"T is not the hour of slumber-why so pale?
What, hast thou!-thou wert full of life 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 :-'t was a blow-
And but a blow. Stir-stir-nay, only stir!
Why, so that's well!-thou breath'st! breathe
upon me!

Oh, God! Oh, God!

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

[wet;

The native of another and worse world.
The earth swims round me-what is this?'t is
[Puts his hand to his brow, and then looks at it.
And yet there are no dews! T is 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! What means this paleness, and yon stream?—No, It is not blood; for who would shed his blood? Abel! what's this?-who hath done this? He

moves not;

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

(Exit ZILLAH, calling on her Parents, &c. 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.

Hold!

Adah.
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-Oh death! death!
Why didst thou not take me, who first incurr'd
Why dost thou not so now?
[thee?
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 strow'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 dwell no more

Leave me!

So shall our children be. I will bear Enoch,
And you his sister. Ere the sun declines
Let us depart, nor walk the wilderness
Under the cloud of night.-Nay, speak to me.
To me-thine own.
Cain.
Adah.
Why, all have left thee.
Cain. And wherefore lingerest thou? Dost thou
To dwell with one who hath done this? [not fear
Adah.
I fear
Nothing except to leave thee, much as I
Shrink from the deed which leaves thee brother-
I must not speak of this-it is between thee [less.
And the great God.

A Voice from within exclaims, Cain! Cain!
Adah.
Hear'st thou that voice?

The Voice within. Cain! Cain!
Adah.
It soundeth like an angel's tone.
Enter the ANGEL of the Lord.
Angel. Where is thy brother Abel?
Cain.

My brother's keeper?

Am I then

Angel. Cain what hast thou done? The voice of thy slain brother's blood cries out, Even from the ground, unto the Lord!-Now art thou [mouth

Cursed from the earth, which open'd late her To drink thy brother's blood from thy rash hand.

Henceforth, when thou shalt till the ground, it shall not

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,
"T will come to pass, that whoso findeth him
Shall slay him.
Cain. Would they could! but who are they
Shall slay me? Where are these on the lone carth
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 see'st so besmear'd with blood' The fratricide might well engender parricidesBut 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! Cain.

Wouldst thou with me?

Angel.

What

To mark upon thy brow

Exemption from such deeds as thou hast done. Cain. No, let me die!

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 slew'st 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, is
Go forth fulfil thy days! and be thy deeds
Unlike the last!
[The ANGEL disappears.
He's gone, let us go forth;
I hear our little Enoch cry within
Our bower.

Adah.

(done;

Cain. Ah! little knows he what he weeps for! And I who have shed blood cannot shed tears! But the four rivers would not cleanse my soul. Think'st thou my boy will bear to look on me? Adah. If I thought that he would not, I would Cain (interrupting her). No, No more of threats: we have had too many of them:

[art

And everlasting witness! whose unsinking
Blood darkens earth and heaven! what thou now
I know not! but if thou see'st what I am,
I think thou wilt forgive him, whom his God
Can ne'er forgive, nor his own soul.-Farewell!
I must not, dare not touch what I have made thee.
I, who sprung from the same womb with thee,
drain'd

The same breast, clasp'd thee often to my own,
In fondness brotherly and boyish, I

Can never meet thee more, nor even dare

[ADAH stoops down and kisses the body of ABI L.
Adah. A dreary, and an early doom, my brother,
Has been thy lot! Of all who mourn for thee,
I alone must not weep. My office is
Henceforth to dry up tears, and not to shed them;
But yet of all who mourn, none mourn like me,
Not only for thyself, but him who slew thee.
Now, Cain! I will divide thy burden with thee.
Cain. Eastward from Eden will we take our way;
"T is the most desolate, and suits my steps. [God
Adah. Lead! thou shalt be my guide, and may our
Be thine! Now let us carry forth our children.
Cain. And he who lieth there was childless. I
Have dried the fountain of a gentle race, [couch,
Which might have graced his recent marriage
And might have temper'd this stern blood of mine,
Uniting with our children Abel's offspring!
O Abel!

Adah. Peace be with him!
Cain.

But with me!-

[Exeunt.

From thy sphere!

Whatever star contain thy glory;

In the eternal depths of heaven

Albeit thou watchest with "the seven," Though through space infinite and hoary Before thy bright wings worlds be driven, Yet hear!

Oh! think of her who holds thee dear!
And though she nothing is to thee,

Yet think that thou art all to her.

