the first of the human race, was formed by the Almighty on the sixth day of the creation. His body was made of the dust of the earth: after which, God animated or gave it life, and Adam then became a rational creature. His heavenly Parent did not leave his offspring in a destitute state to shift for himself; but planted a garden, in which he caused to grow not only every tree that was proper for producing food, but likewise such as were agreeable to the eye, or merely ornamental. In this garden were assembled all the brute creation; and, by their Maker, caused to pass before Adam, who gave all of them names, which were judged proper by the Deity himself.—In this review Adam found none for a companion to himself. This solitary state was seen by the Deity to be attended with some degree of unhappiness; and therefore he threw Adam into a deep sleep, in which condition he took a rib from his side, and healing up the wound formed a woman of the rib he had taken out. On Adam's awaking, the woman was brought to him; and he immediately knew her to be one of his own species, called her his bone and his flesh, giving her the name of woman because she was taken out of man.

The first pair being thus created, God gave them authority over the inferior creation, commanding them to subdue the earth, also to increase and multiply and fill it. They were informed of the proper food for the beasts and for them; the herbs, or green herbs, being appointed for beasts; and fruits, or seeds, for man. Their proper employment also was assigned them; namely, to dress the garden, and to keep it.

Though Adam was thus highly favoured and instructed by his Maker, there was a single tree, which grew in in the middle of the garden, of the fruit of which they were not allowed to eat; being told that they should surely die in the day they ate of it. This tree was named the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This prohibition, however, they soon broke through. The woman having entered into conversation with the Serpent, was by him persuaded, that by eating of the tree she should become as wise as God himself; and accordingly, being invited by the beauty of the fruit, and its desirable property of imparting wisdom, she plucked and ate; giving her husband of it at the same time, who did likewise eat.

Before this transgression of the divine command, Adam and his wife had no occasion for clothes, neither had they any sense of shame; but immediately on eating the forbidden fruit, they were ashamed of being naked, and made aprons of fig leaves for themselves. On hearing the voice of God in the garden, they were terrified, and hid themselves: but being questioned by the Deity, they confessed what they had done, and received sentence accordingly; the man being condemned to labour; the woman to subjection to her husband, and to pain in child-bearing. They were now driven out of the garden, and their access to it prevented by a terrible apparition. They had clothes given them by the Deity made of the skins of beasts. In this state Adam had several children; the names of only three of whom we are acquainted with, viz. Cain, Abel, and Seth. He died at the age of 930 years.

These are all the particulars concerning Adam's life, that we have on divine authority: but a vast multitude of others are added by the Jews, Mahometans, and Papists; all of which must be at best conjectural; most of them, indeed, appear downright falsehoods or absurdities. The curiosity of our readers, it is presumed, will be sufficiently gratified by the few which are here subjoined.

According to the Talmudists, when Adam was created, his body was of immense magnitude. When he sinned, his stature was reduced to a hundred ells, according to some; to nine hundred cubits, according to others; who think this was done at the request of the angels, who were afraid of so gigantic a creature. In the island of Ceylon is a mountain, called the Peak or mountain of Adam, from its being, according to the tradition of the country, the residence of our first parents. Here the print of his footsteps, above two palms in length, are still pointed out.

Many reveries have been formed concerning the personal beauty of Adam. That he was a handsome well-shaped man is probable; but some writers, not content with this, affirm, that God, intending to create man, clothed Himself with a perfectly beautiful human body, making this his model in the formation of the body of Adam.

