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12 neither destroy the tree, nor deprive it of the vertue to prolong life, nor bereave man of freewil, by which he might desire to returne: but conserving nature in al creatures, preventeth inconveniences otherwise.

These Angels also hinder the divel, that he can not enter Paradise, lest he should take of the fruit of the tree, and give it to men to prolong their lives, and thereby draw them to his service.

CHAP. IIII.

''Wicked Cain killeth holie Abel: 9. whose bloud cryeth for revenge. 11. Cain a cursed vagabond, 17. hath much issue. 25. Adam also hath Seth, and Seth Enos.''

ND Adam knew Eve his wife, who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man through God. And againe she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shephard, & Cain a husbandman. And it befel after manie dayes that Cain ″ offred of the fruits of the earth guifts to our Lord. Abel also offred of the first-begotten of his flocke, and of their fat: and our Lord ″ had respect to Abel, & to his guifts. But to Cain, and to his guifts he had not respect: And Cain was exceeding angrie, and his countenance abated. And our Lord said to him: Why art thou angrie? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doe wel, ″ shalt thou not receive againe: but if thou dost il, shal not thy sinne forthwith be present at the dore? but the lust therof shal be ″ under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.

And Caine said to Abel his brother: Let us goe forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Caine rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him. And our Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel thy brother? Who answered: I know not, am I my brothers keeper? And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers bloud crieth to me out of the earth. Now therfore cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth, & received the bloud of thy brother at thy hand. When thou shalt til it, it shal not yeald to thee her fruite: a roag and vagabound shalt thou be upon the earth. And Cain said to our Lord: Myne iniquitie is greater then that I may deserve pardon. Loe thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face shal I be hid, and I shal be a vagabond and fugitive on the earth: everie one therfore that findeth me shal kil me. And our Lord said to him: No, it shal not so be: but whosoever shal kil Cain, shal be punished seaven-fold. And our Lord put a marke on Cain, that whosoever found him should not kil him.

And ″ Cain went forth from the face of our Lord, and dwelt as a fugitive on the earth at the east side of Eden. And Cain knew his Rh