to Cain, without, I hope, any perversion of Holy Writ. but I have done what I could to restrain him within the bounds of spiritual politeness. If he disclaims having tempted Eve in the shape of the Serpent, it is only because the book of Genesis has not the most distant allusion to any thing of the kind, but merely to the Serpent in his serpentine capacity. and the Fathers may have put upon this, I must take the words as I find them, and reply with Bishop Watson upon similar With regard to the language of Lucifer, occasions, when the Fathers were quoted to it was difficult for me to make him talk him, as Moderator in the Schools of Cam-like a Clergyman upon the same subjects; bridge, "Behold the Book!"-holding up the Scripture. It is to be recollected that my present subject has nothing to do with the New Testament, to which no reference can be here made without anachronism. With the poems upon similar topics I have not been recently familiar. Since I was twenty, I have never read Milton; but I had read him so frequently before, that this may make little difference. Gesner's "Death of Abel" I have never read since I was eight years of age, at Aberdeen. The general impression of my recollection is delight; but of the contents I remember only that Cain's wife was called Mahala, and Abel's Thirza.- In the following pages I have called them Adah and Zillah, the earliest female names which occur in Genesis; they were those of Lamech's wives: those of Cain and Abel are not called by their names. Whether, then, a coincidence of subject may have caused the same in expression, I know nothing, and care as little. The reader will please to bear in mind (what few choose to recollect) that there is no allusion to a future state in any of the books of Moses, nor indeed in the Old Testament. For a reason for this extra- I ought to add, that there is a "Trameloordinary omission he may consult "War-gedie" of Alfieri, called “Abel.”—I have burton's Divine Legation;" whether satis- never read that nor any other of the factory or not, no better has yet been posthumous works of the writer, except assigned. I have therefore supposed it new his Life. Note. The reader will perceive that the author has partly adopted in this poem the notion of Cuvier, that the world had been destroyed several times before the creation of man. This speculation, derived from the different strata and the bones of enormous and unknown animals found in them, is not contrary to the Mosaic account, but rather confirms it; as no human bones have yet been discovered in those strata, although those of many known animals are found near the remains of the unknown. The assertion of Lucifer, that the pre-adamite world was also peopled by rational beings much more intelligent than man, and proportionably powerful to the mammoth, is, of course, a poetical fiction to help him to make out his case. separate SCENE I-The Land without Paradise.- Morning from night, till then divided never Time, Sunrise. Who didst divide the wave from wave, and call Part of thy work the firmament—all hail! Abel. God! who didst call the elements into Earth ocean air and fire, and with the day And night,and worlds which these illuminate Or shadow, madest beings to enjoy them, And love both them and thee-all hail! all hail! Adah. God, the Eternal! Parent of all things! Zillah. Wilt thou not, my brother? Abel. Why wilt thou wear this gloom upon thy brow, Which can avail thee nothing, save to rouse Who didst create these best and beauteous Zillah. Oh, God! who loving, making, Yet didst permit the serpent to creep in, Cain. Why should I speak! Cain. Have ye not pray'd? Adam. We have, most fervently. Have heard you. Adam. So will God, I trust. Abel. Amen! Adah. My beloved Cain, I fain would be alone a little while. Adah. If not, I will Abel. The peace of God Be on your spirit, brother! [Exeunt Abel, Zillah, and Adah. Cain (solus). And this is Life!-Toil! and wherefore should I toil?because art My father could not keep his place in Eden. What had I done in this?-I was unborn, I sought not to be born; nor love the state To which that birth has brought me. Why did he Adam. And we must gather it again. Oh, God! why didst thou plant the tree of knowledge? Cain. And wherefore pluck'd ye not the tree of life? Ye might have then defied him. Adam. Oh! my son. Blaspheme not these are serpents' words. The snake spoke truth: it was the tree of It was the tree of life:-knowledge is good, Before thy birth: let me not see renew'd son! Adam. Our orisons completed, let us hence, Each to his task of toil-not heavy, though Needful: the earth is young, and yields us kindly Her fruits with little labour. Eve. Cain, my son, Yield to the serpent and the woman? or, Which I must feed on for a fault not mine. Yet of a sterner and a sadder aspect Whom I see daily wave