The virgin in Eden: or, The state of innocency. Deliver'd by way of image and description. Presenting a nobleman, a student, and heiress, on their progress from Sodom to Canaan. With the parable of the shepherd, Zachariah, and Mary ... To which are added, Pamela's letters proved to be immodest roman online

ceafe, and the Doors muft be mut up.

Therefore, I intreat thee, noble FeliXy to return with
me ; I have new Operas, Tragedies and Comedies, in Re-'
fcearfal, and ready to be performed at our arrival: The
DrefTes and Scenes are likewifc new, fo that I doubt not but
to have Houfes filled with the chiefeft of thy Rank and
(Jiiality : And for their better Entertainment, there is juft
arrived fe\'cral French and Italians to Dance and Sing,
which perform to Admiration. Their Voices and Harmony,
with the Beauties of the female Sex, will charm and glut
thy Eyes and Ears, and fatiate thy Dcfires more than the
Elyfian Fields.

Sir, fays Felix y will you be plea fed to take notice, thit
the quick Senfe of the malignant Nature of Sin was the
chief Motive that induced me to go with the Student and
the Virgin : I am confcious of my frequent reforting to thy
lewd Operas, Mafquerades, ^c. and the fight of thy gaudy
and drelled up Audience.

The more Company I formerly ufed to bring to thy
Houfe, fo much the more I ought to refrain from thofe Va-
nities for the future. As for your deluding Phantoms of a
Company of /r^«f^ and //fl//<2nj,jufl arrived, that (hall never
decoy me into the Snare. I defire no more to fee their an-
tick and dilguifed DrefTes, nor to hear their atheiftical and
blafphemous Difcourfes j thofe wanton Airs, painted Scenes,
and tempting Songs, are apt to ftrikc a Damp on the Spirits
even of the beft of Men.

. I have



1 have often obferved, that many faithful Sen'ants ofv^od
who took the Liberty to go to your Entertainments, once
or twice a Year, have ftrangely fall*n away in the Perfor-
mance of their refpedive Duties ; not being able to reco-
ver their former Sandtity of Life for fome conflderablc
Time; which Indifpofition was apparently pccafioned by
vain Thoughts, that darted into their Minds, relating to
what they had feen or heard in thofe licentious Theatres.

Tell me not of the Crowds of Nobility and Gentry
that are to be Partakers of your pompous Shews and new
Scenes ; it now grieves me to the very Heart that Perfbns
nobly defcended (hould a<5l fo contrary to known Principles,
anddebafe themfelves fo ^as to fet forth fuch ill Precedents.

If I could by any Means be prevailed upon to return
with you, it fliould be to let thole Perlbns of Honour
know how mifbecoming it is to their high Birth and Cha-
ra(5^er, to encourage and maintain fuch leWd Packs of
flafliy, ill contrived Sophifters, who fain would pais for
the greateft Wits of the Age ; but are altogether void of
true Wifdom, as not being capable to hold a Difputation
with Men of fcund Judgment. For it may be obferved,
by any judicious Perfon, that when thefe pretended Sdo*
mons arc engaged in any folid Argument, and find them«
felves put to it, they immediately have recourfe to
pittiflil Shifts and Evahons, endeavouring to buffoon 4
fmcere Chriitian out of his excellent Reafonings, by a few
Repartees and wild Notions, which the Poets have beat
into their addPd Brains, as a Rod of Corredion does the
A, B, C> into the Ihallow Intellects of a dull-pated Boy,
who can fay no more than what he learns by wrote.

On the other Hand, the Children of the high God cao-
not be bufFoon'd, or eafily impofcd upon; but foon cx-
pofe their Adverfaries egregious Follies to Scorn and Deri-
lion. For who can have greater Advantages than tho(e
that are enriched from above ? and experimentally know
the Difference between Good and Evil ; between Virtue
and Vice j between Things that arc honeft, laudable
lovely and of good Report; and thofe that are fordid, dc-
teflable, vile and infamous.

