VI 



OF THE FIRST GARDENER 



Now Sir John, who had a great feeling for our first 

 father Adam, came frequently on stories of him and of 

 places where he lived. And he went from Bathsheba, 

 the town founded, as he says " by Bersabe, the wife of 

 Sir Uriah the Knight," and journeyed to the city of 

 Hebron. " And it was clept sometime the Vale of 

 Mamre, and sometimes it was clept the Vale of Tears, 

 because that Adam wept there an hundred year for the 

 death of Abel his son, that Cain slew." 



There, in this Vale of Hebron, where Sir John says 

 Abraham had his house, and is buried, as are Adam and 

 Eve, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Leah, and Rebecca, is also the 

 first dwelling-place of Adam after the Fall. 



" And right fast by that place is a cave in the rock, 

 where Adam and Eve dwelled when they were put out of 

 Paradise ; and there got they their children. And in the 

 same place was Adam formed and made, after that some 

 men say (for men were wont for to clept that place the 

 field of Damascus, because that it was in the lordship of 

 Damascus), and from thence he was translated into 

 Paradise of delights, as they say ; and after that he was 

 driven out of Paradise he was there left. And the same 

 day that he was put in Paradise, the same day he was 

 put out, for anon he sinned. There beginneth the Vale 

 of Hebron, that dureth nigh to Jerusalem. There the 

 Angel commanded Adam that he should dwell with his 



189 



