At first like one who wanted Accefs, and yet was afraid to interrupt, he work'd his Way fidelong and winding about: Juft as when a Ship brought on by fome fkilful Pilot, near to a River's Mouth or Foreland, where the Wind veers often, fhifts Sail accordingly; fo he varied his Motions, and made many at wanton Curl of his crooked Train in the Sight of EVE, in Hopes to allure her Eye. She being busy, though fhe heard the Sound of Leaves rufling, took no Notice, as being us'd often to have the Beafts fport before her through the Field, they all being obedient to her Call. He now grown bolder, though uncall'd, ftood before her, but feem'd only gazing on her in Admiration: He often bow'd his Head, and his fleek fhining Neck like Enamel; and fawning lick'd the Ground fhe trod upon: At length his gentle dumb Expreffion draw'd the Eye of EVE to take Notice of his Play: He glad that he had gain'd her Attention, making the Serpent's Tongue or Impulfe of vocal Air an Instrument of Speech, thus began his fraudulent Temptation:

SOVEREIGN Miftrefs! (who alone art wonderful) wonder not, much lefs arm thy mild Looks with Difdain, nor be difpleas'd that I approach thee thus,

U 4

Miles from the Sea, and 840 Miles from London; the Seat of the Roman Empire, and for a long Time, the Mistress of the World; having had the greatest Part of Europe, Afia and Africa under her. It was built by Romulus, at the End of the third Year of the fixth Olympiad, A. M. 3031 ; 431 after the Deftruction of Troy; and 753 before the Incarnation, according to the most exact Account. Yet it was taken ten Times; ft, by the Gauls;

and

2d, by Alaric King of the Goths; 3d, by Generic King of Vandals; 4th, by Totila King of the Goths; 5th, by Odoacer King of the Heruli; 6th, by Theodoricus King of the Goths; 7th, by Gundebald King of the Burgundians; 8th, by the Moors; 9th, by Henry IV. Emperor of Germany; 10th, by Charles Duke of Bourbon, A. D. 1528.

and gaze on thee continually without thinking I can ever gaze enough; nor have I (thus fingly) fear'd thy awful Brow, much more awful now retir'd. Faireft Refemblance of thy fair Maker! all Things living gaze on thee, being thine by Gift, and adore thy heavenly Beauty, which they behold with Tranfport! beft to be beheld where it might be univerfally admir'd; but here among thefe Beafts, in this wild Inclofure, (who are but rude Beholders, and incapable of difcerning Half what is fair in thee) except one MAN, who fees thee? And what is one, for thee, who fhould'st be feen a Goddess among Gods, and be ador'd and ferv'd by numberless Angels, and have them in thy daily Train.

So flatter'd the Tempter, and introduc'd himself: His Words made fome Impreffion upon the Heart of EVE, though fhe marvell'd much at the Voice; at Length, not without Amazeinent, fhe replied:

WHAT can be the Meaning of this? Do I hear the Language of MAN and human Senfe, exprefs'd by the Tongue of a Brute? Language, at least I thought, had been denied to Beafts, whom GoD, on the Day of their Creation, created mute to all articulate Sound: That they may indeed have Understanding I debate within myself, for much Reason often appears both in their Looks and Actions. I knew thee to be the fubtlest Beaft of the Field, but did not know that Serpents were endued with human Voice. Do this Miracle once more, and fay how thou becameft capable of Speech; and why thou art grown fo friendly to me above the reft of the Beafts that are daily in Sight? This tell me! for the Relation of fuch a Wonder will demand due Attention.

To whom the deceitful Tempter replied thus: Refplendent EVE! Emprefs of this fair World! it is

