by Lord Byron
Cain. I have no flocks;
I am a tiller of the ground, and must
Yield what it yieldeth to my toil — its fruit:
[He gathers fruits.
Behold them in their various bloom and ripeness.
[They dress their altars, and kindle aflame upon them.
Abel. My brother, as the elder, offer first 220
Thy prayer and thanksgiving with sacrifice.
Cain. No — I am new to this; lead thou the way,
And I will follow — as I may.
Abel (kneeling).Oh, God!
Who made us, and who breathed the breath of life
Within our nostrils, who hath blessed us,
And spared, despite our father’s sin, to make
His children all lost, as they might have been,
Had not thy justice been so tempered with
The mercy which is thy delight, as to
Accord a pardon like a Paradise, 230
Compared with our great crimes: — Sole Lord of light!
Of good, and glory, and eternity!
Without whom all were evil, and with whom
Nothing can err, except to some good end
Of thine omnipotent benevolence!
Inscrutable, but still to be fulfilled!
Accept from out thy humble first of shepherds’
First of the first-born flocks — an offering,
In itself nothing — as what offering can be
Aught unto thee? — but yet accept it for 240
The thanksgiving of him who spreads it in
The face of thy high heaven — bowing his own
Even to the dust, of which he is — in honour
Of thee, and of thy name, for evermore!
Cain (standing erect during this speech).
Spirit whate’er or whosoe’er thou art,
Omnipotent, it may be — and, if good,
Shown in the exemption of thy deeds from evil;
Jehovah upon earth! and God in heaven!
And it may be with other names, because
Thine attributes seem many, as thy works: — 250
If thou must be propitiated with prayers,
Take them! If thou must be induced with altars,
And softened with a sacrifice, receive them;
Two beings here erect them unto thee.
If thou lov’st blood, the shepherd’s shrine, which smokes
On my right hand, hath shed it for thy service
In the first of his flock, whose limbs now reek
In sanguinary incense to thy skies;
Or, if the sweet and blooming fruits of earth,
And milder seasons, which the unstained turf 260
I spread them on now offers in the face
Of the broad sun which ripened them, may seem
Good to thee — inasmuch as they have not
Suffered in limb or life — and rather form
A sample of thy works, than supplication
To look on ours! If a shrine without victim,
And altar without gore, may win thy favour,
Look on it! and for him who dresseth it,
He is — such as thou mad’st him; and seeks nothing
Which must be won by kneeling: if he’s evil, 270
Strike him! thou art omnipotent, and may’st —
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
To have no power themselves, save 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 endured.
[The fire upon the altar of Abel kindles into a column of the brightest flame, and ascends to heaven; while a whirlwind throws down the altar of Cain, and scatters the fruits abroad upon the earth.
Abel (kneeling). Oh, brother, pray! Jehovah’s wroth with thee. 280
Cain. Why so?
Abel. Thy fruits are scattered on the earth.
Cain. From earth they came, to earth let them return;
Their seed will bear fresh fruit there ere the summer:
Thy burnt flesh-offering prospers better; see
How Heaven licks up the flames, when thick with blood!
Abel. Think not upon my offering’s acceptance,
But make another of thine own — before
It is too late.
Cain. I will build no more altars,
Nor suffer any — —
Abel (rising).Cain! what meanest thou?
Cain. To cast down yon vile flatterer of the clouds, 290
The smoky harbinger of thy dull prayers —
Thine altar, with its blood of lambs and kids,
Which fed on milk, to be destroyed in blood.
Abel (opposing him).
Thou shalt not: — add not impious works to impious
Words! let that altar stand — ‘tis hallowed now
By the immortal pleasure of Jehovah,
In his acceptance of the victims.
Cain. His!
His pleasure! what was his high pleasure in
The fumes of scorching flesh and smoking blood,
To the pain of the bleating mothers, which 300
Still yearn for their dead offspring? or the pangs
Of the sad ignorant victims underneath
Thy pious knife? Give way! this bloody record
Shall not stand in the sun, to shame creation!
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: — 310
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 lov’st thyself,
Stand back till I have strewed this turf along
Its native soil: — else — —
Abel (opposing him).I love God far more
Than 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 320
Poor Zillah —
Cain (after a moment’s stupefaction).
My hand! ‘tis all red, and with — —
What?[A long pause. — Looking slowly round.
Where am I? alone! Where’s Abel? where
Cain? Can it be that I am he? My brother,
Awake! — why liest thou so long on the green earth?
‘Tis not the hour of slumber: — why so pale?
What hast thou! — thou wert full of life this morn!
Abel! I pray thee, mock me not! I smote
Too fiercely, but not fatally. Ah, why
Wouldst thou oppose me? This is mockery;
And only done to daunt me: — ‘twas a blow — 330
And but a blow. Stir — stir — nay, only stir!
Why, so — that’s well! — thou breathest! breathe upon me!
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.
Cain. And I none! — Who makes me brotherless?
His eyes are open! then he is not dead!
Death is like sleep; and sleep shuts down our lids.
His lips, too, are apart; why then he breathes;
And yet I feel it not. — His heart! — his heart! — 340
Let me see, doth it beat? methinks — — No! — no!
