Abel! what's this?-who hath done this? He moves not; He breathes not: and his hands drop down from mine 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 should'st have stepp'd in Between him and aggression! Father!-Eve!- And who hath brought him there?-I-who abhor His aspect-1 have led him here, and giv’n 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! EVE. [To EVE. Oh! speak not of it now: the serpent's fangs A mother's sin, to take him from me! ADAM. Who, Or what hath done this deed?-speak, Cain, since thou Wert present: was it some more hostile angel, 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, ADAH. Speak, Cain! and say it was not thou! EVE. I see it now-he hangs his guilty head, Incarnadine. It was. ADAH. Mother, thou dost him wrong Cain! clear thee from this horrible accusal, Which grief wrings from our parent. EVE. Hear, Jehovah ! May the eternal serpent's curse be on him! May all his days be desolate! May—— ADAH. Hold! Curse him not, mother, for he is thy son- EVE. He hath left thee no brother— Zillah no husband-me no son !—for thus I curse him from my sight for evermore ! 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; In such sort as may show our God, that we EVE (pointing to Cain). His will!! the will of yon incarnate spirit 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 By day and night-snakes spring up in his path- A grave! the sun his light! and heaven her God! ADAM. [Exit EVE. Cain! get thee forth we dwell no more together. Depart! and leave the dead to me--I am Henceforth alone-we never must meet more. |