Nor has the imagination been less indulgent concerning the formation of the human species male and female.—It would be endless to recount all the fancies that have been wrote on this subject; but as Madame Bourignon has made a considerable figure in the religious, or rather superstitious, world, we cannot help inferring some of her opinions concerning the first man, which are peculiarly marvellous. According to the revelations of this lady, Adam before his fall possessed in himself the principles of both sexes, and the virtue or power of producing his like, without the concurrence of assistance of woman. The division into two sexes, * Preface he imagined *, was the consequence of man's sin; and to a book, now, the observers, mankind are become so many non-entitled flers in nature, being much less perfect in this respect Le nouveau Terre, than plants or trees, which are capable of producing their like alone, and without pain or misery. She even imagined, that, being in an ecstacy, she saw the figure Amft.1679. of Adam before he fell, with the manner how, by himself, he was capable of procreating other men. "God," says she, "represented to my mind the beauty of the first world, and the manner how he had drawn it from the chaos: every thing was bright, transparent and darted forth life and ineffable glory. The body of Adam was purer and more transparent than crystal, and vastly fleet; through his body were seen vespells and rivulets of light, which penetrated from the inward to the outward parts, through all his pores. In some vespefls ran fluids of all kinds and colours, vastly bright, and quite diaphanous. The most ravishing harmony arose from every motion; and nothing refused, or could annoy him. His stature was taller than the present race of men; his hair was short, curled, and of a colour inclining to black; his upper lip covered with short hair: instead of the genital parts which modesty will not allow us to name, he was fashioned as our bodies will be in the life eternal, which I know not whether I dare reveal. In that region his nose was formed after the manner of a face, which diffused the most delicious fragrance and perfumes; whence also men were to issue, all whose principles were inherent in him: there being in his belly a vespefl, where little eggs were formed; and a second vespefl filled with a fluid which impregnated those eggs: and when man heated himself in the love of God, the desire he had that other creatures should exist beside himself, to praise and love God, caused the fluid above mentioned (by means of the fire of the love of God), to drop on one or more of these eggs, with inexpressible delight; which being thus impregnated, issued, some time after, out of man by this canal †, in the shape of an egg, ‡ i.e. the whence a perfect man was hatched by infallible de. neafal canal agrees. Woman was formed by taking out of Adam's situated as side the vespefls that contained the eggs; which the above described poteflles, as is discovered by anatomists."

Many others have believed that Adam at his first creation was both male and female: others, that he had two bodies joined together at the shoulders, and their faces looking opposite ways like those of Janus. Hence, say these, when God created Eve, he had no more to do than to separate the two bodies from one another †. Of all others, however, the opinion of See An-Paracelius seems the most ridiculous ||. Negabat primos dognes. Parentes ante lapsum habuisset partes generationi hominis | Paracel- necessearios; credebant pothea accipifiles, ut frumam guttur. Volium de Extravagant things are asserted concerning Adam's Philo- knowledge. It is very probable that he was instructed phia, c. ix. by the Deity how to accomplish the work appointed P 71. him, viz. to dress the garden, and keep it from being destroyed by the brute creatures; and it is also probable that he had likewise every piece of knowledge communicated to him that was either necessary or pleasing: but that he was acquainted with geometry, mathematics, rhetoric, poetry, painting, sculpture, &c. is too ridiculous to be credited by any sober person. Some rabbies, Rabbies, indeed, have contented themselves with equalling Adam's knowledge to that of Moses and Solomon; while others, again, have maintained that he excelled the angels themselves. Several Christians seem to be little behind these Jews in the degree of knowledge they ascribe to Adam, nothing being hid from him, according to them, except contingent events relating to futurity. One writer indeed (Pinedo) excepts politics; but a Carthusian friar, having exhausted in favour of Aristotle, every image and comparison he could think of, at last asserted that Aristotle's knowledge was as extensive as that of Adam.—In consequence of this surprising knowledge with which Adam was endued, he is supposed to have been a considerable author. The Jews pretend that he wrote a book on the creation, and another on the Deity. Some rabbies ascribe the 92d psalm to Adam; and in some manuscripts the Chaldee title of this psalm expressly declares that this is the song of praise which the first man repeated for the Sabbath day.

Various conjectures have been formed concerning the place where man was first created, and where the garden of Eden was situated; but none of these have any solid foundation. The Jews tell us, that Eden was separated from the rest of the world by the ocean; and that Adam, being banished therefrom, walked across the sea, which he found every way fordable, by reason of his enormous stature*. The Arabsians imagined paradise to have been in the air; and that our first parents were thrown down from it on their transgression, as Vulcan is said to have been thrown down headlong from heaven by Jupiter.

