For　rain　and　water　and　to　call　at　times
  For　winds　and　gales。　Ergo；　if　divers　moods
  Compel　the　brutes；　though　speechless　evermore；
  To　send　forth　divers　sounds；　O　truly　then
  How　much　more　likely　'twere　that　mortal　men
  In　those　days　could　with　many　a　different　sound
  Denote　each　separate　thing。
  And　now　what　cause
  Hath　spread　divinities　of　gods　abroad
  Through　mighty　nations；　and　filled　the　cities　full
  Of　the　high　altars；　and　led　to　practices
  Of　solemn　rites　in　season…　rites　which　still
  Flourish　in　midst　of　great　affairs　of　state
  And　midst　great　centres　of　man's　civic　life；
  The　rites　whence　still　a　poor　mortality
  Is　grafted　that　quaking　awe　which　rears　aloft
  Still　the　new　temples　of　gods　from　land　to　land
  And　drives　mankind　to　visit　them　in　throngs
  On　holy　days…　'tis　not　so　hard　to　give
  Reason　thereof　in　speech。　Because；　in　sooth；
  Even　in　those　days　would　the　race　of　man
  Be　seeing　excelling　visages　of　gods
  With　mind　awake；　and　in　his　sleeps；　yet　more…
  Bodies　of　wondrous　growth。　And；　thus；　to　these
  Would　men　attribute　sense；　because　they　seemed
  To　move　their　limbs　and　speak　pronouncements　high；
  Befitting　glorious　visage　and　vast　powers。
  And　men　would　give　them　an　eternal　life；
  Because　their　visages　forevermore
  Were　there　before　them；　and　their　shapes　remained；
  And　chiefly；　however；　because　men　would　not　think
  Beings　augmented　with　such　mighty　powers
  Could　well　by　any　force　o'ermastered　be。
  And　men　would　think　them　in　their　happiness
  Excelling　far；　because　the　fear　of　death
  Vexed　no　one　of　them　at　all；　and　since
  At　same　time　in　men's　sleeps　men　saw　them　do
  So　many　wonders；　and　yet　feel　therefrom
  Themselves　no　weariness。　Besides；　men　marked
  How　in　a　fixed　order　rolled　around
  The　systems　of　the　sky；　and　changed　times
  Of　annual　seasons；　nor　were　able　then
  To　know　thereof　the　causes。　Therefore　'twas
  Men　would　take　refuge　in　consigning　all
  Unto　divinities；　and　in　feigning　all
  Was　guided　by　their　nod。　And　in　the　sky
  They　set　the　seats　and　vaults　of　gods；　because
  Across　the　sky　night　and　the　moon　are　seen
  To　roll　along…　moon；　day；　and　night；　and　night's
  Old　awesome　constellations　evermore；
  And　the　night…wandering　fireballs　of　the　sky；
  And　flying　flames；　clouds；　and　the　sun；　the　rains；
  Snow　and　the　winds；　the　lightnings；　and　the　hail；
  And　the　swift　rumblings；　and　the　hollow　roar
  Of　mighty　menacings　forevermore。
  O　humankind　unhappy！…　when　it　ascribed
  Unto　divinities　such　awesome　deeds；
  And　coupled　thereto　rigours　of　fierce　wrath！
  What　groans　did　men　on　that　sad　day　beget
  Even　for　themselves；　and　O　what　wounds　for　us；
  What　tears　for　our　children's　children！　Nor；　O　man；
  Is　thy　true　piety　in　this：　with　head
  Under　the　veil；　still　to　be　seen　to　turn
  Fronting　a　stone；　and　ever　to　approach
  Unto　all　altars；　nor　so　prone　on　earth
  Forward　to　fall；　to　spread　upturned　palms
  Before　the　shrines　of　gods；　nor　yet　to　dew
  Altars　with　profuse　blood　of　four…foot　beasts；
  Nor　vows　with　vows　to　link。　But　rather　this：
  To　look　on　all　things　with　a　master　eye
  And　mind　at　peace。　For　when　we　gaze　aloft
