252 THE KING'S MIRROR 



'a man and a woman, to have dominion over everything. 

 He led the two, Adam and Eve, to the highest point of 

 Paradise and showed them all the birds and beasts and 

 all the flowers and glories of Paradise. Then God said 

 to Adam and Eve: " All these things that you now see 

 I give to you for your maintenance and dominion, if 

 you will keep the covenant which I now establish be- 

 ; tween ourselves. But these are the laws which you must 

 carefully observe, if you wish to keep the gifts which I 



ive now given you: that beautiful tree which you see 

 standing with lovely apples in the midst of Paradise is 

 [called the tree of knowledge, and the fruit which the 

 tree bears is called the apples of knowledge. This tree 

 you must not touch nor may you eat of the apples which 

 it bears, for as soon as you eat of them you shall die; 

 but of everything else that you now see you may freely 

 eat according to desire." Four sisters were called to wit- 

 ness this covenant, divine virgins, who should hear the 

 laws decreed and learn all the terms of the agreement: 

 the first was named Truth, the second, Peace, the third, 

 Justice, and the fourth, Mercy. And God spoke thus to 

 these virgins: " I command you to see to it that Adam 

 does not break this covenant which has been made be- 

 tween Me and him: follow him carefully and protect 

 him as long as he observes these things that are now 

 decreed; but if he transgresses, you shall sit in judg- 

 ment with your Father, for you are the daughters of 

 the very Judge." 



When the speech was ended, God vanished from 

 Adam's sight; and Adam went forth to view the glories 

 of Paradise. But at that time the serpent, which was 



