CAIN.

But time has past, and hitherto

Even Adam and my mother both are fair :
Not fair like Adah and the seraphim—

I'm sorry for it; but Cannot conceive my love for her the less. And when her beauty disappears, methinks He who creates all beauty will lose more Than me in seeing perish such a work.

LUCIFER.

Thy father loves him well-so does thy God.

And so do I.

CAIN.

LUCIFER.

'Tis well and meekly done.

CAIN.

Meekly!

LUCIFER.

He is the second born of flesh,

And is his mother's favourite.

CAIN.

Let him keep

Her favour, since the serpent was the first

To win it.

LUCIFER.

And his father's?

CAIN.

What is that

To me? should I not love that which all love?

LUCIFER.

And the Jehovah-the indulgent Lord,

And bounteous planter of barr'd Paradise—
He, too, looks smilingly on Abel.

CAIN.

I

Ne'er saw him, and I know not if he smiles.

LUCIFER.

But you have seen his angels.

CAIN.

Rarely.

LUCIFER.

But

Sufficiently to see they love your brother;
His sacrifices are acceptable.

CAIN.

So be they! wherefore speak to me of this?

LUCIFER.

Because thou hast thought of this ere now.

CAIN.

And if

I have thought, why recal a thought that

pauses, as agitated)—Spirit!

Here we are in thy world; speak not of mine.

-(he

Thou hast shown me wonders; thou hast shown

me those

Mighty Pre-Adamites who walk'd the earth

Of which ours is the wreck; thou hast pointed out

Myriads of starry worlds, of which our own

Is the dim and remote companion, in
Infinity of life: thou hast shown me shadows
Of that existence with the dreaded name

Which my sire brought us-Death; thou hast shown me much

But not all show me where Jehovah dwells,
In his especial Paradise-or thine:

Where is it?

LUCIFER.

Here, and o'er all space.

CAIN.

But ye

Have some allotted dwelling-as all things;

Clay has its earth, and other worlds their tenants; All temporary breathing creatures their

Peculiar element; and things which have

Long ceased to breathe our breath, have theirs, thou

say'st;

And the Jehovah and thyself have thine

Ye do not dwell together?

LUCIFER.

No, we reign

Together, but our dwellings are asunder.

CAIN.

Would there were only one of ye! perchance
An unity of purpose might make union
In elements which seem now jarr❜d in storms.
How came ye, being spirits, wise and infinite,
To separate? Are ye not as brethren in

Your essence, and your nature, and your glory?

LUCIFER.

Art thou not Abel's brother?

CAIN.

We are brethren,

And so we shall remain; but were it not so,

Is spirit like to flesh? can it fall out?

Infinity with Immortality?

Jarring and turning space to misery—
For what?