Folio Fragment (Verso)
[Manuscript. British Library. Egerton 2800,
fol 1v]*
Midnight on the Euphrates. Cedars, palms, pines.
Cain discovered sitting on the upper part of the ragged rock,
where is cavern overlooking the Euphrates, the moon rising on
the horizon. His soliloquy. The beasts are out on the ramp.
He determines to rush out amongst them & oppose
himself to be destroyed by him. A
multitude of these beasts come [?] up to him. Walking among
the beasts he hears the screams of a woman & children—surrounded
by tigers. Cain makes a soliloquy debating whether he shall
save the woman. Cain advances wishing death—& the tigers
rush off. It proves to be Cain's wife with her two children
determined to follow her husband. She prevails upon him at last
to tell his story. Cain's wife tells him that her son Enoch
was placed suddenly by her side.
Cain addresses all the elements to cease for a
while to persecute him, while he tells his story. He begins
with telling her that he had first after his leaving her found
out a dwelling in the desart under a juniper tree &c, &c. how
he meets in the desart a young man whom upon a nearer approach
he perceives to be Abel. Cain was overwhelmed
on whose countenance appear marks of the greatest misery. He
[? tells][1]
of another being who had power after this life, greater than
Jehovah. He is going to offer sacrifices to this being & persuades
Cain to follow him to come to an immense Gulph filled with water,
whither they descend followed by alligators &c.[2]
They go till they come to an immense meadow so surrounded as
to be inaccessible, & from its depth so vast that you could
not see it from above. Abel offers sacrifice from the blood
of his arm. A gleam of light illumines the meadow & a
being of terrible majesty appears. The countenance
of Abel becomes more beautiful, & his arms glistering—he
then persuades Cain to offer sacrifice, for himself & his son
Enoch by cutting his child's arm & letting the blood fall from
it. Cain is about to do it when Abel himself walks
in his angelic appearance, attended by Michael, is seen in the
heavens whence they sail slowly down. Abel addresses Cain with
terror, warning him not to offer up his innocent child. The
evil spirit throws off the countenance of Abel & assuming its
own shape, flies off pursuing a flying battle with Michael.
Abel carries off the Child.
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