ear. Who then art thou?
Mephistopheles
Part of that power which still Produceth good, whilst ever scheming ill.
Faust
What hidden mystery in this riddle lies?
Mephistopheles
The spirit I, which evermore denies! And justly; for whate'er to light is brought
Deserves again to be reduced to naught; Then better 'twere that naught should
be. Thus all the elements which ye Destruction, Sin, or briefly, Evil, name, As
my peculiar element I claim.
Faust
Thou nam'st thyself a part, and yet a whole I see.
Mephistopheles
The modest truth I speak to thee. Though folly's microcosm, man, it seems,
Himself to be a perfect whole esteems: Part of the part am I, which at the first
was all, A part of darkness, which gave birth to light, Proud light, who now
his mother would enthrall, Contesting space and ancient rank with night. Yet
he succeedeth not, for struggle as he will, To forms material he adhereth still;
From them he streameth, them he maketh fair, And still the progress of his
beams they check; And so, I trust, when comes the final wreck, Light will, ere
long, the doom of matter share.
Faust
Thy worthy avocation now I guess! Wholesale annihilation won't prevail, So
thou'rt beginning on a smaller scale.
Mephistopheles
And, to say truth, as yet with small success. Oppos'd to naught, this clumsy
world, The something - it subsisteth still; Not yet is it to ruin hurl'd, Despite
the efforts of my will. Tempests and earthquakes, fire and flood, I've tried;
Yet land and ocean still unchang'd abide! And then of humankind and beasts,
the accursed brood, Neither o'er them can I extend my sway. What countless
myriads have I swept away! Yet ever circulates the fresh young blood. It is
enough to drive me to despair! As in the earth, in water, and in air, A
thousand germs burst forth spontaneously; In moisture, drought, heat, cold,
they still appear! Had I not flame selected as my sphere Nothing apart had
been reversed for me.
Faust
So thou with thy cold devil's fist Still clench'd in malice impotent Dost the
creative power resist, The active, the beneficent! Henceforth some other task
essay, Of Chaos thou the wondrous son!
Mephistopheles
We will consider what you say, And talk about it more anon! For this time
have I leave to go?
Faust
Why thou shouldst ask, I cannot see. Since thee I now have learned to know,
At thy good pleasure, visit me. Here is the window, here the door, The
chimney, too, may serve thy need.
Mephistopheles
I must confess, my stepping o'er Thy threshold a slight hindrance doth
impede; The wizard - foot doth me retain.
Faust
The pentagram thy peace doth mar? To me, thou son of hell, explain, How
camest thou in, if this thine exit bar? Could such a spirit aught ensnare?
Mephistopheles
Observe it well, it is not drawn with care, One of the angles, that which points
without, Is, as thou seest, not quite closed.
Faust
Chance hath the matter happily dispos'd! So thou my captive art? No doubt!
By accident thou thus art caught!
Mephistopheles
In sprang the dog, indeed, observing naught; Things now assume another
shape, The devil's in the house and can't escape.
Faust
Why through the window not withdraw?
Mephistopheles
For ghosts and for the devil 'tis a law. Where they stole in, there they must
forth. We're free The first to choose; as to the second, slaves are we.
Faust
E'en hell hath its peculiar laws, I see! I'm glad of that! a pact may then be
made, The which you gentlemen will surely keep?
Mephistopheles
What e'er therein is promised thou shalt reap, No tittle shall remain unpaid.
But such arrangements time require; We'll speak of them when next we meet;
Most earnestly I now entreat, This once permission to retire.
Faust
Another moment prithee here remain, Me with some happy word to pleasure.
Mephistopheles
Now let me go! ere long I'll come again, Then thou may'st question at thy
leisure.
Faust
'Twas not my purpose thee to lime; The snare hast entered of thine own free
will: Let him who holds the devil, hold him still! So soon he'll catch him not a
second time.
Mephistopheles
If it so please thee, I'm at thy command; Only on this condition, understand;
That worthily thy leisure to beguile, I here may exercise my arts awhile.
Faust
Thou'rt free to do so! Gladly I'll attend; But be thine art a pleasant one!
