36 THE DANCE OF DEATH.

PLATE II.—SIN.

Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten

of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not

eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake, &c.

Gen. iii. 17.

Holbein has begun the scenes of life by thatwhich had such influence on all the rest. TheMother of the human race holds in her right hand,the fatal apple, which she has just received fromthe serpent with a young man's head ; and Adam,at the same time, is plucking another, enticed bythe solicitations of the too credulous Eve, whoshews him the one she has received.

PLANCHE II.—LE PECHE.

Holbein a commence ces scenes de la viepar celle qui eut tant d'influence sur toutes lesautres. La M£re du genre humain, tient danssa main droite, la pomme fatale qu'elle vient derecevoir du serpent a tete de jeune homme, &Adam en cueille en raerae tems une autre, excitSpar les solicitations de la trop credule Eve, quilui montre celle qu'elle a re^ue.