The Copies have been made by Mr. Bonner from the Cuts belonging to the “Imagines Mortis, Lugduni sub scuto Coloniensi, 1547,” 12mo. and which have been usually ascribed to Holbein.
1. THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS. The Deity is seen taking Eve from the side of Adam. “Formavit Dominus Deus hominem de limo terræ, &c.” Gen. i.
2. THE TEMPTATION. Eve has just received the forbidden fruit from the serpent, who, on the authority of venerable Bede, is here, as well as in most ancient representations of the subject, depicted with a female human face. She holds it up to Adam, and entices him to gather more of it from the tree. “Quia audisti vocem uxoris tuæ, et comedisti de ligno, &c.” Gen. iii.
3. THE EXPULSION FROM PARADISE. Adam and Eve are preceded by Death, who plays on a vielle, or beggar’s lyre, as if demonstrating his joy at the victory he has obtained over man. “Emisit eum Dominum Deus de Paradiso voluptatis, ut operaretur terram de qua sumptus est.” Gen. iii.
4. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FALL OF MAN. Adam is digging the ground, assisted by Death. In the distance Eve is suckling her first-born and holding a distaff. Whence the proverb in many languages:
When Adam delv’d and Eve span
Where was then the gentleman?
“Maledicta terra in opere tuo, in laboribus comedes cunctis diebus vitæ tuæ, donec revertaris, &c.” Gen. iii.
5. A CEMETERY, in which several Deaths are assembled, most of whom are playing on noisy instruments of music, as a general summons to mortals to attend them. “Væ, væ, væ habitantibus in terra.” Apoc. viii.