defpairing of his own Happiness and envying ours, feeks by Contrivance to bring us to Shame and Misery; and watches, no Doubt, fomewhere near at Hand, with a greedy Hope to find his Wish, and us asunder, when he might take an Advantage; for he can have no Hope to circumvent us thus join'd together, where each in a Time of Need, might fpeedily and eafily give Help to the other. Whether his firft Defign be to draw us from our Duty to GoD, or whether he would disturb our conjugal Love; (than which perhaps no Happiness enjoy'd by us more excites his Envy) let it be this or worfe, leave not the faithful Side, 'from whence thou hadst thy Being, and that still guards and protects thee: For where Danger or Difhonour lurks, a Wife is safest, and feemlieft by the Side of her Husband, who defends her, or else endures the worft with her.

To whom EvE, with Virgin Modefty and yet majestick, as one who loves, and from whom he loves meets with fome Unkindnefs, fweetly compos'd, and yet not without fome Aufterity, reply'd thus:

OFFSPRING of Heaven and Earth, and Lord of all the Earth! that we have fuch an Enemy, who feeks our Ruin, I have learnt, both by Information from thee, and from what I over-heard from the Angel as he was departing, where I ftood behind in a fhady Nook, being juft then return'd, at the Shutting of the Flowers in the Evening. But that thou fhould'ft doubt my Firmness to GOD or thee, because we have a Foe may happen to tempt it, I muft confefs I did not expect to hear: Thou art not afraid of his Violence, it being fuch (for he cannot deftroy us, or put us to Pain) as we can either not receive, or elfe refift and repel it: It his Fraud then that thou art afraid of; which plainly infers thy Fear equal, that my firm Faith and Love, can be feduc'd or fhaken by his

Fraud:

Fraud: How could fuch Thought find any Harbour in thy Breaft, fuch ungrounded Sufpicion, ADAM, of her, that but just now thou faid'it was fo dear to thee?

To whom ADA M, with healing Words, made Anfwer: Immortal EVE! (form'd by GoD himfelf from MAN!) for fuch thou art, while free from Sin and Blame; that I perfuade thee not to abfent thyfelf from my Sight, is not because I am diffident of thee, but to avoid the Attempt itself, intended by our Enemy: For he who tempts, though it prove in vain, however afperfes the Tempted with fome Degree of Difhonour; for it fuppofes the Tempted not Proof against Temptation, but liable to be corrupted! Even thou thyfelf, were fuch a Wrong offer'd thee, would'st refent it with Scorn and Anger, though it prov'd ineffectual: Then think it not amifs, if I endeavour to prevent fuch an Affront being put upon thee alone, which the Enemy, though bold, will hardly dare to `offer us both at once. Nor do thou think too lightly of his Fraud and Malice; he muft needs be very fubtle who could feduce Angels; nor do thou think the. Affiftance of another unneceffary or fuperfluous: I, from the Influence of thy Looks receive Increase of every Virtue; in thy Sight I am wifer, more watchful, (if Need were of outward Strength) ftronger; for Shame, to be overcome or over-reach'd while thou look'd on, would raife new Vigour in me, and make me exert myself to the utmoft: Why should'st not thou, when I am prefent, feel the like Senfe within thee, and chufe the Trial along with me, who am the best Witness of thy tried Virtue?

IN this domeftick Manner, and in his matrimonial Care and Love, ADAM fpoke; but EvE, who thought lefs was attributed to her dear Faith than was due, with foft Words made Answer:

How

How are we happy, if this is our Condition? Always to be in Fear of Harm, and always to dwell thus in narrow Bounds, ftraiten'd by a subtle or violent Enemy, and we meeting him fingle, not indued with Power to defend ourselves against him? Well, but Harm thou fay'ft does not come before Sin; only our Foe if he tempts us, he affronts us with his foul Opinion of our Integrity: His foul Opinion fixes

no Dishonour upon us, but turns fouler upon himfelf: Then wherefore fhould he be fhunn'd or fear'd by us, who rather gain double Honour by the Event, from proving his Surmife falfe, and are favour'd from Heaven with a Witnefs of Peace within, that our Virtues have stood the Trial? And what is Faith, or Love, or Virtue, that has not been tried in its own Strength, and without other Affiftance? Don't let us fufpect, that our happy State is left fo imperfect by the wife Creator, as not to be fecure as well alone, as when in Company together; for otherwife our Happinefs would be but frail, and EDEN (to fpeak the Truth) expos'd in this Manner, would be no PARADISE at all. To whom ADAM with fome Fervency replied:

