Of a world scarce less young: sleep on, and smile!
Thine are the hours and days when both are cheering
And innocent! thou hast not pluck'd the fruit-
Thou know'st not thou art naked! Must the time
Come thou shalt be amerced for sins unknown,
Which were not mine nor thine? But now sleep on!
His cheeks are reddening into deeper smiles,
And shining lids are trembling o'er his long
Lashes, dark as the cypress which waves o'er them;
Half open, from beneath them the clear blue
Laughs out, although in slumber. He must dream-
Of what? Of Paradise !-Ay ! dream of it,
My disinherited boy! 'Tis but a dream;
For never more thyself, thy sons, nor fathers,
Shall walk in that forbidden place of joy!

Adah. Dear Cain! Nay, do not whisper o'er

Where'er thou wilt: where'er thou art I feel not
The want of this so much regretted Eden.
Have I not thee, our boy, our sire, and brother,
And Zillah-our sweet sister, and our Eve,

To whom we owe so much besides our birth?
Cain. Yes-death, too, is amongst the debts we
owe her.

Adah. Cain! that proud spirit, who withdrew thee hence,

Hath saddened thine still deeper. I had hoped
The promised wonders which thou hast beheld,
Visions, thou say'st, of past and present worlds,
Would have composed thy mind into the calm
Of a contented knowledge; but I see

Thy guide hath done thee evil: still I thank him,
And can forgive him all, that he so soon

Hath given thee back to us.

To us? they sinn'd, then let them die ! [thought Adah. Thou hast not spoken well, nor is that Thy own, but of the spirit who was with thee. Would I could die for them, so they might live!

Cain. Why, so say I-provided that one victim Might satiate the insatiable of life, And that our little rosy sleeper there Might never taste of death nor human sorrow, Nor hand it down to those who spring from him. Adah. How know we that some such atonement May not redeem our race? Lone day Cam. By sacrificing The harmless for the guilty! What atonement Were there? Why, we are innocent: what have we Done, that we must be victims for a deed Before our birth, or need have victims to Atone for this mysterious, nameless sin→→ If it be such a sin to seek for knowledge!

Adah. Alas! thou sinnest now, my Cain: thy Sound impious in mine ears. [words

Cain. One altar may suffice; I have no offering. Adah. The fruits of the earth, the early beautiful Blossom and bud, and bloom of flowers and fruits, These are a goodly offering to the Lord, Given with a gentle and a contrite spirit.

[sun,

Cain. I have toil'd, and till'd, and sweaten in the According to the curse: must I do more? For what should I be gentle? for a war With all the elements ere they will yield The bread we eat? For what must I be grateful? For being dust, and grovelling in the dust, Till I return to dust? If I am nothing

For nothing shall I be an hypocrite,

[should 1

And seem well pleased with pain? For what
Be contrite?-for my father's sin, already
Expiate with what we all have undergone,

And to be more than expiated by

The ages prophesied, upon our seed?

Little deems our young blooming sleeper there,

The germs of an eternal misery

To myriads is within him! Better 'twere

I snatch'd him in his sleep, and dash'd him 'gainst
The rocks, than let him live to-
Adah.

And Abel's pious ministry, recall thee To peace and holiness!

Oh, my God! Touch not the child-my child! thy child! O Cain! Cain. Fear not! for all the stars, and all the power

Which sways them, I would not accost yon infant With ruder greeting than a father's kiss.

I said,

Adah. Then why so awful in thy speech? Cain. 'Twere better that he ceased to live, than give Life to so much of sorrow as he must Endure, and, harder still, bequeath; but since That saying jars you, let us only say"Twere better that he never had been born.

Adah. Oh, do not say so! Where were then the The mother's joys of watching, nourishing, [joys, And loving him? Soft! he awakes. Sweet Enoch ! [She goes to the child.

O Cain! look on him; see how full of life,
Of strength, of bloom, of beauty, and of joy,
How like to me-how like to thee, when gentle,
For then we are all alike: is't not so, Cain?
Mother, and sire, and son, our features are
Reflected in each other; as they are
In the clear waters, when they are gentle, and
When thou art gentle. Love us, then, my Cain!
And love thyself for our sakes, for we love thee.
Look! how he laughs and stretches out his arms,
And opens wide his blue eyes upon thine,
To hail his father; while his little form
Flutters as wing'd with joy. Talk not of pain!
The childless cherubs well might envy thee
The pleasures of a parent! Bless him, Cain!
As yet he hath no words to thank thee, but
His heart will, and thine own too.
Cain.