For whereas wicked Miscreants are (killM in nothing but
the black Art of Hell, withaTin<5hire of blind Philofophy:
So that true Prudence is to be found in none but the gc*
nuine Sons of the all- wife God, and Heirs of Salvation. '

The Marquifs of Mafquerades, * Plays, ^c. having
heard Felix's Rcfolves, went away, and gave Place to
the young Countcfs ofSenfual Pleafurcs| (be came up

£ to



[ 34 ]

tothe Virgin, drefled to the bcft Advantage, in gaudy At-
tir?, to demand the Reafon how (he had changed her fine
Apparel for fo plain a Dre(s, as {he now appeared in ; be-
coming all of a fudden fo meak and humble in Spirit, who
not long fmce was of a high and haughty Difpofition :
Come, faid fhe. Virgin, return with me to the Tents of
Sodomy I will ftrip thee of this formal Habit, and adorn
thee with Plumes of Pride, agreeable to thy Birth and ce-
lebrated Beauty : Be perfuaded to lay afide thefe melancholy
Looks and Carriage towards thy Inferiors, and ornament
thy noble Defcent with a majeftick Look.

The Virgin anfwered ; my former Mifdemeanors oughf
not to be expofed, and brought in as a Motive to enducc
me to continue in the fame Follies ; fince Experience and
divine Grace has refin*d my Underftanding, and purified my
Morals. Pride may become brute Beafts, but it is alto-
gether unfeemly and odious in theProfeflbrsofChriftianity;
for nothing difplays a Woman's Folly more than an idle
Conceit of her own Worth and Beauty : And indeed when-
ever our Sex, vain-glorioufly, vaunt it over their Inferiors,
as if they were not FIe(h and Blood equal with themfelves,
they do but imitate a filly Child that is mightily pleafed
with a gaudy Feather in his Cap, and thinks he can do
much greater Feats in his mallering his Playfellow, than if
he where ftript of his Finery, or appeared in as mean a
Garb as the poor Boy with whom he is contending with.

Madam, fays {he, it is not your black Plague-Spots of
Damnation, nor the paint laid fo thick on your freckled
Face, which fitly reprefcnts the Flames of a wounded Con-
fcience: It it not your Equipage, Necklace of Pearl, rich
Pendents, Bread Jewels, Lockets of Diamonds, repeating
Watch, and other gay Trinkets, they {hall no longer daz-
zle my Eyes, or inchant my Scnfes, fo as to make me your
future Companion : On the contrary, Pll learn to adorn
my Mind with thofe excellent Graces of Virtue and Inno-
cence, and keep on this my plain Drefs, as you are pleafed
to term it, fo {hall I become an humble A{rociate of the
lowly and meak in Spirit.

Pride of Heart is the very ElTencc of the Prince of
Darkneis, and gorgeoufnels of Ve{lure, is as it were his
outward Garb, in which he fometimes Counterfeits the
Luftre of an Angel of Light : Then whofoever will may
take Pleafure in being pufFed-up with Vain-Glory and Ar-
rogance J talking big, and calling fcornful Glances on o-
ther VefTels made of the fame Mould with themfelves.
VH incclfantly put up my Petition to Heaven for an even
• * Temper,



1.35 1

Temper, equal to that of the Patriarch yeh^ and learn of
my crucified Je/us the Adb of Mortification and Self-de-

j nial ; and be familiar in my Demeanour towards all that
bear the Image of their Creator.

I For what Excellency is there in me, tho* I am wealthy,

I young and beautiful, more than in another Perfon ? am not
I framed in the fame Likenefs ? And mufl not I lay down
in the fame Level at lafl, with all the refl of mortal

I Beings?

Are my Qualifications more fublime than thofe of other
Virgins ? Am I carved out in a finer Shape than they, by
the curious Hand of the Almighty ? fo much the more
ought I to humble myfelf, and look up to the indulgent
Father of Mercies, from whom every good and perfed
Gift proceeds ; as well knowing that if 1 be conceited with
myfelf, or pufFed-up on Account of my natural Endow-
ments, fuch a vain Prefumption would over-fhadow, and c-
clipfe all my real Worth and Excellency. Til never enter-
tain a fond Opinion of my own Abilities, but learn by De-
grees to refine my Speculations, by taking more Delight in
hearing other Virgins well fpoke of, than feeing myfelf
revered and applauded.

