SCENE III. GARDEN OF EDEN.

[_Enter_ ADAM and EVE, and Endowees.

_Eve._ "Well may we labor, still to dress this garden,--still to tend plant, herb and flower, our pleasant task enjoined." "Let us divide our labors," each where seemeth good; and thus, as night draws on, our task will be accomplished.

_Adam._ "Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond compare, above all living creatures dear! A doubt possesses me, lest harm befall thee, severed from me; for thou knowest what hath been warned us, what malicious foe envies our happiness."

_Eve._ "Offspring of Heaven, and all Earth's Lord! That such an enemy we have, who seeks our ruin, both by thee informed, and from the parting angel overhead; but that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt, to God or thee, because we have a foe may tempt it, I expected not to hear."

_Adam._ "Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve,--for such thou art; from sin and blame entire; I, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue. Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel when I am present, and thy trial choose with me,--best witness of thy virtue tried."

_Eve._ "If this be our condition, thus to dwell in narrow circuit, straitened by a foe, how are we happy still, in fear of harm?"

_Adam._ "O woman, best are all things as the will of God ordains them; therefore go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more."

_Eve._ "With thy permission then, and thus forewarned," I go.

[Enter Satan, in the form of a serpent, half man, half snake. He discovers Eve in a bower of roses, and watches her at a distance.]

_Satan._ "Thoughts, whither have ye led me?--what hither brought us? Hate, not love, but all pleasure to destroy." [He approaches Eve.] "Wonder not, sovran mistress, fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, at my appearance, half man, half beast, but approach and view this goodly tree, the fruit of which such wonders work."

_Eve._ "Serpent, we might have spared our coming hither," for "of this tree we may not taste or touch; thus hath our God commanded."

_Satan._ "Indeed! Hath God then said, that of the fruit of all these garden trees ye shall not eat, yet lords declared of all in earth or air?"

_Eve._ "Of the fruit of each tree in the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of this fair tree, amidst the garden, God hath said, 'Ye shall not eat thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'"

_Satan._ "O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant; mother of science! Now I feel thy power within me clear, not only to discern things in their causes, but to trace the ways of highest agents, deemed however wise. Queen of this Universe! Do not believe these rigid threats of death;--_ye shall not die_." Your tyrant ruler knows full well, that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as Gods, and good from evil know. "Goddess humane, reach then, and freely taste."

[Satan plucks the fruit and presents it. Eve receives it, and after considerable hesitation, tastes, and finally eats it. Adam soon after enters.]

_Eve._ "Hast thou not wondered at my stay? Thee have I missed;" for I have tasted of the tree to us forbidden, and such delight till now have never felt. Taste thou, [offers him the fruit,] and be a God.

[Adam stands amazed and sorrowful, dropping a garland from his hand.]

_Adam._ "O fairest of creation! Some cursed fraud of enemy hath beguiled thee, and me with thee hath ruined; for with thee certain my resolution is to die." [He eats.] Oh, fruit delicious, fit indeed for Gods. From us withheld, lest being Gods, we cease to obey our tyrant Lord.

[They soon begin to see their true condition. They reproach each other. They discover their nakedness, make aprons of fig-leaves, and wear them. The voice of Eloheim is heard in another part of the garden.]

_Elo._ "Adam, where art thou? Why hast thou fled and hid thyself? What hast thou done?"

_Adam._ O Lord, my Maker and Preserver! Thy voice I heard, when thou didst walk amid the trees, but being naked, I did fear to see thy face. Confusion dire and shame filled all my soul.

_Elo._ "Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou then eaten of that tree, to thee forbidden?"

_Adam._ The woman whom thou gavest me did give this fruit unto my lips; and I did eat.

_Elo._ O woman, fair but frail. Why hast thou done this deed of sin?

_Eve._ "The serpent me beguiled, and I did eat."

_Elo._ "Because thou hast done this, thou art accursed above all cattle, each beast of the field. Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go, and dust shalt eat, all the days of thy life. Between thee and the woman I will put enmity, and between thine and her seed: her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel." And thou, O Eve, "thy sorrow I will greatly multiply by thy conception: children thou shalt bring in sorrow forth, and to thy husband's will thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule." And thou, O Adam, "because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat thereof;' cursed is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for thou out of the ground wast taken; know thy birth; for dust thou art, and shalt to dust return."

_Elo._ [To Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael.] "Behold the man is become as one of us, knowing good from evil; and now, lest he in some unguarded hour put forth his hand, take of the tree of life, and live forever, we must forth from hence expel him." We will place from Eden eastward cherubims, and flaming sword, turning which way soever he may attempt an entrance.

_Adam._ "O miserable of happy! Is this the end of this new, glorious world?--and me, so late the glory of that glory? Accursed of blessed, hide me from the face of God, whom to behold was once my height of happiness."

_Eve._ "O unexpected stroke, worse than of death! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise?--thus leave thee, native soil,--these happy walks and shades, fit haunt of Gods, where I had hoped to spend, quiet though sad, the respite of that day that must be mortal to us both? O flowers! that never will in other climate grow, my earliest visitation and my last at even, which I bred up with tender hand, from the first opening bud, and gave ye names! Who now shall rear ye to the sun, or rank your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount? Thee, lastly, nuptial bower! by me adorned with what to sight or smell was sweet! From thee, how shall I part, and whither wander, down into a world, to this obscure and wild? How shall we breathe in other air, less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits?"

_Elo._ O man, thy cries of penitence and woe have reached my ears. I will a plan unfold, obedience to which, rendered with deep humility, shall by degrees redeem and bring you back to Heaven.

My holy priesthood I henceforth establish upon Earth. To those endowed with that high calling, as unto me, shalt thou with reverence bow. Their power supreme, commands indisputable, in my stead, I appoint them unto you. They are to act henceforth as I myself.

[Here oaths of inviolable secrecy, with the penalty of throat-cutting, are administered to the awe-stricken and intimidated neophytes. They are sworn to render implicit obedience to the priesthood, and to depend upon them for everything; especially not to touch any woman, unless given through the priesthood.

A sign, a grip, and a key-word are given to the endowees, and the _First Degree of the Aaronic Priesthood_ is conferred.]

_Elo._ You are now endowed with one law of purity, one key of truth, and one power of priesthood. Go forth into the world, ye fallen ones, and seek for truth. Obey the voice of God and his holy priesthood, and I will send to Earth a Saviour, that through faith and obedience you shall again inherit your lost estate, again enjoy the ambrosial fruits in the celestial kingdom of the Gods.

[_Exeunt all._