiers by blood to be enriched have luck.
Courts shut the poor out; wealth gives estimation.
Thence grows the judge, and knight of reputation.
All,[405] they possess: they govern fields and laws,
They manage peace and raw war's bloody jaws.
Only our loves let not such rich churls gain:
'Tis well if some wench for the poor remain. 60
Now, Sabine-like, though chaste she seems to live,
One her[406] commands, who many things can give.
For me, she doth keeper[407] and husband fear,
If I should give, both would the house forbear.
If of scorned lovers god be venger just,
O let him change goods so ill-got to dust.

FOOTNOTES:

[400] Not in Isham copy or ed. A.

[401] So ed. B.--Ed. C "his." ("Caput _hoc_ galeam portare solebat.")

[402] Then.

[403] Old eds. knew.

[404] Marlowe has quite mistaken the meaning of the original "Proque
bono versu primum deducite pilum."

[405] A very loose rendering of Ovid's couplet--

"Omnia possideant; illis Campusque Forumque
Serviat; hi pacem crudaque bella gerant."

[406] So Dyce for "she" of the old eds. ("Imperat ut captae qui dare
multa potest.")

[407] The original has "Me prohibet custos: in me timet illa maritum."

ELEGIA IX.[408]

Tibulli mortem deflet.

If Thetis and the Morn their sons did wail,
And envious Fates great goddesses assail;