eafy

eafy to me to tell all thou hast commanded me, and right it is that thou should't be obey'd in every Thing. At first I was like the other Beasts that feed upon the trodden Grafs; my Thoughts were abject, and as low as my Food, nor did I difcern any Thing but that, or Difference of Sex, nor had I an Apprehenfion of any Thing great or high: 'Till one Day as I was roving in the Field, I chanc'd to behold, at a great Diftance, a large Tree full of Fruit, of the fairest Colours, ftreak'd with red and Gold: I drew nearer to view it, when a favoury Odour was blown from the Boughs, grateful to the Appetite, and which pleas'd my Senfe more than the Smell of fweeteft Fennel, or the Teats of a Goat or Ewe, dropping with Milk at Evening, and yet unfuck'd by their Kids or Lambs: I refolv'd not to defer fatisfying the sharp Defire I had of tafting those fair Apples; Hunger and Thirft (two powerful Perfwaders) quicken'd at the Scent of that alluring Fruit, both at once urg'd me fo keenly: I foon wound myself about the moffy Trunk of the Tree; (for the Branches are fo high from the Ground, that they would require thy utmost Reach, or ADA M's) about the Tree all other Beasts stood longing and envying with like Defire, but could not reach the Fruit. And now being got up into the Middle of the Tree, where fuch great Plenty hung fo nigh, tempting to gather, and eat my Fill, I did not fpare; for I never 'till that Hour in eating or drinking had fuch Pleafure. But at Length being fatisfied, it was not long before I perceiv'd a ftrange Alteration in me, and my inward Powers changing to a Degree of Reafon; and though I retain'd my prefent Form, yet it was not long before I had the Gift of Speech. From thence forward I turn'd my Thoughts to high or deep Speculations, and with capacious Mind confider'd every Thing vifible in Earth or between; every Thing that was fair and good; but in the Rays of thy heavenly Beauty, and in thy di

vine

vine Form, I behold every Thing that is fair and good united: There is nothing fair that can be brought equal or in Comparison with thee! which was the Caufe that I came, (though too importunate perhaps) to gaze, and worship thee; who art rightly declar'd univerfal Mistress, and Sovereign of all Creatures.

So talk'd the cunning Serpent; and Ev E, more amaz'd than before, replied unwarily: Serpent! thy over-praising me leaves the Virtue of that Fruit in Doubt, which thou haft first tafted. But tell me, where does this Tree grow? And how far is it from hence? For the Trees of GoD, that grow in PARADISE, are a great many, and various of them, which are yet unknown to us; and our Choice lies in fuch an Abundance, that we leave the greatest Part of the Fruits untouch'd, and ftill hanging without Decay, 'till more MEN grow up to be provided for, and help to confume the Gifts of Nature.

To whom the wily Serpent chearfully anfwer'd: Emprefs! the Way is eafy and not long; beyond a Row of Myrtle-Trees upon a Plain, juft by a Fountain, firft paffing one fmall Thicket of flowing Myrrh and Balm; if thou pleafeft to accept of me for a Guide, I can foon conduct thee thither. Lead on then, faid EVE. He going before, rowl'd along fwiftly, and made intricate feem ftrait; being swift to do Mischief: Hope and Joy elevated him, and brighten'd his Creft: As when an Ignus fatuus, (x) (which it is faid fome evil Spirit often attends) hovering and blazing with a deluding Light, mifleads the Night Wanderer through Mires, or Pools; fo the Serpent glitter'd, and led our credulous Mother EvE into Fraud;

) Ignis Fatuus, i. e. A filly Fire; and we call Jack in the Lanthorn, and Will with the Whifp Because it refembles

thofe Things. It is a compounded clofe united Body of oily and fulphurious Matter, and fired Vapours, exhaled from theEatrh.

i

Fraud; to the Tree which was prohibited by GOD, and was the Occasion of all our Mifery: Which when fhe faw, fhe spoke thus to her Guide:

SERPENT! we might have fpar'd ourselves the Trouble of coming hither; this Fruit is not for me, though there be fuch an Abundance: Let the Credit of its Virtue remain ftill with thee; wonderful indeed, if it be the Caufe of fuch Effects! but we neither may taste of this Tree, nor touch it: GoD commanded it fo, and left that Command the only one of Obedience: As for the reft, we are a Law to ourfelves; our own Reason is our Law.

To whom the Tempter artfully replied: Indeed! hath GoD declar'd ye Lords of all Things in Earth or Air, and yet faid, that ye fhall not eat of the Fruit of all the Trees in this Garden? To whom Eve (yet without Sin) replied:

WE may eat of the Fruit of every Tree in the Garden; but of this fair Tree in the Midft of it, God hath faid, ye fhall not eat thereof, neither fhall ye touch it left ye die. She had fcarce faid this, though but in few Words, when the Tempter, now grown bold, (though with Show of Zeal and Love to MAN, and Indignation at the Wrong he fuffer'd) begins to put on a new Part; and fluctuates about difturb'd, as one mov'd to Paffion; yet with Decency, and as about to begin to fpeak of fome great Matter: As when of old fome renown'd Orator in ATHENS, (2) or free ROME, where Eloquence once flourifh'd, ftood collected in himself, and before he spoke, with various Motions and Gestures won upon the Audi

(x) Athens; Heb. i. e. Wifdom, Gr. i. e. Oil; from Athen, another Name of Minerva, the

ence;

Goddess of Wisdom and Inventrels of Oil; which bestowed her Name upon this City; or from

Athis,