The cause of this all-spreading happiness (Which you proclaim) of the all-great and good

Maker of life and living things; it is

His secret, and he keeps it. We must bear,
And some of us resist, and both in vain,
His seraphs say; but it is worth the trial,
Since better may not be without. There is
A wisdom in the spirit, which directs
To right, as in the dim blue air the eye
Of you, young mortals, lights at once upon
The star which watches, welcoming the

morn.

490

Thou seem'st unhappy: do not make us so,
And I will weep for thee.
Lucifer.

Alas! those tears!

Couldst thou but know what oceans will be

The myriad myriads the all-peopled

earth

hour;

But in that hour see things of many days.
Adah. How can that be?
Lucifer.

Did not your Maker make Out of old worlds this new one in few

days?

And cannot I, who aided in this work, Show in an hour what he hath made in many,

Or hath destroy'd in few ?

In sooth, return within an hour?
Lucifer.
With us acts are exempt from time, and we
Can crowd eternity into an hour,
Or stretch an hour into eternity:

We breathe not by a mortal measure

ment

But that's a mystery. Cain, come on with

me.

Adah. Will he return?
Lucifer.

Ay, woman! he alone Of mortals from that place (the first and last 7 Who shall return, save ONE) shall come back to thee,

540

To make that silent and expectant world
As populous as this: at present there
Are few inhabitants.
Adah.
Where dwellest thou?
Lucifer. Throughout all space. Where
should I dwell? Where are
Thy God or Gods-there am I: all things

are