Strange stories are told concerning Adam's children. That he had none in the state of innocence, is certain from Scripture; but that his marriage with Eve was not consummated till after the fall, cannot be proved from thence. Some imagine, that, for many years after the fall, Adam denied himself the connubial joys by way of penance; others, that he cohabited with another woman, whose name was Lillith. The Mahometans tell us, that our first parents having been thrown headlong from the celestial paradise, Adam fell upon the isle of Serendib, or Ceylon, in the East Indies; and Eve on Iodda, a port of the Red sea, not far from Mecca. After a separation of upwards of 200 years, they met in Ceylon, where they multiplied: according to some Eve had twenty, according to others only eight, deliveries; bringing forth at each time twins, a male and a female, who afterwards married. The rabbins imagine that Eve brought forth Cain and Abel at a birth; that Adam wept for Abel a hundred years in the valley of tears near Hebron, during which time he did not cohabit with his wife; and that this separation would probably have continued longer, had it not been forbid by the angel Gabriel. The inhabitants of Ceylon affirm, that the salt lake on the mountain of Colombo consists wholly of the tears which Eve for one hundred years together shed because of Abel's death.

Some of the Arabians tell us, that Adam was buried near Mecca on Mount Abukobeis; others, that Noah, having laid his body in the ark, caused it to be carried after the deluge to Jerusalem by Melchideck the son of Shem: of this opinion are the eastern Christians; but the Persians affirm that he was interred in the isle of Serendib, where his corpse was guarded by lions at the time the giants warred upon one another. St Jerome imagined that Adam was buried at Hebron; others, on Mount Calvary. Some are of opinion that he died on the very spot where Jerusalem was afterwards built; and was buried on the place where Christ suffered, that so his bones might be sprinkled with the Saviour's blood.

Adam, Melchior, lived in the 17th century. He was born in the territory of Grotkaw in Silsia, and educated in the college of Brieg, where the dukes of that name, to the utmost of their power, encouraged learning and the reformed religion as professed by Calvin. Here he became a firm Protestant; and was enabled to pursue his studies by the liberality of a person of quality, who had left several exhibitions for young students. He was appointed rector of a college at Heidelberg, where he published his first volume of illustrious men in the year 1615. This volume, which consisted of philosophers, poets, writers on polite literature, and historians, &c., was followed by three others: that which treated of divines was printed in 1619; that of the lawyers came next; and, finally, that of the physicians: the two last were published in 1620. All the learned men, whose lives are contained in these four volumes, lived in the 16th, or beginning of the 17th century, and are either Germans or Flemings; but he published in 1618 the lives of twenty divines of other countries in a separate volume. All his divines are Protestants. The Lutherans were not pleased with him, for they thought him partial; and will not allow his work to be a proper standard of the learning of Germany. He was the author of several other works besides his lives. His industry as a biographer is commended by Bayle, who acknowledges his obligations to his labours. He died in 1622.

Adam, Robert, an eminent architect, was born at Edinburgh in the year 1728. He was the second son of William Adam, Esq., of Maryburgh, in the county of Fife, who has also left some respectable specimens of his genius and abilities as an architect in Hope-town house, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, which were erected from designs executed by him. And it was perhaps owing to the fortunate circumstance of his father's example that young Adam first directed his attention to those studies, in the prosecution of which he afterwards rose to such distinguished celebrity. He received his education at the university of Edinburgh, where he had an opportunity of improving and enlarging his mind, by the conversation and acquaintance of some of the first literary characters of the age who were then rising into reputation, or have since established their fame as historians and philosophers. Among these were Mr Hume, Dr Robertson, Dr Smith, and Dr Ferguson, who were the friends and companions of the father, and who continued through life their friendship and attachment to the son.

