Bible Stories and Religious Classics | Page 5

yet in
matrimony and wedlock they be but one flesh, and in other things twain.
For why, neither of them had power of his own flesh. They were both
naked and were not ashamed, for they stood both in the state of
innocence. Then the serpent which was hotter than any beast of the
earth and naturally deceivable, for he was full of the devil Lucifer,
which was deject and cast out of heaven, had great envy to man that
was bodily in Paradise, and knew well, if he might make him to
trespass and break God's commandments, that he should be cast out
also.
Yet he was afeard to be taken or espied of the man, he went to the
woman, not so prudent and more prone to slide and bow. And in the
form of the serpent, for then the serpent was erect as a man. Bede saith
that he chose a serpent having a maiden's cheer [face], for like oft apply
to like, and spake by the tongue of the serpent to Eve, and said: Why
commanded you God that ye should not eat of all the trees of Paradise?
This he said to find occasion to say that he was come for. Then the
woman answered and said: Ne forte moriamur, lest haply we die, which
she said doubting, for lightly she was flexible to every part. Whereunto
anon he answered: Nay in no wise ye shall die, but God would not that
ye should be like him in science, and knowing that when ye eat of this
tree ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil, he as envious forbade
you. And anon the woman, elate in pride and willing to be like to God,
accorded thereto and believed him. The woman saw that the tree was
fair to look on, and clean and sweet of savor, took and ate thereof, and
gave unto Adam of the same, happily desiring him by fair words. But
Adam anon agreed, for when he saw the woman not dead he supposed
that God had said that they should die to fear them with, and then ate of

the fruit forbidden. And anon their sight was opened that they saw their
nakedness, and then anon they understood that they had trespassed.
And thus they knew that they were naked, and they took fig leaves and
sewed them together for to cover their members in manner of breeches.
And anon after, they heard the voice of our Lord God walking, and
anon they hied him. Our Lord called the man and said: Adam, where art
thou? Calling him in blaming him and not as knowing where he was,
but as who said: Adam, see in what misery thou art. Which answered: I
have hid me, Lord, for I am naked. Our Lord said: Who told thee that
thou wert naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree forbidden? He then
not meekly confessing his trespass, but laid the fault on his wife, and
on him as giver of the woman to him, and said: The woman that thou
gavest to me as a fellow, gave to me of the tree, and I ate thereof. And
then our Lord said to the woman: Why didst thou so? Neither she
accused herself, but laid the sin on the serpent, and privily she laid the
fault on the maker of him. The serpent was not demanded, for he did it
not of himself, but the devil by him.
And our Lord, cursing them, began at the serpent, keeping an order and
congruous number of curses. The serpent was the first and sinned most,
for he sinned in three things. The woman next and sinned less than he,
but more than the man, for she sinned in two things. The man sinned
last and least, for he sinned but in one. The serpent had envy, he lied,
and deceived, for these three he had three curses. Because he had envy
at the excellence of man, it was said to him: Thou shalt go and creep on
thy breast; because he lied he is punished in his mouth, when it was
said: Thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life. Also he took away his
voice and put venom in his mouth. And because he deceived, it was
said: I shall put enmity between thee and woman, and thy seed and her
seed. She shall break thy head, etc. In two things the woman sinned, in
pride and eating the fruit. Because she sinned in pride, he meeked her,
saying: Thou shalt be under the power of man, and he shall have
lordship over thee, and he shall put thee to affliction. Now is she
subject to a man by condition and