[348]. Travels of several Missionaries into India, p. 7.
Hope, of all Ills that Men endure,
The only cheap and universal Cure.
Hope,
Thou pleasant, honest Flatterer; for none
Flatter unhappy Men, but thou alone.... Cowl.
The Mahometan Account of Man’s Fall, is equally absurd, as appears from Mahomet Rabadan, &c. thus:—God made the Creation ... the earthly Mass became an animate Body ... and was called Adam; God placed him in heavenly Paradise, and lest he should believe that he had no Superior, God gave him only one Command, the Observation of which was very easy. He forbid him, upon pain of Death, to eat of the Fruit of a certain Tree. Adam wanted a Mate; therefore God made him fall into a profound Sleep, and took out of his left Side a Rib, of which he formed a very beautiful Woman, whom he called Eve, ... and order’d Gabriel to go into Paradise, and to celebrate the Wedding of Adam and Eve, being attended with a great many other Angels.
LUCIFER envying the Happiness of Man, used his utmost Endeavours to deprive him of it. Going one day by the door of Paradise, he said to the Angel who kept it, Give me leave to go in, for I have a Matter of Moment to impart to the Servants of thy Lord. The Angel having denied his Request, he desired him to call the Serpent, who was then a very fine Creature. The Serpent came, and Lucifer earnestly desired Leave to get into his Body; the Serpent did so, and placed Lucifer in the Roof of its Mouth, and carried him into Paradise. When he came near the Forbidden Tree, it endeavoured in vain to make Lucifer come out. Lucifer stuck fast, and forced the Serpent to get upon that Tree, under which Adam and Eve used to sit down. Eve was then alone, near the Tree: She saw the Serpent, who spoke to the Woman in these Words, viz.
Charming Creature, if you would taste this Fruit, you would be like God himself in Wisdom and Knowledge: All the Secrets and all the Mysteries you are now ignorant of, will be manifested to you. Adam came during the Discourse, and having told him what the Serpent had said, proposed to him to eat of the forbidden Fruit, which after a Short Pause he comply’d with. The Tree was a large Vine; Eve took twelve Grains of a Bunch of Grapes, gave eight to her Husband, and kept four to herself.
At that very moment, Adam heard a very terrible Voice, Wo to thee! hast thou so soon forgot the only Commandment thou hadst promised to observe? how comes it that thou hast (by thy Greediness) polluted the Purity of my Habitation? Adam being confounded, excused himself by laying the Fault upon Eve, who endeavour’d to justify herself by accusing the Serpent. Upon which God ordered the Angels immediately to drive Adam and Eve from Paradise, to Strip them of their Clothes, and take away the Crowns they had on their Heads[[349]].——But it is high time to return.