CAIN.

ACT I.

SCENE I. THE LAND WITHOUT PARADISE.—TIME,

SUNRISE.

ADAM, EVE, CAIN, ABEL, ADAH, ZILLAH, offering a Sacrifice.

ADAM.

God, the Eternal! Infinite! All-Wise!

Who out of darkness on the deep didst make
Light on the waters with a word—all hail!

Jehovah, with returning light, all hail !

EVE.

God! who didst name the day, and separate
Morning from night, till then divided never—
Who didst divide the wave from wave, and call
Part of thy work the firmament—all hail!

ABEL.

God! who didst call the elements into

Earth-ocean-air—and fire, and with the day

And night, and worlds which these illuminate
Or shadow, madest beings to enjoy them,
And love them and thee-all hail! all hail!

ADAH.

God, the Eternal! Parent of all things!

Who didst create these best and beautous beings,
To be beloved, more than all, save thee—
Let me love thee and them:-All hail! all hail!

ZILLAH.

Oh, God! who loving, making, blessing all,
Yet didst permit the serpent to creep in,
And drive my father forth from Paradise,
Keep us from further evil :-hail! all hail!

ADAM.

Son Cain, my first-born, wherefore art thou silent?

But thou, my eldest-born, art silent still.

And we must gather it again.

Oh, God! why didst thou plant the tree of knowledge?

CAIN.

And wherefore pluck'd ye not the tree of life?

Ye might have then defied him!

Blaspheme not: these are serpent's words.

ADAM.

Oh! my son,

Why not?

CAIN.

The snake spoke truth: it was the tree of knowledge;

It was the tree of life :-knowledge is good,
And life is good; and how can both be evil?

EVE.

My boy! thou speakest as I spoke in sin,
Before thy birth: let me not see renew'd
My misery in thine. I have repented.
Let me not see my offspring fall into
The snares beyond the walls of paradise,
Which e'en in Paradise destroy'd his Parents.
Content thee with what is. Had we been so,
Thou now hadst been contented.—Oh, my son!

ADAM.

Our orisons completed, let us hence,

Each to his task of toil-not heavy, though
Needful: the earth is young, and yields us kindly
Her fruits with little labour.

Why wilt thou wear this gloom upon thy brow,
Which can avail thee nothing, save to rouse

The Eternal anger?

ADAH.

My beloved Cain,

Wilt thou frown even on me?

CAIN.

No, Adah! no;

I fain would be alone a little while.

Abel, I'm sick at heart; but it will pass: