mentioned that beautiful fruit, with casual and apparently unpremeditated allusion, as seeking to know its properties, though, in reality, by drawing her mind to the subject and exciting her curiosity, he knew that he was preparing her to listen, with unshrinking heart and unblushing brow, to more daring and more criminal proposals.

The seeds of ill are not slow of growth. Ere many days had passed from this first discourse with the evil spirit, Eve, who had pondered upon the words of the serpent, learned to stray more frequently than she had ever before done from her husband's side, and began to delight in solitary walks and meditations, especially in the sequestered bowers which encircled the forbidden tree. The serpent was at these times her most frequent companion-the serpent, with its sleek and glossy skin and brilliant colours, wreathing along in her pathway, and uttering eloquent and subtle words to beguile and destroy her. So soothing and flattering was the reptile's speech, so suited to her womanly capacity and feelings, to her sense of personal grace and beauty, that Eve grew vain, and impatient of the restraint imposed upon herself by her love for her husband, or enjoined by her husband out of regard for her own welfare, and the love of their Almighty Lord.

But it would be too painful to trace the downward progress of a mind and heart, which have once admitted a question on

things forbidden by the Deity, and by those whose knowledge and love have fitted them to become our guardians and preceptors. It is a rapid career from temptation to sin, from sin to punishment, and thence to late and long repentance.

When Eve had been sufficiently wrought upon to question the justice of her Maker, the serpent, no longer disguising his purpose, boldly proposed to the woman that she should eat of the fruit of the tree.

Hath not God said," he asked, "that ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden ?"

And Eve answered: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.""

"Ye shall not

And the serpent said unto the woman, surely die! For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

But still Eve was unwilling to brave the Divine displeasure, on the mere assurance of a serpent that it should not lead to harm. She argued for some time, both with herself and the tempter, before she could be brought to reject the good counsel which she had hitherto obeyed, to walk in all things in the ways of God. At last, however, she had become

so much infected with the thoughts of her self-sufficiency; and so convinced that what the serpent had told her was true and not false, that she ventured to approach the tree of knowledge, and pluck and taste the forbidden fruit.

All nature instantly felt the wanton outrage. A few dark clouds ascended the horizon, the first that had obscured the

glory of the skies of Eden; a few rain drops, the first that had been felt on earth, descended, like tears, as mourning the first crime. Eve felt a momentary shudder, and the air that played around her was cold and strange to her yet unpained limbs ; but she knew not that she had already subjected herself to the curse of death and woe, and she continued to eat of the delicious fruit which was to give her knowledge of all things like the angels of God.

In a short time she espied Adam in the garden, leaning, more pensively than was customary with him, against a rocky bank, overlooking the dell in which were the trees of life and knowledge. In happy innocence of ill, the father of mankind was contemplating the works of the Creator, and directing his thoughts, full of love and gratitude, to the Author of his bliss. The serpent had already glided away into the thick shade, as soon as his evil work had been accomplished. Eve looked for him in vain, to counsel her how to act. The blush of shame suffused her cheek at the remembrance of her dis