In the year 1734 Mr Adam travelled to the continent, with a view to extend his knowledge and improve his taste in architecture, and resided in Italy for three years. Here he surveyed and studied those noble specimens of ancient grandeur which the magnificent public edifices of the Romans, even in ruins, still exhibit. But he saw with regret, that the public buildings, constructed with more durable materials and greater greater strength and solidity, had alone been able to resist, during the lapse of ages, the injuries of time, and the more destructive hand of the northern barbarians, whose progress was marked with ruin and desolation. Not a vestige of any of the private buildings of the wealthy citizens, which have been described and celebrated by their writers for their magnificence, now remains; and even the situation of some of the splendid villas of the luxurious Romans is scarcely known. In tracing the progress of architecture and the other fine arts among the Romans, Mr Adam observed that they had visibly declined previous to the time of Diocletian; but he was also convinced that the liberal patronage and magnificence of that emperor had revived during his reign a better taste for architecture, and had formed artists who were capable of imitating the more elegant style of a purer age. He had seen this remarkably exemplified in the public baths at Rome, which were erected by him, the most entire and the noblest of the ancient buildings. Admiring the extent and fertility of genius of the artists, from whose designs such magnificent structures had been executed, he was anxious to see and study any remains that yet existed of those masters whose works are striking monuments of an elegant and improved taste, but whose names, amid the wrecks of time, have sunk into oblivion. It was with this view that he undertook a voyage to Spalatro, in Dalmatia, to visit and examine the private palace of Diocletian, in which that emperor resided for nine years previous to his death, and to which he retired in the year 305, when he resigned the government of the empire. Mr Adam sailed from Venice in July 1754, accompanied by M. Clerisseau, a French artist and antiquarian, and two experienced draughtsmen. On their arrival at Spalatro, they found that though the palace had suffered much from the injuries of time, yet it had sustained no less from the dilapidations of the inhabitants to procure materials for building, and even the foundations of the ancient structure were covered with modern houses. With high expectations of success, they commenced their labours, but were soon interrupted by the jealous vigilance of the government. Suspecting that their object was to view and make plans of the fortifications, an immediate and peremptory order was issued by the governor, commanding them to desist. This order, however, was soon counteracted through the mediation of General Graeme, the commander-in-chief of the Venetian forces; and they were permitted to proceed in their undertaking. They resumed their labours with double ardour, and in five weeks finished plans and views of the fragments which remain, from which they were enabled to execute perfect designs of the entire building.

Mr Adam now returned to England, and soon rose to very considerable professional eminence. In 1762 he was appointed architect to the king, and the year following he presented to the public the fruit of his voyage to Spalatro, in a splendid work dedicated to his majesty, which contains engravings and descriptions of the ruins of the palace. A later traveller, the Abbé Fortis, speaking of the ruins of this palace, says, "I will not pretend to mention the great Roman remains, for which this noble city is chiefly known and celebrated. The lovers of architecture and antiquity are sufficiently acquainted with them by the work of Mr Adam, who has done full justice to these superb vestiges by his elegant drawings and engravings. In general, however, the coarseness of the work, and the bad taste of the age are equal to the magnificence of the buildings. For all this, I do not mean to detract from the merit of the august remains of Diocletian's palace. I count them among the most respectable monuments of antiquity now extant." And the historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in consequence of this observation, after having expressed a high commendation of the work, has thrown out a suspicion of the accuracy of the representations and descriptions. "For the account of Diocletian's palace, says Mr Gibbon, we are indebted to an ingenious artist of our own time and country, whom a very liberal curiosity had carried into the heart of Dalmatia. But there is room to suspect that the elegance of his designs and engravings has somewhat flattered the objects which it was their purpose to represent. We are informed by a more recent and very judicious traveller, that the awful ruins of Spalatro are not less expressive of the decline of the arts, than of the greatness of the Roman empire in the time of Diocletian." Mr Gibbon's criticism is scarcely supported by the observation of the Abbé Fortis; and what the latter has advanced on this subject is not perfectly consistent with itself; for while he censures the coarseness of the work and the bad taste of the age, he bestows something like indirect praise, when he adds that, he means not to detract from the merit of the august remains of this edifice, and regards it as one of the most respectable monuments of antiquity now extant. The apparent coarseness of the work is probably owing to the effects of the weather, which have destroyed the smooth polish of the chisel which it originally received; and Mr Adam allows, that, previous to this period of the Roman empire, the arts had visibly declined, but at the same time contends, that the buildings erected in the reign of Diocletian, exhibit convincing proofs of the style and manner of a purer age. But of this, the admirer of this elegant art may judge for himself; by consulting the engravings and descriptions, the accuracy and faithfulness of which there seems to be no reason to doubt.