  Upon　the　skiey　vaults　of　yon　great　world
  And　ether；　fixed　high　o'er　twinkling　stars；
  And　into　our　thought　there　come　the　journeyings
  Of　sun　and　moon；　O　then　into　our　breasts；
  O'erburdened　already　with　their　other　ills；
  Begins　forthwith　to　rear　its　sudden　head
  One　more　misgiving：　lest　o'er　us；　percase；
  It　be　the　gods'　immeasurable　power
  That　rolls；　with　varied　motion；　round　and　round
  The　far　white　constellations。　For　the　lack
  Of　aught　of　reasons　tries　the　puzzled　mind：
  Whether　was　ever　a　birth…time　of　the　world；
  And　whether；　likewise；　any　end　shall　be
  How　far　the　ramparts　of　the　world　can　still
  Outstand　this　strain　of　ever…roused　motion；
  Or　whether；　divinely　with　eternal　weal
  Endowed；　they　can　through　endless　tracts　of　age
  Glide　on；　defying　the　o'er…mighty　powers
  Of　the　immeasurable　ages。　Lo；
  What　man　is　there　whose　mind　with　dread　of　gods
  Cringes　not　close；　whose　limbs　with　terror…spell
  Crouch　not　together；　when　the　parched　earth
  Quakes　with　the　horrible　thunderbolt　amain；
  And　across　the　mighty　sky　the　rumblings　run？
  Do　not　the　peoples　and　the　nations　shake；
  And　haughty　kings　do　they　not　hug　their　limbs；
  Strook　through　with　fear　of　the　divinities；
  Lest　for　aught　foully　done　or　madly　said
  The　heavy　time　be　now　at　hand　to　pay？
  When；　too；　fierce　force　of　fury…winds　at　sea
  Sweepeth　a　navy's　admiral　down　the　main
  With　his　stout　legions　and　his　elephants；
  Doth　he　not　seek　the　peace　of　gods　with　vows；
  And　beg　in　prayer；　a…tremble；　lulled　winds
  And　friendly　gales？…　in　vain；　since；　often　up…caught
  In　fury…cyclones；　is　he　borne　along；
  For　all　his　mouthings；　to　the　shoals　of　doom。
  Ah；　so　irrevocably　some　hidden　power
  Betramples　forevermore　affairs　of　men；
  And　visibly　grindeth　with　its　heel　in　mire
  The　lictors'　glorious　rods　and　axes　dire；
  Having　them　in　derision！　Again；　when　earth
  From　end　to　end　is　rocking　under　foot；
  And　shaken　cities　ruin　down；　or　threaten
  Upon　the　verge；　what　wonder　is　it　then
  That　mortal　generations　abase　themselves；
  And　unto　gods　in　all　affairs　of　earth
  Assign　as　last　resort　almighty　powers
  And　wondrous　energies　to　govern　all？
  Now　for　the　rest：　copper　and　gold　and　iron
  Discovered　were；　and　with　them　silver's　weight
  And　power　of　lead；　when　with　prodigious　heat
  The　conflagrations　burned　the　forest　trees
  Among　the　mighty　mountains；　by　a　bolt
  Of　lightning　from　the　sky；　or　else　because
  Men；　warring　in　the　woodlands；　on　their　foes
  Had　hurled　fire　to　frighten　and　dismay；
  Or　yet　because；　by　goodness　of　the　soil
  Invited；　men　desired　to　clear　rich　fields
  And　turn　the　countryside　to　pasture…lands；
  Or　slay　the　wild　and　thrive　upon　the　spoils。
  （For　hunting　by　pit…fall　and　by　fire　arose
  Before　the　art　of　hedging　the　covert　round
  With　net　or　stirring　it　with　dogs　of　chase。）
  Howso　the　fact；　and　from　what　cause　soever
  The　flamy　heat　with　awful　crack　and　roar
  Had　there　devoured　to　their　deepest　roots
  The　forest　trees　and　baked　the　earth　with　fire；
  Then　from　the　boiling　veins　began　to　ooze
  O　rivulets　of　silver　and　of　gold；