Let my Sex make what Figure they pleafe, by triming
up a dying and corruptible Body with gay Apparel, I ihall
think my Drefs fuificiently genteel, if I can but cover the
Nakednefs of my firfl Parents, and defend myfelf againfl
the cold Blafls of Winter Storms : For what Advantage
is the outward Ornament of a few gay Peacock Feathers f
which only encreafes the Arrogance of the Perfon that
wears them, and attra<Sls the Eyes of the Envious to look
how they are fluck on, who are apt to cavil at every Mode
of dreffing, and even at the mifplace of a fingle Lock of
Hair.

Therefore be gone from me, vain-glorious Countefs, for
I am refolvcd to dwell in JbrahanCs Houfe, with the Fa-
mily of the Meek ; where no ambitious Worldlings inha-
bit, nor haughty infulting Spirits diflurb the Tranquility
of our Retirement.

Upon thefe refolute Reprimands, the arrogant Lady per*
ceiving her Allurements to be of no Force, went away,
and left the Virgin alone to return treble Praifes to the high
God, that {he had thus valiantly overcome the grand £ne«
mles of her Salvation.

^ The three Agents, the Vicegerents of Satan, werein-
'• ccnfed with theDifappointmcnt they met with, after a lone

£ % . and



[ 36 ]

and tedious Journey, fo that they returned from whencil
they came, viz. the Tents of Sodom,

At their departure the Converts told the Collegians all
that had pafsM, and to perpetuate the Memory of this
Day, Felix, the Student and the Virgin were conduced, in
the Evening, into an Apartment, reprefenting a Theatre,
in which there was a Stage illuminated with Lamps and
Candles ; then all the Collegians appeared, with mufical
Inftruments in their Hands, and performed an Anthem
upon this extraordinary Occafion; which, what with
their Voices and the found of Harps, I thought was (b fe-
raphick and glorious, that it imitated holy and immaterial
Spirits in their Hallelujahs^

At the Period of thefe Praifes and Thankfgivings, Cent
up to the high God, that reigns in Glory, a Scene was
drawn, reprefenting a Penitent furrounded on all Sides with
Laurels and Trophies of Honour.

The Hiftory of this Convert was rehcarfed to />//jf, the
Student and the Virgin : The Contents ran thus, the Peni-
tent, rcprcfcnted in this Scene, was a Sinner, as well as
you; he lived in Sodomy before it was deftroved by Fire and
Brimftone, but by the mighty Power of God he left that
City, and travelled to Jbraham'^s Houfe in Canaan, there
he lived, and there he died: It is to his Memory that this
Record is kept, as an original Piece to paint after, of which
Felix, the Student and the Virgin may be faid to Copy
in the firft Part of their Progrcfsjand in this haveobtained
a Viiflory over Worldly Honours, fenfual Pleafurcs, Pride
and Ambition.

This original Penitent, at his Converfion, compofed the
following Prayer: " O, thou God ychovah! let my
** Petition at thy Throne be, that thou wouldft ne-
** ver forfakc me, but grant me the Favour, and the
*' Light of thy Countenance: Let me not be betrayed into
•* any Thing that is ungrateful or unjuft: Let me notfhut
** my Ear to the Cries of the Needy, nor forget the Per-
*' fon that has dcferved well of me : Let me not for any
*' Fear dcfcrt my Friends, my Principles, or my Honour :-
•* If Wealth is to yifit me, and come with her ufual At-
*' tendance, make me meek and humble in Soul : If Pover^
« ty overtakes me, " may I refign to thy Will, and bear
** Hunger, Cold and Nakednefs. There is more Pleafure
f* in the Pra6lice of Virtue, than in that of Riches^ Pa-
*' rents, Children, Wife or Friends. My Soul glow'd with-
in me at the rehcarfah of this original rrayer, made be-
fore 5o</^;w was deilroycd. ' ^ ". ' \

An4



'»^-P.'.^WWP!SI'l|(f||p



t 37 ]

And yet I was (lill more delighted in fteing anothe?
Scene drawn, reprefenting two Altars, one the Emblem of
Light, the other of Darknefs: In the firft there was an*
Angel decyphered, holding a Tranfparcnt Globe in his
Hand, fignifying the Glories of Heaven: Then I cailmv
Eye upon the Altar of Darknefs, there I was flruck with
Pain and Horror ; I beheld nothing there but Shadows^
Clouds and Darknefs ; the Regions crowded with multi-
tude of Images, disfigured with frightful and amazing
Afpe6ts: There was reprefented Life and Death, endlels
Joys and endlefs Pains.

