[print edition page number: 133]

Dorothy Calthorpe

A Description of the Garden of Eden (1672–1684)

When the most high God began that great and wonderful work of the Creation of the world, he first finished this stately fabric and then filled it with all sorts of varieties: beasts, birds, fish and fowl, fruits and flowers. Then he formed man after his own image, and freely gave all these things into his power, and bid him reign lord and king over them and be happy. And to conduce more to his happiness, he gave him a most beautiful virgin to be his companion.

The air was then as temperate as could be desired. Everything seemed to congratulate man’s happiness. The earth cast forth a perfume like civet^[1] and musk. The bounds of this most delightful place was extremely large. And yet it was encompassed about with a brave wall of black and white marble and environed round with a murmuring river — and in it a great number of silver swans riding about it and ebony boats ready to pay their duty. And the banks were fringed round with all sorts of flowers, and round the border stood trees of firs and cedars, mulberries and pines, and in the boughs sat the cooing turtles^[2] and the chanting nightingales.

And within the walls were planted with all kinds of delicious fruits,^[3] and in the middle of this pleasant garden, upon a green plush hill embroidered with roses, lilies, and flowers-de-luce,^[4] stood a crystal house shaded under the boughs of the tree of life, whose leaden branches kissed the roof, and the golden apples shining through like bright stars. And about the walls of this palace grew in great plenty cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cornelians,^[5] which Eve with great ease gathered perpetually and presented to Adam. And these fruits not only pleased their taste, but their eyes, shining with such a luster through these [134] walls. And the floor was paved with Turkey stones,^[6] and the very leaves of this blessed tree shined like satin and enameled with the morning dew, which smelt sweeter than ambergris.^[7]

And here in this tranquility lived Adam and Eve. All the walks were paved with amber and the beds of flowers planked with mother pearl;^[8] the grass looked like green silk; and several gold fountains pouring out all sorts of rich wines; and rocks running all kinds of cool and pleasant drinks; and curious arbors,^[9] some of tortoiseshell wreathed all o’er with jasmine, and others of ivory with suckling twining about them. And a fine wilderness^[10] parted from the rest of the garden with a wall made of massy silver, and the walks cut with such art that one could hardly find the way out again. The hedges were nothing but oranges and lemons and olives and citrons^[11] and other rarities that I want names for. The very grass was perfect green velvet with millions of little flowers just perking out of their heads,^[12] and at the ends of all the walks stood brave statues of angels from head to foot in gold, and in the middle of it stood a most delicate agate rock running orange-flower water^[13] in great plenty and birds of paradise singing and flying continually about it.

This was the place that the most great God walked in the cool of the day when he talked with Adam, and in other places of the garden stood summer houses made of looking-glass^[14] upon mounts which were set round with all kinds of strawberries, and a great many larks perpetually hovering and singing about them. And in niches of the marble wall stood lions made of alabaster gushing out of their mouths sweet waters, and under them stood great china cisterns to catch it, and with it morning and evening they watered the fruits and flowers. And in other places of the wall there was made large alcoves and some lined within with [135] cornelians^[15] and others with pomander^[16] and great stone tables in the middle, and round the edges grew all sorts of grapes which ran along upon the arches whose bunches longed to be gathered by Eve’s fair hands.

And there was other pleasant groves walled round with coral and planted with cypress and pomegranates and myrtles and flowers of the sun^[17] growing amongst them, and thousands of pretty birds chirping and singing amongst the twigs. And several walks running here and there of matted pinks^[18] and cammuwell^[19] and laurel hedges cut into most curious works, and great dogs of stone spotted with jet lying about upon beds of moss. The whole garden was stored with all sorts of creatures and all kinds of delightful things that could be fancied or desired.

And hear how poor Adam laments his loss: “O my children, happy then indeed when I was possessed of this glorious place! If your forefather had known his own happiness — but now miserable I was first disobedient unto God that made me. The angels in heaven blush and are ashamed of me. This should have been your inheritance, but I have left you nothing but a heap of miseries. God indeed of his free good will gave unto me by a sure promise heaven for an inheritance and entailed^[20] it upon you. But I have undone you all, cut off the entail, and prodigally made away all for one bit I valued — my wife and an apple more than you all, more than this pleasant place, nay more than heaven! Ah, cursed and unhappy dinner for which I deserved to sup in hell many thousand years!

“I lived in this paradise full of all these delights and pleasures beyond imagination. God gave me the free use of all these things. Only the fruit of one tree was forbidden me. I was Lord of all the creatures. I was wise and beautiful, strong and lusty, and abounded with all manner of delights. The clouds were clad in bright blue; the heavens smiled upon us; the sun did shine so pure that nothing could behold the brightness. All things seemed to gratify us. At our new marriage our eyes could behold nothing but that which was flourishing and pleasing to them; our ears were filled with all kinds of pleasant music, and the birds (those nimble choristers of the air) ever warbling out their ditties. [136]

“The earth brought forth of itself everything that could be thought or wished. I was compassed about with content^[21] and pleasures on every side. I lived free and remote from all care, sorrow, fear, labor, sickness, and death. I seemed to be a god upon earth. The angels in heaven rejoiced to see my happiness. There was none that did envy me but myself. But because I obeyed not the voice of God, all these evils fell upon me: I was driven out of paradise, and this goodly place snatched from me. And banished from the sight of the blessed God, and for shame, I hid my face. Labor, sorrow, mourning, fears, tears, calamities — a thousand miseries seized upon me and quite wearied me out. You feel it, as many as are of my family.^[22] And that which seemeth to be the end of all temporal^[23] misery and sorrow is oftentimes the beginning of eternal.

“O my children, learn by your own woeful experience, learn by your own loss and mine! I myself do not know whether you may better call me a father or a tyrant or a murderer. I cannot wonder or complain justly that you are so vicious and so sinful, for you learned it of me. I am sorry you are so disobedient, but this you learned also of me.

“Your punishments are deferred. I was severely corrected by my immediate loss of Eden, and placed over against this terrestrial place from which I was banished, and to add the more to my affliction that I was forced to behold the happiness I had lost by my foul offense and never to be redeemed. But now, through the mercy of God, heaven and paradise is regained and set open to all. But there is no coming to it but by the gate of the cross, and he that entereth in at this gate may be certain of his desired Eden and eternal joy in the kingdom of heaven, where he shall have an everlasting habitation with the most great and glorious Lord God.”