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How are we happy, if this is our Condition? Always to be in Fear of Harm, and always to dwell thus in narrow Bounds, ftraitened by a fubtle or violent Enemy, and we meeting him fingle, not indued with Power to defend ourselves against him? Well, but Harm thou fayeft 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 Difhonour upon us, but turns fouler upon himfelf: Then wherefore fhould he be fhunned or feared by us, who rather gain double Honour by the Event, from proving his Surmife falfe, and are favoured from Heaven with a Witness of Peace within, that our Virtues have ftood 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 Hap‣ pinefs would be but frail, and EDEN (to speak the Truth) expofed in this Manner, would be no PARADISE at all. To whom ADAM with fome Fervency replied:

Он Woman! all Things are beft, as the Will of GOD has ordained 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 against his Will he can never receive 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 strict Watch, left furprized by fair Appearances of Good, The dictate falfely, and fo influence the Will to do that which God hath exprefly forbid. It is not MiL12 ftruft

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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 ftricteft Manner, as fhe was warned to do, Reafon may inadvertently fall into the Deception. Then don't seek Temptation, which it were much better to avoid which will be most likely, if thou feparate thyfelf not from me: Trials in all Likelihood will come without feeking. Wouldeft thou give Proof of thy Conftancy? Give Proof of thy Obedience: Who can be fure of thy Conftancy or atteft it, not seeing thee attempted? But, if thou thinkeft another Time, when we are not fo well warned, we may be found not fo well prepared as thou feemeft to think thyfelf.----Go! ----for it 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 forewarned, and with thy Permiffion, moved chiefly by the reasoning of thy own last Words, I go the more willingly; thinking, as thou fayeft, our Trial might come, when leaft fought for or expected by us, and find us both perhaps far lefs prepared: Nor do I much expect that fo proud a Foe will firft feek the weakeft; but should he be bent fo to do, his Repulfe fhould fhame him the more.

СНАР

CHA P. III.

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

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AYING this, Eve foftly withdrew her Hand from her Hufband's, and light, like what is feigned of Wood-Nymphs, or of DIANA'S (1) Train, betook her to the Groves; but in her Gait and Goddefs-like Deportment, fhe furpaffed all that has been fabled of DIANA'S Self; though not armed like her with Bow and Quiver, but only with fuch Gardening Tools, as Art had rudely formed without the Help of Fire, or the Angels had brought. A Picture of CERES in her Prime, or of POMONA when fhe fled from VERTUMNUS (m), is what the feemed likeft when he parted from ADAM. He, with Eyes full of Affection, for a great while looked after her delighted; but yet he rather wifhed that she had ftaid. He often repeated his Charge to her to come back foon, and fhe as often promised him, that she would be returned to the Bower by Noon, and have every Thing in the beft Order, to invite Repaft then, or Repofe after Noon. Unfortunate Eve! much deceived,

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

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

He was King of Tuscany, who
taught Men the Art of Gar-
dening; for which he was
deified. This Fable fignifies
the different Seafons of the
His Fealls were ce-
Year.
lebrated at Rome, in the Au
tumn; wherein they thanked
that God for preferving the
Fruits to Maturity.

much

much failing of thy promifed and prefumed Return! Fatal Event indeed! Thou from that Hour didft never more find in PARADISE either fweet Repaft, or found Repofe! there was what waited in Ambush, among the Shades and fweet Flowers, with confirmed and hellish Rancour, to intercept the Way, or fend thee back again divefted of thy Innocence, thy Faith, and Blifs! For now, and ever fince the first Break of Day, SATAN (a mere Serpent only in Appearance) was come forth, and upon his Search; where he might likelieft find his purposed Prey, the only two of MANKIND living, but in them the whole Race included. He fought in every Field and every Bower, where any Grove of Trees, or Piece of Garden-Plot lay pleafanter than the reft, that looked like what was under daily Tendance, or had been planted for Pleafure by the fhady Banks of Rivers, or the Side of Fountains. He fought for them both, but wished that it might be his Lot to find EvE feparate; but could not hope to meet with what fo feldom happened; when beyond his Hope, and agreeable to his Wifh, he fpied Eve alone; the ftood but half difcovered, hid behind, and bufied with Rofes and other Flowers, that grew thick round about: She was half ftooping to fupport fuch Flowers, whofe Stalks were weak and flender, whofe Bloffoms, though gay, purple, red, or blue, or fpeckled with Gold, being too heavy for the Stem, hung drooping down: She ties them up gently with Bands of Myrtle; at the fame Time not reflecting, that herself was unreftrained; fo far from her beft Prop, and the Storm fo nigh. SATAN (in the Serpent) drew nearer, and croffed many a Walk under Shade of Cedars, Pines, or Palm Trees; then rowling to and fro boldly; fometimes hid, fometimes feen, among the Arbors, and Flowers that grew upon the Borders of the Banks, and had been planted there by Eve; a more delightful Spot than the fabulous Gardens of ADONIS, or of fa

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mous ALCINOUS (n), who entertained ULYSSES or that, which is no Fiction, made by SOLOMON, where he held Dalliance with his fair EGYPTIAN Queen, the Daughter of PHARAOH. The Place SATAN admired much, but more the Perfon of EVE: As one who has been long pent up in a great and populous City, where by Reafon of the Number of Inhabitants, and Want of Room to breath more freely, the Air is become unhealthy, going out on a Sum-. mer's Morning, to breath among the neighbouring pleafant Villages and Farms, takes Delight in every Thing he meets with, the Smell of the fresh-mowed Grafs, Cattle, or Dairy, and every Sight and Sound that belongs to a Country Life; then if by Chance fome fair Virgin pafs gracefully along, what before feemed pleafing, for her Sake now pleafes more, fhe moft, and in her Look all Pleasure is fummed up: Such Pleasure the Serpent took to behold this Bed of Flowers, the fweet Retirement of Eve, thus early and alone. The heavenly Form of Eve, angelical, (but only more foft and feminine) her graceful Innocence, her Air in every Gefture or least Action, when the Devil faw, it overawed his Malice, and was fo charming that it bereaved him of his Fiercenefs and Cruelty of his Intention. That Moment he was abfent, and abstracted from his evil Self, and for the Time became negatively and stupidly good; difarmed of his Enmity, Fraud, Hate, Envy, and Revenge. But the hot Hell, that always burns in him, (though he should be in the Midft of Heaven) foon ended his Pleafure, and tortures him now the more, the more that he fees of Pleafure not ordained for him: Then he foon recollected himself, gathers together all his fierce Envy and Hate, and thus rejoicing

(a) Alcinous entertained Ues in his Difafters, as Homer relates.

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