Upon a nearer View of this Altar of Darknefs, I
fancied the Frame of it fhak'd and trembled, which made
the Scene appear as a Foundation ere6led upon the Sands }
yet the World's Favourites made their Addrefles to it, in
expcdiation of receiving Delight and Pleafure, but they
were immediately fatiated and went oiFwith Regret. Thus
every Generation, Male and Female, take iheir Turns,
and make their Court to this Altar of Obfcurity, Mifexy
and Death.

I aflced the Student how he liked this Scene; heanfwer-
cd, that there wa«; once a time when he made Court to
this Goddcfs; once, fays he, my wandering Thoughts were
on thcfe empty Shadows ; then thofe falfe Appearances
were my Pleafure, now they are my Averfion : I have
turned my Eyes and Thoughts to the Altar of Light, there
mv Meditations are fixed and center'd.

The next Scene prcfented to /v//r, the Student and the
Virgin, was this : There appeared on the Stage a gay
Youth, flufticd with Wealth, and a religious Votarr, iit
a Nun's Drefs ; they obferved each other with a kind of
Scorn or Refentment : O ! fays the Youth, you will find
yourfelf miferably miilaken in living an auftere Life, (houkl
there be no Reward in a future State, which is contrary
to my Belief; true, fays the Nun; but what will )rour Con-
dition be if there are Regions of Pain? which is my Faith
that there is.

Man, (ays the Nun, is the Image of the Creator, an4
is defigned for two different Worlds : The firft Life is (hort
and momentary, the fecond lading and endleft. The
principal Point, we are all concerned in, is which of thefe
two Worlds we make our Choice : The prcfent State is
but, as it were, a Span, and the Duration of a few Evening
Dreams and Shadows : As for my Part, I will learn to fecure
the Region of Light, which is fixed and fettled for ever,
Jii PraAice, the generality of Men adhere to the wrong

Side



C 38 ]

Side of the Queftion ; they make Choice of the prefent
Time, . and caft off all Thoughts of what will be future.

Here the Nun ftopt ; and there appeared a Perfon, dref-
fed in the Habit of a divine Philofopher, mufing within
himfelf ; one while he looked upon the Youth, and at ano-
ther his Eyes was towards the Nun.

Says he, I have taken a View of both Worlds; in my
Thoughts, I conclude Man to be a Specie of quite different
Ends and Purpofes than what he really is; mufl not 1 ima-
gine according to his Actions, that he only looks after the
PofTeffions of Honour and worldly Grandeur? Mufl not I
tfeink that his Duty is only to toil and labour for that which
perifhcs ? Mufl not I certainly imagine that he is influenced
by a Scheme, quite oppofite to Reafon, and the Rules pre-
fcribed in the Laws of Nature ? Truly, according to my
Thoughts, he mufl conclude that he is the mofl obflinate
Creature in the Univerfc ; and daily keeps in View the
End for which his Adlions fecm to point at, viz. A (hort
Scence of uninterrupted Vanities, and a Refolution to run
the Rifk, at all Adventures, of being lofl and damned for
ever.

The Entertainment concluded with the Sayings of the
original Penitent. O, Lord God ! what is my Life in this
State of Mirery,but as it were, a continual putting on and
pulling off; or an a£ling the fame Part often over. What
therefore, can I compare myfelf unto, whilll abiding in
this Vale, than to an Infant fprawHng about in the dark
and narrow RcccfTes of his Mother's Womb, not knowing
whether it goes, drawing near to its Birth he knows not
when ; and flaying there awhile, in order to be thrown
naked into a Region it kno'ws nothing of : Why even thus
it is with me, as to my natural Man, I lie fhifting about,
to-and-fro\ in this cloudy and little World, doing I fcarce
no what ; looking to be removed hence, 1 cannot tell on
what Day, Time or Hour, waiting to be flung bare into
an unfeen Being, that as yet I know little off; but Thanks
be to thee great jfehovahy it is otherwife with my more
noble Part the Soul, for that divine Ray has Liberty, with-
out controul, to fetch many a Peep into the light Regions,
and refrefh itfelf by holy Contemplations, notwithfbnding
its Confinement in this Body of Clay.

