On-line conversations about sex can indeed get tiresome, but, cheer up, Gordon. Here's an excerpt from a poem by Aphra Behn, "The Golden Age":
***** ...The stubborn plough had then Made no rude rapes upon the virgin Earth; Who yielded of her own accord her plenteous birth, Without the aids of men; As if within her teeming womb All Nature, and all sexes lay, Whence new creations ev'ry day Into the happy world did come; The roses filled with morning dew, Bent down their loaded heads, T'adorn the careless shepherds' grassy beds While still young opening buds each moment grew, And as those withered, dressed his shaded couch anew; Beneath whose boughs the snakes securely dwelt, Not doing harm, nor harm from others felt; With whom the nymphs did innocently play, No spiteful venom in the wantons lay; But to the touch were soft, and to the sight were gay.
Then no rough sound of war's alarms Had taught the world the needless use of arms: Monarchs were uncreated then, Those arbitrary rulers over men: Kings that made laws, first broke 'em, and the gods By teaching us religion first, first set teh world at odds: Till then ambition was not known, That poison to content, bane to repose; Each swain was lord o'er his own will alone, His innocence religion was, and laws. Nor needed any troublesome defense Against his neighbor's insolence. Flocks, herds, and ev'ry necessary good Which bounteous Nature had designed for food, Whose kind increase o'erspread the meads and plains, Was then a common sacrifice to all th'agreeing swains.
Right and property were words since made, When Pow'r taught mankind to invade: When Pride and Avarice became a trade; Carried on by discord, noise and wars, For which they bartered wounds and scars; And to enhance the merchandise, miscalled it Fame, And rapes, invasions, tyrannies Was gaining of a glorious name: Styling their savage slaughters, Victories; Honor, the error and the cheat Of the ill-natured busy Great, Nonsense, invented by the proud, Fond idol of the slavish crowd, Thou wert not known in those blest days, Thy poison was not mixed with our unbounded joys; Then it was glory to pursue delight, And that was lawful all, that Pleasure did invite, Then 'twas the amorous world enjoyed its reign; And tyrant Honor strove t'usurp in vain....
<http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/422/e_texts/behn_golden_age.html> ***** -- Yoshie
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