commanded you God that ye should not eat of all the trees of Paradise?
This he said to find occasion to say that he was come for. Then the
woman answered and said: Ne forte moriamur, lest haply we die, which she
said doubting, for lightly she was flexible to every part. Whereunto
anon he answered: Nay in no wise ye shall die, but God would not that ye
should be like him in science, and knowing that when ye eat of this tree
ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil, he as envious forbade you.
And anon the woman, elate in pride and willing to be like to God,
accorded thereto and believed him. The woman saw that the tree was fair
to look on, and clean and sweet of savor, took and ate thereof, and gave
unto Adam of the same, happily desiring him by fair words. But Adam anon
agreed, for when he saw the woman not dead he supposed that God had said
that they should die to fear them with, and then ate of the fruit
forbidden. And anon their sight was opened that they saw their
nakedness, and then anon they understood that they had trespassed. And
thus they knew that they were naked, and they took fig leaves and sewed
them together for to cover their members in manner of breeches.

And anon after, they heard the voice of our Lord God walking, and anon
they hied him. Our Lord called the man and said: Adam, where art thou?
Calling him in blaming him and not as knowing where he was, but as who
said: Adam, see in what misery thou art. Which answered: I have hid me,
Lord, for I am naked. Our Lord said: Who told thee that thou wert naked,
but that thou hast eaten of the tree forbidden? He then not meekly
confessing his trespass, but laid the fault on his wife, and on him as
giver of the woman to him, and said: The woman that thou gavest to me as
a fellow, gave to me of the tree, and I ate thereof. And then our Lord
said to the woman: Why didst thou so? Neither she accused herself, but
laid the sin on the serpent, and privily she laid the fault on the maker
of him. The serpent was not demanded, for he did it not of himself, but