Should my Soul be denied that Freedom, toconverfe
with my God, it would be flifled in the Womb of this
fufFocating Globe of Earth, before it is delivered hence. O,
my Creator ! what makes me talk of this State of Dufl ?
fince ten thoufand fuch material Worlds as this would not



[ 39 ]

be large enough to contain my Soul within their Bounds i
for did it not ever and anon fetch a few Breathings, in its
own natural Air, the heavenly Kingdom, and take fomc
Turns in its native Situation, the Dwellings of immate-
rial Spirits, it would languifli with Defpair, The next
Scene drawn, prefented a Youth in white Rayment, hold-
ing a Palm in one Hand, and a Manufcript in the other, an ^
original Piece j he repeated every Word extemporyy as the
Copy run.

Says the divine Author, as often as I take a Profpe^ of
the Creation, I enter into the fathomlefs depth of Infinity,
thofe Scenes furnifh my Mind with Variety of Objefb, and
prove that there is a Superior that rules over all. I delight
to rife early to fee the Earth watered with the Dew of the
Morning, how the Chriftal Drops hang on every Blade of
Grafs, in the Fields and Meadows : Thefe Thoughts fur-
nifti me with a fecret Wonder and profound Awe in thefe
Meditations: I fancy myfelf in the Garden oi Eden^ before
Eve prevailed with Jdam to eat the forbidden Apple, My
Opinion is, that then Paradice out-(hined all the other
part of the whole Creation, being in its primitive State of
Innocency, but not now to be fcen, fmce the World hath
been corrupted, and flained with Degeneracy, Indolence
now finks the Soul below itfelf ; its Purfuits are center'd
little further than this Period of Time : How few take any
Obfervation, or ever read one Line in the whole Volume
and Manufcripts that hangs over us, and incompafTes this
Globe. In that excellent Book there is painted out fuch
variety of Miracles, that may entertain our Thoughts .with
Dslight ; the Univcrfe is placed in fuch Order, and there
are fuch diverfities of Images to be fccn, that was' Man to
live ten Generations, and to fill aPage,clofe written, every
Day of his Life, yet thofe vaft numbers of Sheets would
not contain one quarter of the Hiflory that may be wrote
cf all the Bodies, 13eings and Vegetables, that adorn our
vifible World. *

In fome Inftances the Works of Men are curiqus, and
drawn out in fine Threads, both divine and philofophical ;
even there we may extraft fine Examples, which may guide
our Adtions in many Stages of Life. It is not acquired
Parts that always inrich the Mind with Virtue, or give
the Thoughts fine Ideas; for without natural Acquirements
and divine Gifts, we {hall never attain to thofe Perfe^ions
that adorn the Soul of wife and good Men. At the End of
this Speech there was a profound Silence, the whole Audience

feemed



/>>:



.-^^^ i^-^-v-. ,.. ,.â– â– . . .,-1.^:^...^ ...-^^..^-y^



. [ 40 ]

feemcd to be conveyed from Earth to Glory : Then the .
Curtain fell, and the Entertainment concluded^

Here ends the firft: Part of />//>, the Student and the
Virgin's Journey, from Time to Eternity. The next to be
treated of will contain their Conferences with the Collegi-
ans ; their Sayings in their lalt Sicknefs, and the Orations^
made at their funeral Obfequies.

The Subject will be folcmn; fuch as may convey the
Meditations of Chriftlansy Jeivs^ Turks y and Pagans^ into,
the Confines of Mourning: There you will fee every
Scene painted out in the Images of Mortality, fo as you
may take a View of the Tombs, there prefented, of the
Deceafed, and let fall a Sigh and a Tear, in Memo-
ry of your deceafed Anceftors, that havc'already fufFercd
all the Diftionours of Corruption, and now deep in the
Vaults of the E?rth. Tho' our Spirits refemblc the I-
mage of Jefus^ yet it is predeftinated tliat our Flelh an<i
Bones muft be the Companion of Worms and Putri-
fa<5ion : Our original is Duft, and Duft and Rottcnnefs
will be our Portion, before our Bodies fiiall be refined
and changed into an immaterial and fpiritual Body.



FINIS.




Anri



C 41 J

The Vi R G I n's Vifion

H^e frji Night Jhe lay in Abraham's
Houfe.