Bless thee, boy!

If that a mortal blessing may avail thee,
To save thee from the serpent's curse!
Adah.

Surely father's blessing may avert
A reptile's subtlety.

Cain.

It shall.

Of that I doubt;

Abel. Our sister tells me that thou hast been In high cominunion with a spirit, far [wandering, Beyond our wonted range. Was he of those We have seen and spoken with, like our father? Cain. No.

Abel. Why then commune with him? he may be A foe to the Most High.

Cain. And friend to man. Has the Most High been so-if so you term Him? Abel. Term Him -your words are strange to-day, My sister Adah, leave us for awhile- [my brother. We mean to sacrifice.

The immortal, the unbounded, the omnipotent,
The overpowering mysteries of space-

The innumerable worlds that were and are-
A whirlwind of such overwhelming things, [spheres,
Suns, moons, and earths, upon their loud-voiced
Singing in thunder round me, as have made me
Unfit for mortal converse: leave me, Abel.

Abel. Thine eyes are flashing with unnatural light,
Thy cheek is flush'd with an unnatural hue,
Thy words are fraught with an unnatural sound:
What may this mean?
Cain.
It means I pray thee, leave me.
Abel. Not till we have pray'd and sacrificed to-
gether.

Cain. Abel, I pray thee, sacrifice alone

Jehovah loves thee well.

I have seen the elements still'd. My Abel, leave me ! Or let me leave thee to thy pious purpose.

Abel. Neither: we must perform our task together. Spurn ine not.

Cain.

What shall I do!

Abel.

If it must be so well, then,

Choose one of those two altars.

Cain. Choose for me: they to me are so much turf

And stone.

Who made us, and who breathed the breath of life
Within our nostrils, who hath blessed us,
And spared, despite our father's sin, to make
His children all lost, as they might have been,
Had not Thy justice been so temper'd with
The mercy which is Thy delight, as to
Accord a pardon like a Paradise,

Their seed will bear fresh fruit there ere the Thy burnt flesh-offering prospers better; see

Of good, and glory, and eternity!

Without whom all were evil, and with whom
Nothing can err, except to some good end
Of Thine omnipotent benevolence-
Inscrutable, but still to be fulfill'd-
Accept from out thy humble first of shepherds'
First of the first-born flocks-an offering,
In itself nothing-as what offering can be
Aught unto Thee?-but yet accept it for
The thanksgiving of him who spreads it in
The face of Thy high heaven, bowing his own
Even to the dust, of which he is, in honour
Of Thee, and of Thy name, for evermore!
Cain [standing erect during this speech]. Spirit!
whate'er or whosoe'er Thou art,

Omnipotent, it may be-and, if good,

Shown in the exemption of Thy deeds from evil;
Jehovah upon earth! and God in heaven!
And it may be with other names, because
Thine attributes seen many, as Thy works:
If Thou must be propitiated with prayers,

Take them! If thou must be induced with altars,
And soften'd with a sacrifice, receive them!
Two beings here erect them unto Thee.

If Thou lov'st blood, the shepherd's shrine, which

smokes

On my right hand, hath shed it for Thy service
In the first of his flock, whose limbs now reek
In sanguinary incense to Thy skies;
Or if the sweet and blooming fruits of earth,
And milder seasons, which the unstain'd turf
I spread them on now offers in the face

Of the broad sun which ripen'd them, may seem
Good to Thee, inasmuch as they have not
Suffer'd in limb or life, and rather form
A sample of thy works, than supplication
To look on ours! If a shrine without victim,
And altar without gore, may win Thy favour,
Look on it! And for him who dresseth it,
He is such as Thou mad'st him; and seeks nothing
Which must be won by kneeling; if he's evil,
Strike him! Thou art omnipotent, and may'st-
For what can he oppose? If he be good,
Strike him, or spare him, as Thou wilt! since all
Rests upon Thee, and good and evil seem
To have no power themselves, save in Thy will;
And whether that be good or ill I know not,
Not being omnipotent, nor fit to judge

blood!

Abel. Think not upon my offering's acceptance, But make another of thine own before

It is too late.

Cain.

