The Silver Age

But when Good Saturn , banish'd from above,
Was driven to Hell, the World was under Jove .
Succeeding times a Silver Age behold,
Excelling Brass, but more excell'd by Gold.
Then Summer, Autumn, Winter did appear:
And Spring was but a Season of the Year.
The Sun his Annual Course obliquely made,
Good days contracted, and enlarg'd the bad
Then Air with sultry heats began to glow;
The wings of Winds were clogg'd with Ice and Snow;
And shivering Mortals, into Houses driv'n,
Sought shelter from th' inclemency of Heav'n.
Those Houses, then, were Caves, or homely Sheds;
With twining Oziers fenc'd; and Moss their Beds.
Then Ploughs, for Seed, the fruitful Furrows broke,
And Oxen labour'd first, beneath the Yoke.