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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!-
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-1 have led him here, and giv’n
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!

EVE.

[To EVE.

Oh! speak not of it now: the serpent's fangs
Are in my heart. My best beloved, Abel!
Jehovah! this is punishment beyond

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,
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.

I see it now-he hangs his guilty head,
And covers his ferocious eye with hands

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!
For he was fitter for his seed than ours.

May all his days be desolate! May——

ADAH.

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--Oh 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!

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.

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