Mephistopheles
My friend,
This hour enjoyment more intense, Shall captivate each ravish'd sense, Than
thou could'st compass in the bound Of the whole year's unvarying round; And
what the dainty spirits sing, The lovely images they bring. Are no fantastic
sorcery. Rich odours shall regale your smell, On choicest sweets your palate
dwell, Your feelings thrill with ecstasy. No preparation do we need, Here we
together are. Proceed.
Spirits
Hence overshadowing gloom, Vanish from sight! O'er us thine azure dome,
Bend, beauteous light! Dark clouds that o'er us spread, Melt in thin air! Stars,
your soft radiance shed, Tender and fair. Girt with celestial might, Winging
their airy flight, Spirits are thronging. Follows their forms of light Infinite
longing! Flutter their vestures bright O'er field and grove! Where in their leafy
bower Lovers the livelong hour Vow deathless love. Soft bloometh bud and
bower! Bloometh the grove! Grapes from the spreading vine Crown the full
measure; Fountains of foaming wine Gush from the pressure. Still where the
currents wind, Gems brightly gleam. Leaving the hills behind On rolls the
stream; Now into ample seas, Spreadeth the flood; Laving the sunny leas,
Mantled with wood. Rapture the feather'd throng, Gaily careering, Sip as they
float along; Sunward they're steering; On towards the isles of light Winging
their way, That on the waters bright Dancingly play. Hark to the choral strain,
Joyfully ringing! While on the grassy plain Dancers are springing; Climbing the
steep hill's side, Skimming the glassy tide, Wander they there; Others on
pinions wide Wing the blue air; All lifeward tending, upward still wending,
Towards yonder stars that gleam, Far, far above; Stars from whose tender
beam Rains blissful love.
Mephistopheles
Well done, my dainty spirits! now he slumbers! Ye have entranc'd him fairly
with your numbers! This minstrelsy of yours I must repay, Thou art not yet the
man to hold the devil fast! With fairest shapes your spells around him cast,
And plunge him in a sea of dreams! But that this charm be rent, the threshold
passed, Tooth of rat the way must clear. I need not conjure long it seems,
One rustles hitherward, and soon my voice will hear. The master of the rats
and mice, Of flies and frogs, of bugs and lice, Commands thy presence;
without fear Come forth and gnaw the threshold here, Where he with oil has
smear'd it. - Thou Com'st hopping forth already! Now To work! The point
that holds me bound Is in the outer angle found. Another bite - so - now 'tis
doneNow, Faustus, till we meet again, dream on.
Faust (awaking)
Am I once more deluded! must I deem That thus the throng of spirits
disappear? The devil's presence, was it but a dream? Hath but a poodle
scap'd and left me here?
Faust And Mephistopheles - A Student
Study
Faust
A knock? Come in! Who now would break my rest?
Mephistopheles
'Tis I!
Faust
Come in!
Mephistopheles
Thrice be the words express'd.
Faust
Then I repeat, Come in! Mephistopheles
'Tis well, I hope that we shall soon agree! For now your fancies to expel,
Here, as a youth of high degree, I come in gold - lac'd scarlet vest, And stiff -
silk mantle richly dress'd, A cock's gay feather for a plume, A long and
pointed rapier, too; And briefly I would counsel you To don at once the same
costume, And, free from trammels, speed away, That what life is you may
essay.
Faust
In every garb I needs must feel oppress'd, My heart to earth's low cares a
prey. Too old the trifler's part to play, Too young to live by no desire
possess'd. What can the world to me afford? Renounce! renouce! is still the
word; This is the everlasting song In every ear that ceaseless rings, And
which, alas, our whole life long, Hoarsely each passing moment sings. But to
new horror I awake each morn, And I could weep hot tears, to see the sun
Dawn on another day, whose round forlorn Accomplishes no wish of mine -
not one. Which still, with froward captiousness, impains E'en the presentiment
of every joy, While low realities and paltry cares The spirit's fond imaginings
destroy. Then must I too, when falls the veil of night, Stretch'd on my pallet
languish in despair, Appalling dreams my soul affright; No rest vouchsafed me
even there. The god, who throned within my breast resides, Deep in my soul
can stir the springs; With sovereign sway my energies he guides, He cannot
move external things; And so existence is to me a weight. Death fondly I
desire, and life I hate.