In the year 1768 Mr Adam obtained a seat in parliament. He was chosen to represent the county of Kinross; and about the same time he resigned his office of architect to the king. But he continued his professional career with increasing reputation; and about the year 1773, in conjunction with his brother James, who also rose to considerable eminence as an architect, he published another splendid work, consisting of plans and elevations of public and private buildings which were erected from their designs. Among these are Lord Mansfield's house at Caenwood, Luton house in Bedfordshire belonging to Lord Bute, the new Gateway of the Admiralty Office, the Register Office at Edinburgh, &c., which are universally admired as precious monuments of elegant design and correct taste. The Adelphi buildings at London, which are also striking examples of the inventive genius of the Messrs Adam, proved an unsuccessful speculation. The wealth and power of a nation were perhaps only equal to so extensive an undertaking: it was too great to be attempted by private citizens.

The buildings which have been more lately erected from from the designs of Mr Adam, afford additional proofs of the unlimited extent of his invention, and the amazing fertility of his genius. Those parts of the new University of Edinburgh which have been completed, and the Infirmary at Glasgow, need only be mentioned in proof of our remark. The latter edifice we have often beheld and contemplated with those feelings of admiration, elevated to a kind of rapturous enthusiasm, which the rare union of perfect symmetry and elegant disposition of parts combined with inexpressible beauty and lightness into one whole seldom fails to inspire. We have also seen and admired elegant designs executed by Mr Adam, which were intended for the South Bridge and South Bridge Street of Edinburgh, and if they had been adopted, would have added much to the decoration of that quarter of the town; but being considered unsuitable to the taste or economy of the times, they were rejected.

Strange incongruities appear in buildings which have been erected from designs by Mr Adam. But of these it must be observed, that they have been altered and mutilated in the execution, according to the capricious fancy and vulgar taste of the owners; and it is well known that a slight deviation changes the character and mars the effect of the general design. A lady of rank was furnished by Mr Adam with a design of a house, which, after being executed, he was astonished to find out of all proportion. On inquiring the cause, he was informed that the pediment which he had designed would not admit a piece of rude sculpture which represented the arms of the family, and by the date which it bore incontrovertibly proved its antiquity. It was therefore absolutely necessary to enlarge the dimensions of the pediment, to receive this ancient badge of family honour, and sacrifice the beauty and proportion of the whole building. We have seen a large public edifice which was also designed by Mr Adam; but when it was erected, the length was curtailed of the space of two windows, while the other parts remained according to the original plan. It now presents a heavy unsightly pile, instead of that elegance of proportion and correctness of style which the faithful execution of Mr Adam's design would have probably exhibited.

To the last period of his life, Mr Adam displayed an increasing vigour of genius and refinement of taste; for, in the space of one year preceding his death, he designed eight great public works, besides twenty-five private buildings, so various in their style, and beautiful in their composition, that they have been allowed by the best judges, sufficient of themselves to establish his fame unrivalled as an artist. The present improved taste, which now pretty generally prevails in our public and private edifices, undoubtedly owes much to the elegant and correct style introduced by Mr Adam. His fertile genius was not confined merely to the external decoration of buildings; it displayed itself with equal effect in the internal arrangement and disposition of the apartments, and in the varied, elegant, and beautiful ornaments of chimney pieces and ceilings. But not only did he introduce a total change in the architecture of the country, the manufactures also which are in any way connected with decoration, experienced a considerable degree of improvement by the exercise of his inventive powers. His talents extended beyond the line of his own profession; he displayed in his numerous drawings in landscape, a luxuriance of composition, and an effect of light and shadow which have rarely been equalled.

He died on the 3rd of March 1792, by the bursting of a blood-vessel, in the 64th year of his age, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His funeral was attended by a select number of friends, some of them of distinguished rank, who esteemed him while living, and who wished to express this last mark of regard. The many elegant buildings, public and private, erected in various parts of the kingdom, from the designs of Mr Adam, will remain lasting monuments of his taste and genius; and the natural vivacity of his manners, joined to the excellence of his moral character, secured to him the affectionate regard of his friends, and the esteem of all who enjoyed his acquaintance.

James Adam, whom we have already mentioned as associated with his brother in many of his labours, died on the 20th October 1794.