I will build no more altars, Nor suffer any--

Abel [rising]. Cain what meanest thou?
Cain. To cast down yon vile flatterer of the clouds,
The smoky harbinger of thy dull prayers-
Thine altar, with its blood of lambs and kids,
Which fed on milk, to be destroy'd in blood.
Abel [opposing him]. Thou shalt not-add not
impious works to impious

Words! let that altar stand-'tis hallow'd now
By the immortal pleasure of Jehovah,
In His acceptance of the victims.
Cain.

His!

His pleasure! what was his high pleasure in
The fumes of scorching flesh and smoking blood,
To the pain of the bleating mothers, which
Still yearn for their dead offspring? or the pangs
Of the sad ignorant victims underneath
Thy pious knife? Give way I this bloody record
Shall not stand in the sun, to shame creation!

Abel. Brother, give back! thou shalt not touch my altar

With violence: if that thou wilt adopt it
To try another sacrifice, 'tis thine.

Cain. Another sacrifice! Give way, or else
That sacrifice may be-

Abel.

Cain.

What mean'st thou Give Give way I-thy God loves blood 1-then look to it: Give way, ere He hath more!

Abel. O God! receive Thy servant, and Forgive his slayer, for he knew not what He did. Cain, give me-give me thy hand; and tell Poor Zillah

Cain [after a moment's stupefaction]. My hand! 'tis all red, and with

What? [A long pause.-Looking slowly round.
Where am I? alone! Where's Abel? where
Cain? Can it be that I am he? My brother,
Awake-why liest thou so on the green earth?
'Tis not the hour of slumber : why so pale?
What, hast thou!-thou wert full oflife this morn!
Abel! I pray thee, mock me not! I smote
Too fiercely, but not fatally. Ah, why
Wouldst thou oppose me? This is mockery,
And only done to daunt me: 'twas a blow,
And but a blow. Stir-stir-nay, only stir!
Why, so that's well-thou breath'st-breathe upon
O God! O God!
[me!

Abel very faintly. What's he who speaks of
Cain. Thy murderer.
[God?

Abel. Then may God forgive him! Cain
Comfort poor Zillah: she has but one brother
Now.
[Abel dies.
Cain. And I none! Who makes me brotherless?
His eyes are open! then he is not dead!

Death is like sleep; and sleep shuts down our lids.
His lips, too, are apart; why, then, he breathes!
And yet I feel it not. His heart!-his heart!
Let me see, doth it beat? methinks-No !-no!
This is a vision, else I am become

The native of another and worse world.
The earth swims round me: what is this?-'tis wet;
[Puts his hand to his brow, and then looks at it.
And yet there are no dews! 'Tis blood-my blood-
My brother's and my own! and shed by me!
Then what have I further to do with life,
Since I have taken life from my own flesh?
But he cannot be dead!-Is silence death?
No; he will wake: then let me watch by him.
Life cannot be so slight, as to be quench'd
Thus quickly! He hath spoken to me since-
What shall I say to him?-My brother!-No:
He will not answer to that name; for brethren
Smite not each other. Yet-yet-speak to me !
Oh for a word more of that gentle voice,
That I may bear to hear my own again!

Enter Zillah.

Zillah. I heard a heavy sound; what can it be? 'Tis Cain; and watching by my husband. What Dost thou there, brother? Doth he sleep? Oh, heaven! [No, no! What means this paleness, and yon stream?It is not blood; for who would shed his blood? Abel! what's this?-who hath done this? He moves not;

[mine He breathes not: and his hands drop down from With stony lifelessness! Ah! cruel Cain! Why cam'st thou not in time to save him from This violence? Whatever hath assail'd him, Thou wert the stronger, and shouldst have stepp'd in Between him and aggression! Father!-Eve!Adah!-come hither! Death is in the world!

[Exit Zillah, calling on her parents, etc.

Cain [solus]. And who hath brought him there?-
I-who abhor

The name of Death so deeply, that the thought
Empoison'd all my life, before I knew

His aspect-I have led him here, and given
My brother to his cold and still embrace,
As if he would not have asserted his
Inexorable claim without my
aid.

I am awake at last-a dreary dream
Had madden'd me;-but he shall ne'er awake.
Enter Adam, Eve, Adah, and Zillah.
Adam. A voice of woe from Zillah brings me here,
What do I see?-Tis true!-My son! my son !
Woman, behold the serpent's work, and thine!

Or what hath done this deed? Speak, Cain, since thou

Wert present; was it some more hostile angel,
Who walks not with Jehovah? or some wild
Brute of the forest?

Eve.
Ah! a livid light
Breaks through, as from a thunder-cloud! Yon brand
Massy and bloody, snatch'd from off the altar,
And black with smoke, and red with
Adam.