Mephistopheles
And yet, methinks, by most 'twill be confess'd That Death is never quite a
welcome guest.
Faust
Happy the man around whose brow he binds The bloodstain'd wreath in
conquest's dazzling hour; Or whom, excited by the dance, he finds Dissolv'd
in bliss, in love's delicious bower! O that before the lofty spirit's might,
Enraptured, I had rendered up my soul!
Mephistopheles
Yet did a certain man refrain one night, Of its brown juice to drain the crystal
bowl.
Faust
To play the spy diverts you then?
Mephistopheles
I own, Though not omniscient, much to me is known.
Faust
If o'er my soul the tone familiar, stealing, Drew me from harrowing thought's
bewild'ring maze, Touching the ling'ring chords of childlike feeling, With sweet
harmonies of happier days: So curse I all, around the soul that windeth Its
magic and alluring spell, And with delusive flattery bindeth Its victim to this
dreary cell! Curs'd before all things be the high opinion, Wherewith the spirit
girds itself around! Of shows delusive curs'd be the dominion, Within whose
mocking sphere our sense is bound! Accurs'd of dreams the treacherous
wiles, The cheat of glory, deathless fame! Accurs'd what each as property
beguiles, Wife, child, slave, plough, whate'er its name! Accurs'd be mammon,
when with treasure He doth to daring deeds incite: Or when to steep the soul
in pleasure, He spreads the couch of soft delight! Curs'd be the grape's
balsamic juice! Accurs'd love's dream, of joys the first! Accurs'd be hope!
accurs'd be faith! And more than all, be patience curs'd!
Chorus of Spirits (invisible)
Woe! Woe! Thou hast destroy'd The beautiful world With violent blow; 'Tis
shiver'd! 'tis shatter'd! The fragments abroad by a demigod scatter'd! Now
we sweep The wrecks into nothingness! Fondly we weep The beauty that's
gone! Thou, 'mongst the sons of earth, Lofty and mighty one, Build it once
more! In thine own bosom the lost world restore! Now with unclouded sense
Enter a new career; Songs shall salute thine ear, Ne'er heard before!
Mephistopheles
My little ones these spirits be. Hark! with shrewd intelligence, How they
recommend to thee Action, and the joys of sense! In the busy world to dwell,
Fain they would allure thee hence: For within this lonely cell, Stagnate sap of
life and sense.
Forbear to trifle longer with thy grief, Which, vulture - like, consumes thee in
this den. The worst society is some relief, Making thee feel thyself a man with
men. Nathless, it is not meant, I trow, To thrust thee 'mid the vulgar throng. I
to the upper ranks do not belong; Yet if, by me companion'd, thou Thy steps
through life forthwith wilt take, Upon the spot myself I'll make Thy comrade;
Should it suit thy need, I am thy servant, am thy slave indeed!
Faust
And how must I thy services repay?
Mephistopheles
Thereto thou lengthen'd repite hast!
Faust
No! No! The devil is an egoist I know: And, for Heaven's sake, 'tis not his
way Kindness to any one to show. Let the condition plainly be exprest! Such
a domestic is a dangerous guest.
Mephistopheles
I'll pledge myself to be thy servant here, Still at thy back alert and prompt to
be; But when together yonder we appear, Then shalt thou do the same for
me.
Faust
But small concern I feel for yonder world; Hast thou this system into ruin
hurl'd, Another may arise the void to fill. This earth the fountain whence my
pleasures flow, This sun doth daily shine upon my woe, And if this world I
must forego, Let happen then, - what can and will. I to this theme will close
mine ears, If men hereafter hate and love, And if there be in yonder spheres A
depth below or height above.
Mephistopheles
In this mood thou mayst venture it. But make The compact! I at once will
undertake To charm thee with mine arts. I'll give thee more Than mortal eye
hath e'er beheld before.
Faust
What, sorry Devil, hast thou to bestow? Was ever mortal spirit, in its high
endeavour, Fathom'd by Being such as thou? Yet food thou hast which
