and Bramble, where I may by Chance find the Serpent afleep; in whofe Shape I may hide me, and the dark Design I bring with me. Oh foul Downfall indeed! that I, who once contended to fit the highest with Gods, am now forced into a Beast, and mixed with beftial Slime to become incarnate, and inform the Body of a Brute, that before afpired to the Height of Deity! But what will not Ambition and Revenge defcend to? They who afpire too high must ftoop as low, and firft or laft lay themfelves liable to the basest Things. Revenge, though fweet at firft, foon becomes bitter, and recoils back upon itfelf : Let it; I care not, fo it ftrikes him fure, who next to the King of Heaven provokes my Envy, this new Favourite, this Man of Clay, this Son of Defpite, whom the more to fpite us, his Maker has raised from the Duft: Then Spite is best paid with Spite.

So faying, creeping low like a black Mift through every Thicket, he held on his Midnight Search, where he hoped fooneft to find the Serpent: He foon difcovered him, fast asleep, rowled round and round, with his Head in the Middle, full of Subtilty; not yet in horrid Shades or a difmal Den, (for there were as yet no fuch Things) but he flept upon the Grafs, without Fear or without being feared, for now no Creature was hurtful. The Devil entered in at his Mouth, and poffeffing his brutal Senfe, foon infpired his Understanding with his own Spirit; but not disturbing his Sleep, lay clofe, waiting for Morning.

CHA P.

С Н А Р. II.

Adam and Eve in the Morning go forth to their Labours, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral Places, each labouring apart: Adam endeavours to diffuade Eve therefrom; but not prevailing, at length confents.

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OW when it began to be Morning in EDEN, and the Flowers opened and breathed their Morning Incense; when all Things that the Earth produces, proving the Wisdom of the great CREATOR, filently praife him; ADAM and EVE came forth, and joined their vocal Worship: That done, they partake of all the Bleffings with which they were furrounded, fweetest Scents, and freshest Air: then confult, how they may that Day do all the Work in the Garden, there was for them to do; (for their Work much outgrew the Dispatch of their two Labours) and Eve thus began to fpeak to her Hufband:

ADAM! we may fti!l labour on to drefs this Garden, to tend the Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, which is the pleasant Task enjoined us, but 'till more Hands affift us, the Work grows under our Hands, and what we lop off by Day, as being over-grown, or prune, or prop, or bind up, in one Night or two fprings forth again, and grows wild. Now therefore give thy Advice, or first hear what Thoughts prefent to my Mind: Let us divide our Labours; do thou go where thy own Choice leads thee, either to wind the Woodbine round about this Arbour, or direct the Ivy where it may be propereft for it to climb; while I among yonder Roles, which are intermixed with Myrtle, fee what there is to fet right 'till Noon: For while we

chufe

chuse our Task thus, fo near one another all the Day long, what Wonder is it if Looks and Smiles come between, and any new Object bring up accidental Difcourfe between us; which makes our Day's Work (fo intermitted) to be brought to little, though we begin early, and Night comes before we are prepared

for it.

To whom ADAM returned this mild Anfwer: Fair Eve, my only Partner and Companion! dear to me beyond Comparison above all living Creatures! Thou haft employed thy Thoughts well, and haft well propofed how we might beft accomplish the Work, affigned us here by GoD, nor fhalt thou go unpraised by me for it (for nothing can be found more lovely in a Woman, than to ftudy the Good of her Houfehold, and to promote good Works in her Hufband :) Yet our LORD hath not impofed Labour on us fo very strictly, as to debar us from taking (when we need) any Refreshment, whether Food, or Conversation, which is as Food to the Mind; nor does he forbid us this fweet Intercourfe of Looks and Smiles, for Smiles flow from Reafon, denied to the Brutes, and are the Food of Love, and Love is not the lowest End or Intention of human Life; for he did not make us to irkfome and tiresome Toil, but to Delight, and to that Delight joined Reafon. Doubt not, but our joint Hands will be able, with Ease, to keep these Paths and Bowers from going into Wilderness, at least as wide as we need walk, and 'till younger Hands, before it is long, fhall affift us. But if over-much of

my Conversation perhaps may cloy thee, on that Account I could yield to a short Abfence: (for fometimes Solitude is the best Society, and a fhort Separation causes Sweetnefs at Return) But another Doubt poffeffes me; left when thou art feparated from me, fomething ill fhould befall thee: Thou knoweft what Warning hath been given us, what a malicious Foe, defpair

defpairing of his own Happiness and envying ours, feeks by Contrivance to bring us to Shame and Milery; and watches, no Doubt, fomewhere near at Hand, with a greedy Hope to find his Wish, and us afunder, when he might take an Advantage; for he can have no Hope to circumvent us thus joined together, where each in a Time of Need, might speedily and easily give Help to the other. Whether his firit Defign be to draw us from our Duty to Gos, or whe ther he would difturb our conjugal Love; (than (which perhaps no Happiness enjoyed by us more excites his Envy) let it be this or worfe, leave not the faithful Side, from whence thou hadft thy Being, and that ftill guards and protects thee: For where Danger or Difhonour lurks, a Wife is fafeft, and feemlieft by the Side of her Hufband, who defends her, or elfe 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 Unkindness, fweetly compofed, and yet not without fome Aufterity, replied thus:

OFFSPRING of Heaven and Earth, and Lord of all the Earth! that we have fuch an Enemy, who seeks our Ruin, I have learnt, both by Information from thee, and from what I overheard from the Angel as he was departing, where I ftood behind in a fhady Nook, being just then returned, at the Shutting of the Flowers in the Evening. But that thou fhouldest doubt my Firmnefs to GoD or thee, because we have a Foe may happen to tempt it, I must 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 else refift and repel it It is his Fraud then that thou art afraid of which plainly infers thy Fear equal, that my firm Faith and Love, can be feduced or' fhaken by his

LI

Fraud:

Fraud: How could fuch Thought find any Harbour in thy Breaft, fuch ungrouuded Sufpicion, ADAM, of her, that but just now thou faideft was fo dear to

thee?

To whom ADAM, with healing Words, made Aniwer Immortal EvE! (formed 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 itfelf, intended by our Enemy For he who tempts, though it prove in vain, however afperfes the Tempted with fome Degree of Dishonour; for it fuppofes the Tempted not Proof against Temptation, but liable to be corrupted! Even thou thyfelf, were fuch a Wrong offered thee, wouldeft refent it with Scorn and Anger, though it proved 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 subtle 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-reached while thou looked on, would raise new Vigour in me, and make me exert myself to the utmoft: Why fhouldft 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 Anfwer:

How