Prison-pietie, or, Meditations divine and moral digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, Henry Lord Bishop of London / by Samuel Speed ...

¶ On the Tree of Knowledge.

IN Paradise it was this Tree did grow, Plac'd in the midst, that man might thereby know It was the choicest Plant; but Satan came, And with his wiles beguiled Adam's Dame. Taste, Woman, eat, quoth he, it doth descry Both Good and Evil; eat and never die, Forbear and perish: herein lies the odds, They that shall eat hereof shall be as Gods. Is it not pleasant? were it understood, You'd eat, and say, it is no common Food: It is an Oyntment for your blinded eyes; First taste, then eat, this Fruit will make you wise. Eve, like a silly woman, then began To bite that Bait which Satan cast for man. She having eat, the next thing she must do, Is to perswade her Husband do so too. Adam forsakes his Innocencie, and They each perceiv'd that both did naked stand; Then cloath'd themselves with Fig leaves, to prevent Their present shame, and future punishment. But the great God (whose ever seeing eye Discern'd their folly) he was straightway nigh. Perceiving that they for immediate ease Sought for their shelter among other trees; But God's loud voice soon pierc'd the tender bough, Only with saying, Adam, where art thou? Adam as conscious that he was betraid, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he heard God's voice, and was afraid:

He and his Wife, as two poor naked elves, In dire distress, betook to hide themselves. Then saith the Lord, For what cause wast thou hid? What, hast thou eat the fruit which I forbid? Who told thee thou art naked? let me know. Adam reply'd, This Woman caus'd my woe: She whom thou gavest me said it was sweet; She gave me of the tree, and I did eat. The Woman likewise did her plaint prefer, Saying the Serpent 'twas deceived her. Was Eden's Garden barren, was there none That could invite, but this same tree alone? That fruitful Soyl, whose trees with bending 〈◊〉〈◊〉, And justly styl'd her Mistris of the World, 'Twas there choice dainties made a rich encrease, Paradise then was Natures Master-piece. Of all the other trees said God the Lord, Thou maist delight thy self with free accord. By which it follows with divine attest, That there were more, and who knows which was best? This tree like Adam's self might have been hid. Its fruit was eat, because it was forbid. Thus did their disobedience usher in A world of Sorrow, with a world of Sin. Our God in the beginning did create Man for himself, Woman mans helpful mate: 'Twas then the Serpent first contriv'd to scan To make a Woman prove a Wo [to] man. Adam's cast out by order of the Lord, And Cherubs guard the Tree with flaming Sword.