i4 
He is—such as thou mad’st him; and seeks 
nothing 
Which must be won by kneeling. If he’s 
evil 
Strike him! Thou art omnipotent, and 
mayst— 
For what can he oppose. If he be good, 
Strike him or spare him, as thou wilt, since 
all 
Rests upon thee, and good and evil seem 
Tohave no power themselves, but in thy 
will ; 
And whether that be good or ill I know not, 
Not being omnipotent, nor fit to judge 
Omnipotence, but merely to endure 
Its mandate, which thus far I have endur’d. 
Enraged at the rejection of his sacri- 
fice, Cain resolves to demolish both 
altars, but is opposed in his purpose by 
his. brother. 
Abel. Brother! give back, thou shalt not 
touch my altar 
With violence; if that thou wilt adopt it, 
‘To try another sacrifice, ’tis thine. 
Cain. Another sacrifice! Give way or 
else 
That sacrifice may be — 
Abel. What mean’st thou? 
Cain. Give 
Give way ! thy God loves blood—then look 
to it— 
Give way, ere he hath more. 
Abel. In his great name 
I stand between thee and the shrine which 
hath 
Had his acceptance. 
Cain. If thou loy’st thyself 
Stand back till I have strew dthis turfalong 
Its native soil—elsc— 
Abel. I love God 
Far'more thau life. 
Cain. (Striking him with a brand, on 
the temples, which he snatches from 
the altar.| 
Then take thy life unto thy God 
Since he loves lives. 
Abel. ( falls.] What hast thou done, my 
brother ? 
Cain. Brother! 
Abel. Oh God! receive thy servant, and 
Forgive his slayer, for he knew not what 
He did. Cain, give me—give me thy hand, 
and tell 
Poor Zillah— 
Cain. [after a moment's stupefaction.] 
My hand ! ’tis all red, and with-— 
What? [alony pause. Looking slowly round] 
Where amI? Alone? Where’s Abel? where 
Cain? Can it be that lamhe? My brother! 
Awake ! why liest thou so on the green 
earth? 
Tis not the hour of slumber—why so pale? 
What hastthou? Thou wert full of life 
this morn. 
Alas! I pray thee mock me not! I smote 
‘Too fiercely, but not fatally. Ah! why 
Would’st thou oppose me? Thisis mockery, 
News from Parnassus...No. XIV. 
[Feb. 1, 
And only done to daunt me. "was a blow, 
And but a blow—stir=-stir—nay—only 
stir ! 
Why so—that’s well! Thou breathest, 
breathe upon me! 2 
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.} 
Zillah, the wife of Abel, hears the 
heavy sound of Cain’s mourning, and 
rushes forth to call her parents. From 
this last scene we shall extract the most 
forcible passage, which overwhelms 
Cain with the maternal cnrse. 
May all the curses 
Oflifebe onbim! And his agonies 
Drive him forth o'er the wilderness—like us 
From Eden, til] 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 dream of death! 
May the clear rivers turn to blood, as he 
Stoops down to stain them with his raging 
lip 5 
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 himwho first acquainted him with man. 
Hence, fratricide ! henceforth that word is 
Cain, % 
Thro’ 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! 
The fratricide is then deserted by all 
but his faithful Adah, who proposes to 
take up their children and depart. In 
answer to a question from Cain, whe- 
ther she does not fear to dwell with a 
murderer, Adah replies— 
I fear 
Nothing except to leave thee, much as I 
Shrink from the deed which leaves thee 
brotherless. 
T must not speak of this—it is between thee 
And the great God. f 
The augel- of the Lord miu | 
an 