Speak, my son!
Speak, and assure us, wretched as we are,
That we are not more miserable still.
Adah. Speak, Cain, and say it was not thou!
Eve.
It was.

I see it now he hangs his guilty head,
And covers his ferocious eyes with hands
Incarnadine.

Adah.

Mother, thou dost him wrong: Cain clear thee from this horrible accusal, Which grief wrings from our parent.

Hear, Jehovah!

Eve. May the eternal serpent's curse be on him! For he was fitter for his seed than ours. May all his days be desolate! MayAdah.

Hold!

Curse him not, mother, for he is thy son-
Curse him not, mother, for he is my brother,
And my betroth d.

Eve.
He hath left thee no brother-
Zillah no husband-me no son -for thus
I curse him from my sight for evermore !
All bonds I break between us ! as he broke
That of his nature, in yon-O death! death!
Why didst thou not take me, who first incurr'd
thee?
Why dost thou not so now?
Adam.
Eve! let not this,
Thy natural grief, lead to impiety!
A heavy doom was long forespoken to us;
And now that it begins, let it be borne
In such sort as may show our God, that we
Are faithful servants to His holy will.
Eve pointing to Cain]. His will! the will of yon
incarnate spirit

Of death, whom I have brought upon the earth
To strew it with the dead. May all the curses
Of life be on him! and his agonies
Drive him forth o'er the wilderness, like us

From Eden, till his children do by him

As he did by his brother! May the swords
And wings of fiery cherubim pursue him

By day and night-snakes spring up in his path-
Earth's fruits be ashes in his mouth-the leaves
On which he lays his head to sleep be strew'd
With scorpions! May his dreams be of his victim!
His waking a continual dread of death!
May the clear rivers turn to blood, as he
Stoops down to stain them with his raging lip!
May every element shun or change to him!
May he live in the pangs which others die with!
And death itself wax something worse than death
To him who first acquainted him with man!
Hence, fratricide! henceforth that word is Cain,
Through all the coming myriads of mankind,
Who shall abhor thee, though thou wert their sire!
May the grass wither from thy feet! the woods
Deny thee shelter ! earth a home! the dust
A grave! the sun his light! and heaven her God!
[Exit Eve.
Adam. Cain! get thee forth: we awell no more
together.

Depart and leave the dead to me: I am
Henceforth alone-we never must meet more.
Adah. Oh, part not with him thus, my father:
do not

Add thy deep curse to Eve's upon his head! Adam. I curse him not: his spirit be his curse. Come, Zillah!

Zillah. I must watch my husband's corse. Adam. We will return again, when he is gone Who hath provided for us this dread office. Come, Zillah!

Yield thee her strength: a fugitive shalt thou
Be from this day, and vagabond on earth!

Adah. This punishment is more than he can bear.

Behold, thou driv'st him from the face of earth
And from the face of God shall he be hid

A fugitive and vagabond on earth,

'Twill come to pass, that whoso findeth him
Shall slay him.
Cain. Would they could! but who are the
Shall slay me? Where are these on the lone earth
As yet unpeopled?
Angel.

Thou hast slain thy brother,
And who shall warrant thee against thy son?
Adah. Angel of Light! be merciful, nor say
That this poor aching breast now nourishes
A murderer in my boy, and of his father.

Angel. Then he would but be what his father is. Did not the milk of Eve give nutriment

To him thou now seest so besmear'd with blood?
The fratricide might well engender parricides.-
But it shall not be so-the Lord thy God
And mine commandeth me to set His seal
On Cain, so that he may go forth in safety.
Who slayeth Cain, a sevenfold vengeance shall
Be taken on his head. Come hither!

Angel.

It must not be. [The Angel sets the mark on Cain's brow. Cain, It burns My brow, but nought to that which is within it. Is there more? let me meet it as I may.

Angel. Stern hast thou been and stubborn from the womb,

As the ground thou must henceforth till; but he
Thou slewest was gentle as the flocks he tended.
Cain. After the fall too soon was I begotten;
Ere yet my mother's mind subsided from
The serpent, and my sire still mourn'd for Eden.
That which I am, I am; I did not seek
For life, nor did I make myself; but could I
With my own death redeem him from the dust-
And why not so? Let him return to-day,
And I lie ghastly! so shall be restored
By God the life to him He loved; and taken
From me a being I ne'er loved to bear.

Angel. Who shall heal murder? what is done