Yourselves, in your resistance. Nothing can Cain. But didst thou tempt my parents? I? Poor clay what should I tempt them for, or how? Who The proud One will not so far falsify, (1) [Cain is described as imagining, that once eating of the tree of life would have conferred immortality: "Would," he exclaims, "they had snatched both the fruits, or neither!" There is not the slightest ground for such a supposition: the tree of life was among the trees of which Adam" might eat freely," and of which he had most probably frequently eaten. This privilege was denied as a consequence of sin; as known vice is made an objection to being admitted to the sacraments, or as concealed vice renders them ineffectual, if not destructive, to the communicant. HARNESS, See antè, Vol. I. pp. 70. 177.] Cain. But the thing had a demon? He but woke one Lucifer. I tell thee that the serpent was no more Who guard the tempting tree. When thousand ages your seed's, The seed of the then world may thus array Their earliest fault in fable, and attribute To me a shape I scorn, as I scorn all That bows to him, who made things but to bend But we, who see the truth, must speak it. Thy And fell. For what should spirits tempt them? What Of Paradise, that spirits who pervade [not, Space —but I speak to thee of what thou know'st With all thy tree of knowledge. Cain. But thou canst not Speak aught of knowledge which I would not know, And do not thirst to know, and bear a mind Says he is something dreadful, and my mother Weeps when he's named; and Abel lifts his eyes To heaven, and Zillah casts hers to the earth, Lucifer. Cain. And thou? Thoughts unspeakable Crowd in my breast to burning, when I hear Lucifer. It has no shape; but will absorb all things That bear the form of earth-born being. Cain. I thought it was a being: who could do Cain. Lucifer. Ah! Who? The Maker-call him Which name thou wilt: he makes but to destroy. Cain. I knew not that, yet thought it, since I heard Of death: although I know not what it is, Yet it seems horrible. I have look'd out In the vast desolate night in search of him; The umbrage of the walls of Eden, chequer'd (1) [It may appear a very prosaic, but it is certainly a very obvious criticism on these passages, that the young family of mankind had, long ere this, been quite familiar with the death of animals — some of whom Abel was in the habit of offering up as sacrifices; so that it is not quite conceivable that they should be so much at a loss to conjecture what Death was. JEFFREY.] With fear rose longing in my heart to know and thee. [die Cain. I'm glad of that: I would not have them They are so lovely. What is death? I fear, I feel, it is a dreadful thing; but what, I cannot compass: 'tis denounced against us, Both them who sinn'd and sinn'd not, as an illWhat ill? Lucifer. To be resolved into the earth. Cain. But shall I know it? Lucifer. I cannot answer. Cain. As I know not death, Were I quiet earth That were no evil: would I ne'er had been Aught else but dust! Lucifer. That is a groveling wish, Less than thy father's, for he wish'd to know. Cain. But not to live, or wherefore pluck'd he not The life-tree? Lucifer. Cain. He was hinder'd. Deadly error! Not to snatch first that fruit:—but ere he pluck'd The knowledge, he was ignorant of death. Alas! I scarcely now know what it is, And yet I fear it-fear I know not what! Lucifer. And I, who know all things, fear nothing: Thou dost fall down and worship me-thy Lord. Cain. Thou art not the Lord my father worships. Lucifer. Cain. His equal? No. Lucifer. No;-I have nought in common with him! Nor would: I would be aught above-beneath Aught save a sharer or a servant of His power. I dwell apart; but I am great :- Cain. Lucifer. To him? I never Hast thou ne'er bow'd (1) [Most of Lord Byron's spleen against "My Grandmother's Review, the British," may be traced to its critique on Cain,-e. g. "We have heard it remarked, that a great deal of premeditated mischief is couched under the plausible reasonings put into the mouths of Cain and Lucifer. This may or may not be a just conclusion: we have no right to say that Lord Byron adopts the apologies of Cain, or the dialectics of the Devil: all that can be fairly said on this subject is that it has been a part of the poet's plan to throw as much ingenuity into the arguments, both of Cain and his Mentor, as it was competent to his Lordship to furnish; and that he has left these arguments-without refutation or answerto produce their unrestricted influence on the reader."] |