  Of　lead　and　copper　too；　collecting　soon
  Into　the　hollow　places　of　the　ground。
  And　when　men　saw　the　cooled　lumps　anon
  To　shine　with　splendour…sheen　upon　the　ground；
  Much　taken　with　that　lustrous　smooth　delight；
  They　'gan　to　pry　them　out；　and　saw　how　each
  Had　got　a　shape　like　to　its　earthy　mould。
  Then　would　it　enter　their　heads　how　these　same　lumps；
  If　melted　by　heat；　could　into　any　form
  Or　figure　of　things　be　run；　and　how；　again；
  If　hammered　out；　they　could　be　nicely　drawn
  To　sharpest　points　or　finest　edge；　and　thus
  Yield　to　the　forgers　tools　and　give　them　power
  To　chop　the　forest　down；　to　hew　the　logs；
  To　shave　the　beams　and　planks；　besides　to　bore
  And　punch　and　drill。　And　men　began　such　work
  At　first　as　much　with　tools　of　silver　and　gold
  As　with　the　impetuous　strength　of　the　stout　copper；
  But　vainly…　since　their　over…mastered　power
  Would　soon　give　way；　unable　to　endure；
  Like　copper；　such　hard　labour。　In　those　days
  Copper　it　was　that　was　the　thing　of　price；
  And　gold　lay　useless；　blunted　with　dull　edge。
  Now　lies　the　copper　low；　and　gold　hath　come
  Unto　the　loftiest　honours。　Thus　it　is
  That　rolling　ages　change　the　times　of　things：
  What　erst　was　of　a　price；　becomes　at　last
  A　discard　of　no　honour；　whilst　another
  Succeeds　to　glory；　issuing　from　contempt；
  And　day　by　day　is　sought　for　more　and　more；
  And；　when　'tis　found；　doth　flower　in　men's　praise；
  Objects　of　wondrous　honour。
  Now；　Memmius；
  How　nature　of　iron　discovered　was；　thou　mayst
  Of　thine　own　self　divine。　Man's　ancient　arms
  Were　hands；　and　nails　and　teeth；　stones　too　and　boughs…
  Breakage　of　forest　trees…　and　flame　and　fire；
  As　soon　as　known。　Thereafter　force　of　iron
  And　copper　discovered　was；　and　copper's　use
  Was　known　ere　iron's；　since　more　tractable
  Its　nature　is　and　its　abundance　more。
  With　copper　men　to　work　the　soil　began；
  With　copper　to　rouse　the　hurly　waves　of　war；
  To　straw　the　monstrous　wounds；　and　seize　away
  Another's　flocks　and　fields。　For　unto　them；
  Thus　armed；　all　things　naked　of　defence
  Readily　yielded。　Then　by　slow　degrees
  The　sword　of　iron　succeeded；　and　the　shape
  Of　brazen　sickle　into　scorn　was　turned：
  With　iron　to　cleave　the　soil　of　earth　they　'gan；
  And　the　contentions　of　uncertain　war
  Were　rendered　equal。
  And；　lo；　man　was　wont
  Armed　to　mount　upon　the　ribs　of　horse
  And　guide　him　with　the　rein；　and　play　about
  With　right　hand　free；　oft　times　before　he　tried
  Perils　of　war　in　yoked　chariot；
  And　yoked　pairs　abreast　came　earlier
  Than　yokes　of　four；　or　scythed　chariots
  Whereinto　clomb　the　men…at…arms。　And　next
  The　Punic　folk　did　train　the　elephants…
  Those　curst　Lucanian　oxen；　hideous；
  The　serpent…handed；　with　turrets　on　their　bulks…
  To　dure　the　wounds　of　war　and　panic…strike
  The　mighty　troops　of　Mars。　Thus　Discord　sad
  Begat　the　one　Thing　after　other；　to　be
  The　terror　of　the　nations　under　arms；
  And　day　by　day　to　horrors　of　old　war
  She　added　an　increase。
  Bulls；　too；　they　tried
  In　war's　grim　business；　and　essayed　to　send
  Outrageous　boars　against　the　foes。　And　some
  Sent　on　before　their　ranks　puissant　lions