Of the Picture of the Serpent tempting Eve.
In the Picture of Paradise, and delusion of our first Parents, the Serpent is often described with humane visage; not unlike unto _Cadmus_ or his wife, in the act of their Metamorphosis. Which is not a meer pictorial contrivance or invention of the Picturer, but an ancient tradition and conceived reality, as it stands delivered by _Beda_ and Authors of some antiquity; that is, that Sathan appeared not unto _Eve_ in the naked form of a Serpent, but with a Virgins head, that thereby he might become more acceptable, and his temptation find the easier entertainment. Which nevertheless is a conceit not to be admitted, and the plain and received figure, is with better reason embraced.
For first, as _Pierius_ observeth from _Barcephas_, the assumption of humane shape had proved a disadvantage unto Sathan; affording not only a suspicious amazement in _Eve_, before the fact, in beholding a third humanity beside her self and _Adam_; but leaving some excuse unto the woman, which afterward the man took up with lesser reason; that is, to have been deceived by another like her self.
Again, There was no inconvenience in the shape assumed, or any considerable impediment that might disturb that performance in the common form of a Serpent. For whereas it is conceived the woman must needs be afraid thereof, and rather flie than approach it; it was not agreeable unto the condition of Paradise and state of innocency therein; if in that place as most determine, no creature was hurtful or terrible unto man, and those destructive effects they now discover succeeded the curse, and came in with thorns and briars. And therefore _Eugubinus_ (who affirmeth this Serpent was a Basilisk) incurreth no absurdity, nor need we infer that _Eve_ should be destroyed immediately upon that Vision. For noxious animals could offend them no more in the Garden, than _Noah_ in the Ark: as they peaceably received their names, so they friendly possessed their natures: and were their conditions destructive unto each other, they were not so unto man, whose constitutions then were antidotes, and needed not fear poisons. And if (as most conceive) there were but two created of every kind, they could not at that time destroy either man or themselves; for this had frustrated the command of multiplication, destroyed a species, and imperfected the Creation. And therefore also if Cain were the first man born, with him entred not only the act, but the first power of murther; for before that time neither could the Serpent nor _Adam_ destroy _Eve_; nor _Adam_ and _Eve_ each other; for that had overthrown the intention of the world, and put its Creator to act the sixt day over again.