OF SERPEN TS. 183 



H E who eat the Fruit of the Trees along the River of Plea- 

 sure, was eafed from all his former Deiires, and in a fhort time 

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

 Old^Age, and became firfb a Young-Man, then a Child, and 

 laftly an Infant, and fo died. 



O N 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 may be, it feems to al- 

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

 about the Introdu(5tion of Death. 



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

 — —Brafna,onQ of their fubahern Deities, form'd Man out of 

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

 him in a certain Situation, which they call Chorcham, 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, fay the Indians^ tried all forts of Means to obtain 

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

 at laft fucceed according to their Wifli, and found out the Way 

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

 on its Fruit for fome time, they commenced immortal. 



A Famous Serpent called Cheieu, (probably Guardian of 

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

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

 Poifon over the Plain. All the Earth felt the fatal Efferts, and 

 no Man efcaped the Inftdion : But the God Chheit, took pity 

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

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



had infedted the Univerfe This Fable, as ridiculous as it is, 



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

 other Original but the Dodlrine of Mcfes *. 



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

 jectures about the firft Entrance of moral Evil. Prometheus, 

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

 mated 



* /Elinni Sophijfa varia H'Jforia, cum Notif, Curaite Gro?!ovio. AD. 1731. 

 Theobompiis is quo:ed for ir, whom my Author ca!ls fxnOoAoyo^. £/ h^c fl cut fiJe 

 d'gmis videlur, ea v.irrar.s ChitiS;^ ilk crcJutur, ?»ibi vera egregius ejje fabulatOT. 

 voi. I. cap. xviii. p. 25-. 

 4 