I Had no fooner drawn my Curtains, and compofed mj
Mind to reft, with the pleadng Ideas of my being arri-
ved in Canaan from Sodomy but I fencied I was conveyed
into an unknown Region ; and paffing away my Time in
Company of Myriads of Beings, entertaining each other
with Hallelujah's and Songs of Prai fes, I beheld there the
infinite Perfc<5lion of the Deity, and faw even created Be-
ings moving round the Throne of Jefus. Thus my Specu-
lations were raifcd beyond fcnfual Enjoyments. Thefc
glorious Sights av/aked me out of my Sleep; but I was im-
mediately thrown again into a ftrange Amufement, if I may
call it fuch; for I cannot certainly tell what it was, by rea-
fon the Sun had been for fome Hours fet, and my Thoughts
were wholly taken up on divine Obje<Sls. Be it what it
will, I was entertained with fo clear a Profped of an end-
Jefs Scene of Worlds, as if I had feen a new Creation of
Wonders weaved out to me in the Loom of Nature. I
fancied I faw the azure Sky crouded with the fame glorious
Lamps, which I had been lately contemplating upon. I
was looking very attentively on a Star towards the Eail,
when on a fudden there appeared a blazing Light, as if the
Element was all of a Flame. Upon its abating, the great
Luminary came forth of his private Chamber, with all the
Emblems of Beauty about him, fliining in its full Strength,
and fpoke to me after a very uncommon manner: I am,
fays he, of a pu/cr Subftance than the Earth, and compo-
fcd of Particles, which never fwimmed in the Floods that
were difperfed about the black Chaos. But upon my bcinz
advanced into the unknown Depth of the Firmanent, i
was ordered immediately to go to my limited Circuit,
where I met, in my firft three Day's Progrefs, Multitudes
of Beings juft formed, peeping forth from the dark Womb
of Obfcurity in their full Growth, endowed with Scnfe.
They all inftantly entered upon Adion, with as much Ex-
perience, as if they had been acquainted With the BuQnefi
of the World for a whole Age. What with their Diverfi*



mmnKpmmmmm — -^mmmmm



-""•"fi'TriiiifliTtf -



[4»1

ty of Shapes, A^^Ivity and Labour, I faw prcfcntoJ to me
an Art more curious than I could irnagine, in the framing of
that Part of the Creation wherein they moved. But things of
this fort are not the Occafion of my Vifit. There is a vaft
Number of Objc£ls lodged in the long Track of Heaven,
which you cannot view to any Pcrfe£lion, that have divine
LefTons of the fupreme Eflence defcribed on every Part of
them. I, who am of a clear Light, can make what Ob-
fervations 1 pleafe. I have divided them, and dill open
them, and ftill difcover new Wonders of Providence. It
may be, you are ftartled at what I fay ; but I muft tell you,
that there arc many other fliining Spheres, which I can on-
ly difcern at a ifeft Diftance, glimmering like fmall Sparks
of Fire afcending upwards; which, if you could fuit your
Notions, as I can, to their Dimenfions, you might fee one
Apartment within another; and fo proceed fo long as you
think fit to continue your Difquifition. If thcfe things ap-
pear extravagant and ridiculous, it is becaufe you live remote
from fuch Miracles, and your blunt and grofs Organs of
Scnfc are not capable of retaining Ideas that come fo near
to Perfc^ion. I told him my Mind was filled with fecret
Delight, and I could frame prodigious Schemes to myfclf
of the large Extent of thofe diftant Worlds ; but I ^ncied
I fiiould be laughed at, if I went about to broach fuch O-
pinions, as Precepts to be believed by others. Your Re-
marks, fays he, are very right ; and I muft allow, that
what I fpeak of the mighty Wonders in the upper Regions,
only fuits fuch,. who very artfully contraft within the Com-
pafs of their Fancies thofe great Olyedh of Admiration,
with a Defign to inftil them into the Minds of others by a
kind of infenfible Advantage of Inftru6lion. I defired him
to furnifl] me with fomething more fuitable to a general
Approbation, and fpeak of his own Performances. Youc
Reafon tells you, fays he, there is no Trace in the Book
of Nature that appears to you, which reprefents a more
glorious Figure than myfelf ; tiiough it is ftrange to fee the
Clouds and the Rain frequently overfhadowing my flaming
Orb, which gives by its Heat and Influence many Creatures