II

THE TEMPTATION.

* ' Quia audisti vocem uxoris tuce, et comedisti de ligno, &c. "—Gen. iii.

Eve has just received the forbidden fruit from the serpent,who, on the authority of venerable Bede, is here, as well asin most ancient representations of the subject, depicted witha female human face. She holds it up to Adam, and enticeshim to gather more of it from the tree.