OH Woman! all Things are beft, as the Will of GOD has ordain'd them: He created nothing imperfect, or left any Thing that he had created deficient; much lefs MAN, or any Thing that might fecure to him his happy State. MAN is fafe from outward Force, all the Danger lies within himself, and that in his own Power; for againft his Will he can never re ceive Harm: But GOD has left the Will free; for what obeys Reason that is free, and Reafon GOD made right: But let Reafon beware, and keep ftrict Watch, left furpriz'd by fair Appearances of Good, fhe dictate falfely, and fo influence the Will to do that which God hath exprefly forbid. It is not Mi

fruft

ftruft then, but tender Love, that urges me to mind. thee often of thy Duty; and do thou often remind me! We fubfift and remain firm, yet it is poffible for us to fwerve; fince our Reafon may meet fome fpecious Temptation, made Ufe of by our Adverfary to deceive us, and fo not keeping Watch in the strictest Manner, as she was warn'd to do, Reafon may inadvertently fall into the Deception. Then don't feek Temptation, which it were much better to avoid; which will be moft likely, if thou feparate thyfelf not from me: Trials in all Likelihood will come without feeking. Would't thou give Proof of thy Conftancy? Give Proof of thy Obedience: Who can be fure of thy Conftancy or atteft it, not feeing thee attempted? But, if thou thinkeft another Time, when we are not fo well warn'd, we may be found not fo well prepar'd as thou feemeft to think thyself. ----Go! ---- for if thou ftayeft, not being free, thou art but the more abfent: Go! in thy native Innocence! fummon all thy Virtue to thy Affiftance, and rely upon it! for GoD has done his Part towards thee, do thou do thine.

So fpoke our firft Father; but EvE, fubmiffive though the perfifted and spoke laft, replied: Then thus forewarn'd, and with thy Permiffion, mov'd chiefly by the reafoning of thy own laft Words, I go the more willingly; thinking, as thou fay'ft, our Trial might come, when leaft fought for or expected by us, and find us both perhaps far lefs prepar'd: Nor do I much expect that fo proud a Foe will firfst seek the weakeft; but should he be bent fo to do, his Repulfe should shame him the more.

СНАР.

С НА Р. III.

The Serpent finds Eve alone; approaches and Speaks to her, with many Wiles and Arguments induces her to taste the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: She refolves to impart thereof to Adam.

S

AYING this, EvE foftly withdrew her Hand from her Husband's, and light, like what is feign'd of Wood-Nymphs, or of DIANA'S (1) Train, betook her to the Groves; but in her Gait and Goddefs-like Deportment, fhe furpass'd all that has been fabled of DIANA'S Self; though not arm'd like her with Bow and Quiver, but only with fuch gardening Tools, as Art had rudely form'd without the Help of Fire, or the Angels had brought. A Picture of CERES in her Prime, or of POMONA when The fled from VERTUMNUS, (m) is what fhe feem'd likeft, as he parted from ADA M. He, with Eyes full of Affection, for a great while look'd after her delighted; but yet he rather wifh'd that she had ftaid. He often repeated his Charge to her to come back foon, and the as often promis'd him, that she would be return'd to the Bower by Noon, and have every Thing in the best Order, to invite Repaft then, or Repofe after Noon. Unfortunate EvE! much deceiv'd, much

(1) Diana. The Daughter of Jupiter and Latona, Goddefs of the Woods, Hunting and Virginity. The Nymphs were her Attendants.

(m) Vertumnus; Lat. i. e. The changing Year. A God among the old Romans, who fell in Love with Pomona, and to obtain her, he turned himself into all Forms.

U

He was King of Tuscany, who taught Men the Art of Gardening; for which he was deified. This Fable fignifies the different Seafons of the Year. His Feafs were celebrated at Rome, in the Autumn; wherein they thanked the God for preferving the Fruits to Maturity.