With grateful memory: Thou to mankind
Be good and friendly still, and oft return.

But there is no further account of visits from this kind angel. I am about, my beloved children, to return to Satan's plots against the innocent pair. The last you heard of him was his flight from Eden. Full of anguish, he rode with darkness seven continued nights, and, on the eighth, returned by stealth to Eden. He sunk in with a river, at the foot of Paradise, and rose in mist. After carefully inspecting every creature, he considered the serpent the most subtle, and the best suited to serve his vile and cunning purpose. Accordingly,

Like a black mist low creeping, he held on

His midnight search, where soonest he might find
The serpent.

The devil crept in at his mouth, and waited the approach of morning. I pass over many of his blasphemous sentiments, because I do not think it right to pollute your young minds with them. At the early dawn,

When all things that breathe

From th' earth's great altar send up silent praise
To the Creator, forth came the human pair,
And join'd their vocal worship to the choir
Of creatures wanting voice.

Eve proposed they should, till noon, work separately, thinking, when not subject to interrupt each other by conversation, each would be more diligent. Adam did not approve of the proposal, lest their enemy, against whom Gabriel had warned them, should injure her; and he entreated her not to leave the faithful side that gave her being. Milton represents Eve as being dissatisfied with Adam's fear to trust her alone, and she persists in her wish to leave him for a few hours: She desired to prove, if tempted, that she could withstand their enemy, and retain her innocence. At length Adam gave a reluctant consent. No plan could be more agreeable to the devil, who had some hope of success, when he found the woman alone. She was surrounded by roses, supporting slender flowers with bands of myrtle. The tempter commenced his operations by a gaze of admiration and flattering words. He said, all things adored her celestial beauty, and that, instead of being confined among beasts, where only one man could see her, she deserved to be a goddess among gods, waited upon by innumerable angels. On surprise being expressed at the serpent's speaking, and possessing human sense, he said his

change from the state of other brutes was wrought in him by eating of the forbidden fruit; and he used all his oratory and every cunning argument, to induce her to partake of it :

Her rash hand, in evil hour,

Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd,—she ate :
Earth felt the wound, and Nature, from her seat,
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost. Back to the thicket slunk

The guilty serpent.

Eve greedily feasted on the fruit, which had an intoxicating effect upon her, and broke forth into praises of this most precious of all the trees in Paradise. The thought that her knowledge might so increase, as to render her equal, if not superior to Adam, inclined her to eat the fruit secretly, without telling him. Then she feared God might punish her with death, and create another Eve for Adam, if he continued sinless.

Confirm'd, then, I resolve,

Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could endure;-without him live no life.

Emily. Do you call that real affection, Mamma, to wish poor Adam to sin, and be

come subject to death, that he might remain with her?

Mamma.-You must bear in mind, that when Eve disobeyed God, her heart was changed, her passions became evil, and even her love for Adam was not free from sin.

Eliza.-If God had not inspired Moses to write the account of her disobedience, I should think it a most improbable thing that Eve believed a serpent rather than the Lord. It does not say in the Bible, that the animal told Eve his speaking was occasioned by eating the fruit: If she really did hear him, I wonder she did not run directly to tell Adam.

Emily.-How can you say if, Eliza, when we read in the Bible that the serpent talked? Eliza.-You know when we are translating French, we often find, in the dictionary, a word with several meanings; and I thought it was possible that, in Hebrew, that word might signify something else as well as serpent. Pray, Mamma, did you ever see any other word used?

Mamma.-I once saw an English translation of Genesis, in which the word Tempter is substituted for serpent, leaving it uncertain what form the devil assumed. St.

Paul, who wrote in Greek, says, the serpent tempted Eve. The observations of men skilled in the original languages sometimes throw considerable light upon Scripture, but in general I do not like to hear the common translation criticised, especially from the pulpit: It tends to raise doubts in the minds of ignorant people respecting passages of importance. It is now time for you, my dears, to prepare for the long walk I promised to take you.

CHAPTER VIII.

Emily.-Though I have read the third chapter of Genesis many times, and remember very well what happened after Eve's disobedience, I wish exceedingly to hear what Milton says about it. Will you begin, dear Mamma?; we are all quite ready.

Mamma.-While Eve was listening to a deceitful enemy, and devouring the forbidden fruit, her affectionate husband earnestly desired her return. He wove a garland of choicest flowers to adorn her hair, and after this unusual absence he promised himself