THE KING'S MIRROR 



question looks toward some reply or solution, it is 

 proper that I should enlarge somewhat on this speech, 

 so as to make the subject a little clearer to you and to 

 others who do not understand it better than you do. I 

 shall, however, run over it in a few words only, for I do 

 not care much to comment on my own remarks. 



You have asked whether serpents and other beasts 

 were created with the power of speech in the days when 

 Adam was appointed keeper of Paradise, and you shall 

 know of a truth that the gift of speech was not given to 

 any bodily creature but man. And since you wish to 

 know why speech was given to the serpent and why it 

 wished to lead the woman into transgression, I shall 

 now proceed to explain. The explanation begins with 

 the fact that God created angels before men. The angels 

 were immortal spirits, free from all corporal weakness, 

 and endowed with great beauty. But though created 

 with perfect beauty, they were held subject to this law, \ 

 that they must show love and obedience toward their S 

 Creator in humility and without deceit. It was promised -' 

 them that they should keep their beauty and all the 

 other honors that God had given them, as long as they 

 kept this law; at the same time God gave them full 

 freedom to violate the law, if they wished; for He spoke 

 to them in this wise: " Since you were all created at the 

 same moment and none was begotten by another, each 

 one of you shall decide for himself and none for another 

 whether these laws that I have now ordained shall be 

 kept or broken. And if there are those who transgress l 

 them, they shall be driven out of this life of bliss; while / 

 those who observe the laws shall continue to enjoy un- ^ 



