oristarA wrote:
(3) If so, the sentence is actually "to be tempted, and I was to fall". I could not get why the writer could leave out the subject "I". What is this grammar?
Difficult to explain, this.
It concerns the use of the infinitive form of the verb.
It may be best explained by the use of other examples:
To know her is to love her (because she is such a lovely person; meaning, all those who know her, automatically love her)
To do is to know. (meaning, if you actually do something yourself, you know and understand it, and you don't forget it easily.)
Therefore the phrase "to be tempted was to fall" means simply "I did not resist the temptation, instead I gave in to it".
Please understand however, that this is rather poetic and "flowery" English. Additionally, it is a bit old-fashioned.