OFSERPENTS. 18 



H E who eat the Fruit of the Trees along the P.lver of Plea- 

 fure, was eaied from all his former Defires, and in a fliort time 

 became younger, and lived over again his former Years, caft off 

 Old- Age, and became firfl a Young- Man, then a Child, and 

 laftly an Infant, and fo died. 



On the other hand, he who eat the Fruit from the Trees by 

 the River of Grief, fpent all his Days in Tears and Troubles, and 

 after many Years of Vexation, dies. 



How romantick foever this Relation mav be, it feems to al- 

 lude to the Threes and Rivers of Paradife, and to give fome Hints 

 about the Introdudtion of Death. 



The Indians account for the Fall of Man after this manner : 



Brama, one of their fubaltern Deities, forni'd Man out of 



the Slime of the Earth that was then juft created, and placed 

 him in a certain Situation, which they cail Ckorcbam, which was 

 a Garden of Delights, abounding with all manner of pleafant 

 Fruit, in which was a certain Tree, whole Fruit would confer 

 Immortality upon any Perfons that were allow'd to eat it. 



The Gods, Uy the Indians^ tried all forts of Means to obtain 

 the Privilege of tJiis Immortality; and after great Difficulties, did 

 at laH: fucceed according to their Wiih, and found out the Way 

 to the Tree of Life, which was in the Chorcham^ and by feeding 

 on its Fiuit for fome tiaie, they commenced immortal. 



A Fa m o u s Serpent called Cheieu, (probably Guardian of 

 that Tree) perceiving ihe Secret was difcover'd by the Gods of 

 the fecond Rank, was fo eji raged, that it fcatter'd a Flood of 

 Poiion over the Plain. All the Earth felt the fatal Effeds, and 

 no Man cfc^^ptd the Infection : But the God Chiven^ took pity 

 on the human Nature, appear'd in the Shape of Man, and fwal- 

 low'd ail the mortal Poiion, wherewith the malicious Serpent 



had infedled the Univerle This Fable, as ridiculous as it is, 



muft have fome regard to the terrertrial Paradife, and can have no 

 other Original but the Dodrine of Mcfes *. 



Nor were the more weftern Pagans more happy in their Con- 

 jectures about the firfl Entrance of moral Evil. P?'ometheuSy 

 lay they, having form'd Men out of the Earth and Water, ani- 

 mated 



* /Elia7ii Sobhiflie 'varia Wfioriaj cu?n Not is j Curante Groncvio. A. D. 17^1. 

 Tbeopumpui is quoted for ic, whom my Author cal'j ;xi)6o?.oyoi-. Ei hac fi cut fide 

 d'gnus videiur^ ea jzarrans Chius^ ille credatur^ inihi 'vero egregius cjfe fahulator. 

 vol. I. cap. xvui. p. 252. 

 4 