This is a vision, else I am become
The native of another and worse world.
The earth swims round me: — what is this? — ‘tis wet;
[Puts his hand to his brow, and then looks at it.
And yet there are no dews! ‘Tis blood — my blood —
My brother’s and my own! and shed by me!
Then what have I further to do with life,
Since I have taken life from my own flesh?
But he can not be dead! — Is silence death?
No; he will wake; then let me watch by him. 350
Life cannot be so slight, as to be quenched
Thus quickly! — he hath spoken to me since —
What shall I say to him? — My brother! — No:
He will not answer to that name; for brethren
Smite not each other. Yet — yet — speak to me.
Oh! for a word more of that gentle voice,
That I may bear to hear my own again!
Enter Zillah.
Zillah. I heard a heavy sound; what can it be?
‘Tis Cain; and watching by my husband. What
Dost thou there, brother? Doth he sleep? Oh, Heaven! 360
What means this paleness, and yon stream? — No, no!
It is not blood; for who would shed his blood?
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 camest thou not in time to save him from
This violence? Whatever hath assailed him,
Thou wert the stronger, and shouldst have stepped in
Between him and aggression! Father! — Eve! —
Adah! — come hither! Death is in the world! 370
[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
Empoisoned all my life, before I knew
His aspect — I have led him here, and given
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 maddened me; — but he shall ne’er awake!
Enter Adam, Eve, Adah, and Zillah.
Adam. A voice of woe from Zillah brings me here — 380
What do I see? — ‘Tis true! — My son! — my son!
Woman, behold the Serpent’s work, and thine![To Eve.
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 390
Breaks through, as from a thunder-cloud! yon brand
Massy and bloody! snatched 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. It was!
I see it now — he hangs his guilty head,
And covers his ferocious eye with hands
Incarnadine!
Adah. Mother, thou dost him wrong —
Cain! clear thee from this horrible accusal, 400
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 betrothed.
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 410
That of his nature, in yon — — Oh Death! Death!
Why didst thou not take me, who first incurred 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 420
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 strewed
With scorpions! May his dreams be of his victim! 430
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! 440
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!
[Exit Eve.
Adam. 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.
Adah. Oh, part not with him thus, my father: do not
Add thy deep curse to Eve’s upon his head!
Adam. I curse him not: his spirit be his curse.
Come, Zillah!
Zillah. I must watch my husband’s corse. 450
Adam. We will return again, when he is gone
Who hath provided for us this dread office.
Come, Zillah!
Zillah. Yet one kiss on yon pale clay,
And those lips once so warm — my heart! my heart!
[Exeunt Adam and Zillah weeping.
Adah. Cain! thou hast heard, we must go forth. I am ready,
So shall our children be. I will bear Enoch,
And you his sister. Ere the sun declines
Let us depart, nor walk the wilderness
Under the cloud of night. — Nay, speak to
me.
To me — thine own.
Cain. Leave me!
Adah. Why, all have left thee. 460
Cain. And wherefore lingerest thou? Dost thou not fear
To dwell with one who hath done this?
Adah. I fear
Nothing except to leave thee, much as I
Shrink from the deed which leaves thee brotherless.
I must not speak of this — it is between thee
And the great God.
A Voice from within exclaims. Cain! Cain!
Adah. Hear’st thou that voice?
The Voice within. Cain! Cain!
Adah. It soundeth like an angel’s tone.
Enter the Angel of the Lord.
Angel. Where is thy brother Abel?
Cain. Am I then
My brother’s keeper?
Angel. Cain! what hast thou done?
The voice of thy slain brother’s blood cries out, 470
Even from the ground, unto the Lord! — Now art thou
Cursed from the earth, which opened late her mouth
To drink thy brother’s blood from thy rash hand.
Henceforth, when thou shalt till the ground, it shall not
Yield thee her strength; a fugitive shalt thou
Be from this day, and vagabond on earth!
Adah. This punishment is more than he can bear.
Behold thou drivest him from the face of earth,
And from the face of God shall he be hid.
A fugitive and vagabond on earth, 480
‘Twill come to pass, that whoso findeth him
Shall slay him.
Cain. Would they could! but who are they
Shall slay me? Where are these on the lone earth
As yet unpeopled?
Angel. Thou hast slain thy brother,
And who shall warrant thee against thy son?
Adah. Angel of Light! be merciful, nor say
That this poor aching breast now nourishes
A murderer in my boy, and of his father.
Angel. Then he would but be what his father is.
Did not the milk of Eve give nutriment 490
To him thou now seest so besmeared with blood?
The fratricide might well engender parricides. —
But it shall not be so — the Lord thy God
And mine commandeth me to set his seal
On Cain, so that he may go forth in safety.
Who slayeth Cain, a sevenfold vengeance shall
Be taken on his head. Come hither!
Cain. What
Wouldst thou with me?
Angel. To mark upon thy brow
Exemption from such deeds as thou hast done.
Cain. No, let me die!
Angel. It must not be.
[The Angel sets the mark on Cain’s brow.
Cain. It burns 500
My brow, but nought to that which is within it!
Is there more? let me meet it as I may.