A Lyric of the Golden Age Author:Thomas Lake Harris General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1856 Original Publisher: Partridge and Brittan Subjects: Cults Christian sects Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / General Poetry / American / General Religion / Comparative Religion Religion / Cults Religion / Christianity / Denominations Notes: This is a ... more »black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: LYRIC OF THE GOLDEN AGE. Ere Europe perished, on her temples hoary Wearing a crown of scorpions fierce and bold, And nursing in her bosom pierced and gory That fraudful basilisk, the lust of gold, " Ah me," she cried, " ah me, 'tis bitter cold, Press poppies to my lips for I am dying. Once I was young, alas I am not old E'en now." The serpents hissed through all her sighing. "Die, die," "yes die," the basilisk replied. But e'er she slept once more aloud she cried For priestly unction and in madness died. She passed away, yet still her mighty form Cumbered the Earth; her ruins bred a swarm Of crawling adders; some were fierce and red, These on her rank heart's blood for ages fed ; And others were like newts, these on her lips Reveled; her eyes, like meteors in eclipse, Cradled their hollow emptiness within Filmed lids red-stained with loathsome looks of sin, And her shrunk limbs and bloated frame supine Fed fierce, malignant shapes of Poverty and Crime. She was a harlot while she lived; she perished Of in-bred evil; Kings her splendor cherished ; Priests hymned her praises, Prelates graced her board, And Pope and Kaiser shared her couch and poured Their lavish treasures in her lap. She fed Her darling basilisk with blood-drops shed From starving multitudes to sorrow born ; Unclothed they watched her flocks, unfed they reaped...« less