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The beauty which the antediluvian women must have possessed, in order to be such a temptation to angels as the Christian fathers supposed them to have been, agrees with the account of “Rabadan the Morisco,” whose poem is said by Dr. Southey to contain “the fullest Mohammedan Genesis.”

The Creator, having formed the earth, and adjusted his plan of procedure, summoned his angels, and requested that one of them might descend, and bring him soil or clay wherewith to make a man; but the angels unanimously expressed a reluctance to what they could but consider a loathsome and debasing office. Azaraël, however, an angel of extraordinary stature, flew down, and collected the material required from the north, east, south, and west of the new-made earth. “Azaraël,” said the Creator, “thou shalt, in reward of thine obedience, be him who separateth the souls from the bodies of the creatures I am about to make: henceforth be called Azaraël Malec el Mout, or Azaraël the Angel of Death.”

The Creator then caused the earth which Azaraël had brought to be washed and purified in the fountains of heaven, till it became so resplendently clear, that it cast a more shining and beautiful light than the sun in its utmost glory. Gabriel was then commanded to carry this lovely though as yet inanimate statue of clay throughout the heavens, the earth, the centres, and the seas.

When the angels saw so beautiful an image, they said, “Lord, if it be pleasing in thy sight, we will, in thy most high and mighty name, prostrate ourselves before it.” This proposal meeting the approbation of the Creator, the angels all bowed, inclining their celestial countenances at the feet of the inanimate Adam.

Eblis, or Lucifer, was the only one who refused, proudly valuing himself upon his heavenly composition: whereupon the Creator said to him, with extreme sternness, “Prostrate thyself to Adam.” He made a show of doing so, but remained upon his knees, and then rose up before he had performed what God had commanded him.

The other angels, seeing him so refractory, prostrated themselves a second time in order to complete what he had left undone. For this reason the Mohammedans, in all their prayers, at each inclination of the body, make two prostrations, one immediately after the other.—See Rabadan.

Milton has described the hair of the first woman as of a yellow or golden tint. This color appears to have been admired from the most remote antiquity. Indeed, when fine eyes, and symmetry of outline, are united with a white, transparent skin, and hair of this color in profusion, the form so constructed and adorned seems more than mortal. Persons of this complexion are generally of tender, voluptuous dispositions, and not naturally addicted to the passions of hatred and revenge. Such, however, are extremely rare, and, unless by the race of artists, seem, at present, less appreciated than beauties of a darker shade. Black hair and eyes embellish very much a common face and person; and, could one look entirely over the world, the aggregate of comeliness would perhaps be found greater among the dark than among the fair haired nations.

The Athenian ladies, so late as the time of Alcibiades, wore a yellow powder in their hair to give it the appearance of gold.

Josephus writes that King Solomon caused many of the finest horses of those presented him by neighboring princes to be ridden by young men, chosen at the most beautiful period of their lives, and remarkable for stature, and symmetry of person. These, dressed in the rich colors of Tyre, wore their hair long, and sprinkled with golden dust. This king, so renowned for his wisdom, deserves to be still more so for his taste. The murder of his brother, as related by Josephus, however, though so little mentioned, is a very dark blot on his character. Pleasure is too generally selfish and cruel.