The Four Ages

　　There had been four ages since the human world first cameinto being ．They are the Golden Age，the Silver Age，the Age of Bronze and the Age of Iron．The Golden Agewas the best of all．．There wereno extremes of cold and heat．Men lived a happy life．They were forever young．They were always eating richly and knew neither hard labour nor sorrow．When death came it came like apeaceful sleep．And they became good spirits in heaven ．

　　The Silver Age was of helpless be ginning．It lasted a hundred years．And it was the time of manhood，short and troubled．Men spent in ignorance and evil．They no longer admired the gods and offered no sacrifices．However，as the race of the Silver Age was not entirely lack of goodness，they had some honour and lived on as spirits under the earth．

　　During the age of Bronze men became further degenerated ．Dressed in bronze and armed with weapons of bronze，they live din the houses of bronze．Cruel and heartless，they delighted inwar and died in endless struggle．When they passed away，they came into the darkness of the lower world．

　　The last age，that of Iron，was one of continual care and grief．There was no family love，no sense of respectful duty，no friend ship ．Nor was there any faith，truth and justice．Evil was widespread，might was right，and the flames of war burnt the surface of the earth．