1085 In folitude live favage, in some glade Hide me, So counsel'd he, and both together went Into the thickeft wood; there foon they chose 1100 1106 The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, But fuch as at this day to Indians known In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms Branching fo broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade High overarch'd, and echoing walks between; There oft the Indian herdsman shunning heat Shelters in cool, and tends his pafturing herds At loopholes cut through thickest shade: Thofe leaves They gather'd, broad as Amazonian targe, And with what skill they had, together fow'd, To gird their waste, vain covering if to hide IIII Their to the fneer, What could they do for needles and thred? But the original fignifes no more than that they twisted the young twigs of the figtree round about their waftes, in the manner of a Roman crown, for which purpose the fig-tree of all others, especially in thofe eaftern countries, was the most serviceable; because it hath, as Pliny fays Lib. 16. cap. 26. folium maximum umbrofiffimumque, the greatest and most author follows the beft commentators fhady leaf of all others. And our in fuppofing that this was the Indian fig-tree, the account of which he borrows from Pliny, Lib. 12. c. 5. as Pliny had done before from Theophraftus. It was not that kind for Their guilt and dreaded shame; O how unlike 1115 Columbus found th' American, fo girt part 1120 They fat them down to weep; nor only tears Miftruft, fufpicion, difcord, and fhook fore Their inward state of mind, calm region once 1125 And full of peace, now toft and turbulent: fruit renown'd, and Pliny fays that the largenefs of the leaves hinder'd the fruit from growing; hâc causâ fructum integens, crefcere prohibet; rarufque eft. It branches fo broad and long that in the ground the bended twigs take root, and daughters grow about the mother tree, a pillar'd hade bigh overarch'd: As Pliny fays, Ipfa fe femper ferens, vaftis diffunditur ramis; quorum imi adeo in terram curvantur, ut annuo fpatio infigantur, novamque fibi propaginem faciant circa parentem quodam opere topiario fornicato ambitu. There oft the Indian herdsman fhunning beat Shelters in cool &c: Intra fepem cam æftivant paftores &c. And its leaves are broad as Amazonian For targe: Foliorum latitudo peltæ effigiem Amazonicæ habet. Sir Walter Raleigh, upon his own knowledge, gives very much the fame account of this Ficus Indica in his Hiftory of the World. B. 1. C. 4. S. 2. 1103. In Malabar or Decan] Malabar is a vaft peninsula or promontary of the Eaft Indies, of which Decan is a confiderable kingdom. Hume. Columbus found the American, &c.] Columbus, who made the first dif covery of America about the Year 1492, found the Americans so girt about the wafte with feathers, as Adam and Eve were with fig-leaves. 1140. Let For understanding rul'd not, and the will Superior fway: from thus diftemper'd breast, 1130 Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and stay'd With me, as I befought thee, when that strange 1135 Defire of wand'ring this unhappy morn, I know not whence poffefs'd thee; we had then Of all our good, fham'd, naked, miserable. To whom foon mov'd with touch of blame thus Eve. What words have pafs'd thy lips, Adam fevere! 1140. Let none henceforth feek needlefs caufe to approve The faith they owe;] As Eve had done when the faid ver. 335. : And what is faith, love, virtue, unaffay'd, &c. Imput'ft 1144. What words have pass'd thy tation of Homer, Iliad. XIV. 83. lips, Adam feverel] Inimi Ατρείδη, ποιον σε επι φυγεν έρκος οδόντων Thyer. 1162. Te Imput'ft thou that to my default, or will 1145 Of wand'ring, as thou call'ft it, which who knows But might as ill have happen'd thou being by, 1150 Or to thyself perhaps? hadft thou been there, 1155 Being as I am, why didst not thou the head |