their fiery swords Why should I quail from him who now Yet he seems mightier far than they, nor less He cometh. Enter LUCIFER. Lucifer. Mortal! Cain. Spirit, who art thou? Lucifer. Master of spirits. Lucifer. I know the thoughts You know my thoughts? Lucifer. They are the thoughts of all Worthy of thoughts; — 'tis your immortal part Which speaks within you. Cain. What immortal part? Was pluck'd too soon; and all the fruit Lucifer. They have deceived thee; thou shalt live. Cain. I live, But live to die: and, living, see no thing A loathsome and yet all invincible The earth, which is thine outward cov'ring,is Cain No less! and why No more? Cain. And what is that? Lucifer. Souls who dare use their im- Souls who dare look the omnipotent tyrant in Sit on his vast and solitary throne, He ever granted: but let him reign on, Cain. Thou speakst to me of things In visions through my thought: I never could Lucifer. It may be thou shalt be as we. My father and my mother talk to me Cain. And ye? Lucifer. Are everlasting. Cain. Are ye happy? Lucifer. We are mighty. Cain. How should I be so? Look on me! And thou pretendest to be wretched! Thou! might, what art thou? Lucifer. One who aspired to be what Would not have made thee what thou art. Thou lookst almost a god; and — Lucifer. I am none: And having fail'd to be one, would be nought reign! Cain. Who? Lucifer. Thy sire's Maker, and the earth's. And all that in them is. So I have heard sing and say, on pain Of serpents, and of fruits and trees: I see Of daily toil, and constant thought; I look alone; This misery was mine.- My father is Of an eternal curse; my brother is Lucifer. And hadst thou not been fit by Of being that which I am--and thou art-For such companionship, I would not now Of spirits and of men. Have stood before thee as I am: a serpent bend Had been enough to charm ye, as before. That bows to him who made things but to Save with the truth: was not the tree, the Yourselves, in your resistance. Nothing can Quench the mind, if the mind will be itself And centre of surrounding things – 'tis made To sway. Cain. But didst thou tempt my parents? Lucifer. I? Poor clay! what should I tempt them for, or how? Cain. They say the serpent was a spirit. Lucifer. Who Saith that? It is not written so on high: The proud One will not so far falsify, Though man's vast fears and little vanity Would make him cast upon the spiritual nature His own low failing. The snake was the snake No more; and yet not less than those he tempted, In nature being earth also - more in wisdom, Cain. But the thing had a demon? In those he spake to with his forky tongue. Have roll'd o'er your dead ashes, and your seed's, The seed of the then world may thus array Their carliest fault in fable, and attribute To me a shape I scorn, as I scorn all Before his sullen, sole eternity; But we,who see the truth,must speak it. Thy Fond parents listen'd to a creeping thing, And fell. For what should spirits tempt them? What Was there to envy in the narrow bounds With all thy tree of knowledge. Speak aught of knowledge which I would not know, And do not thirst to know, and bear a mind Lucifer. And heart to look on? Lucifer. Dar'st thou look on Death? Been seen. Cain. Thoughts unspeakable Crowd in my breast to burning, when I hear Of this almighty Death, who is, it seems, Inevitable. Could I wrestle with him? I wrestled with the lion, when a boy, In play, till he ran roaring from my gripe. Lucifer. It has no shape; but will absorb all things That bear the form of earth-born being. I thought it was a being: who could do Lucifer. The Maker-call him Which name thou wilt; he makes but to destroy. Cain. I knew not that, yet thought it, since I heard Of death: although I know not what it is, And then I turn'd my weary eyes from off Aught else but dust! Lucifer. That is a grov'ling wish, Lucifer. Ne'er the less, Thou art my worshipper: not worshipping Lucifer. Thou'lt know here--and hereafter. Cain. Let me but Be taught the mystery of my being. Where I will lead thee. Cain. But I must retire To till the earth-for I had promised- Cain. To cull some first fruits. Cain. To offer up With Abel on an altar. Lucifer. Saidst thou not Less than thy father's, for he wish'd to Thou ne'er hadst bent to him who made Adah. My brother, I have come for thee; It is our hour of rest and joy-and we Have less without thee. Thou hast labour'd not This morn; but I have done thy task: the fruits Are ripe, and glowing as the light which ripens: Come away. Cain. Seest thou not? We have seen many: will he share our hour Cain. But he is not like The angels we have seen. Adah. Are there, then, others? But he is welcome, as they were; they deign'd To be our guests-will he? Cain. (to Lucifer.) Wilt thou? - Lucifer. I ask Thee to be mine. Cain. I must away with him. Adah. And me? Cain. Beloved Adah! |