Thou canst not tell,-and never be

. Such pangs decreed to aught save me,-
The bitterness of tears.
Eternity is in thine years,
Unborn, undying beauty in thine eyes;
With me thou canst not sympathise,

Except in love, and there thou must
Acknowledge that more loving dust
Ne'er wept beneath the skies.

Thou walk'st thy many worlds, thou see'st
The face of him who made thee great,
As he hath made me of the least

Of those cast out from Eden's gate;
Yet, Seraph dear!

Whose tenants dying, while their world is fallShare the dim destiny of clay in this; Ling,

Or joining with the inferior cherubim,
Thou deignest to partake their hymn-
Samiasa!

I call thee, I await thee, and I love thee.

Many may worship thee, that will I not: If that thy spirit down to mine may move thee, Descend and share my lot!

Though I be form'd of clay,

And thou of beams

More bright than those of day
On Eden's streams,

Thine immortality cannot repay
With love more warm than mine
My love. There is a ray

In me, which, though forbidden yet to shine, I feel was lighted at thy God's and thine. It may be hidden long: death and decay Our mother Eve bequeath'd us—but my heart Defies it: though this life must pass away, Is that a cause for thee and me to part? Thou art immortal-so am I: I feel

I feel my immortality o'ersweep

All pains, all tears, all time, all fears, and peal,
Like the eternal thunders of the deep,
Into my ears this truth-"Thou liv'st for ever!"
But if it be in joy

I know not, nor would know;

That secret rests with the Almighty giver,
Who folds in clouds the fonts of bliss and woe.
But thee and me he never can destroy;
Change us he may, but not o'erwhelm; we are
Of as eternal essence, and must war
With him if he will war with us: with thee

I can share all things, even immortal sorrow; For thou hast ventured to share life with me, And shall I shrink from thine eternity?

No! though the serpent's sting should pierce

For an immortal. If the skies contain
More joy than thou canst give and take, remain !
Anah. Sister! sister! I view them winging
Their bright way through the parted night.
Aho. The clouds from off their pinions flinging,
As though they bore to-morrow's light.
Anah. But if our father see the sight!
Aho. He would but deem it was the moon
Rising unto some sorcerer's tune
An hour too soon.

Anah. They come! he comes!-Azaziel!
Aho.

To meet them! Oh! for wings to bear

abyss,

Anah. Lo! they have kindled all the west,

To Samiasa's breast!

Like a returning sunset;-lo!

On Ararat's late secret crest

Haste

Nor joy nor sorrow. I loved her well, I would have loved her better, Had love been met with love: as 't is, I leave her To brighter destinies, if so she deems them. Japh. What destinies ? Irad.

She loves another.

Japh.

Irad.

Japh. What other? Irad.

Then peace be with thee!
[Exit IRAD.

Japh. (solus). Peace! I have sought it where it should be found,

In love with love, too, which perhaps deserved it;
And, in its stead, a heaviness of heart,
A weakness of the spirit, listless days,'
And nights inexorable to sweet sleep,
Have come upon me. Peace! what peace? the

Of desolation, and the stillness of

The untrodden forest, only broken by

[calm

Anah!

her sister.

No; That I know not; but her air, If not her words, tells me she loves another. Japh. Ay, but not Anah: she but loves her God. Irad. Whate'er she loveth, so she loves thee not, What can it profit thee?

Japh.

I love.

Irad. And so did I. Japh.

True, nothing; but

And now thou lov'st not, Cr think'st thou lov'st not, art thou happier?

Such is the sullen or the fitful state

Of my mind overworn. The earth's grown wicked,
And many signs and portents have proclaim'd
A change at hand, and an o'erwhelming doom
To perishable beings. Oh, my Anah!
When the dread hour denounced shall open wide
The fountains of the deep, how mightest thou
Have lain within this bosom, folded from
The elements; this bosom, which in vain
Hath beat for thee, and then will beat more vainly,
While thine Oh, God! at least remit to her
Thy wrath for she is pure amidst the failing
As a star in the clouds, which cannot quench,
Although they obscure it for an hour. My Anah!
How would I have adored thee, but thou wouldst
And still would I redeem thee-see thee live [not;
When ocean is earth's grave, and, unopposed
By rock or shallow, the leviathan,
Lord of the shoreless sea and watery world,
Shall wonder at his boundlessness of realm.

[Exit JAPHET.

Enter NOAH and SHEM. Noah. Where is thy brother Japhet? Shem. He went forth, According to his wont, to meet with Irad,