Masters of the Theatre
Page 103
FAUST, MEPHISTOPHELES
FAUST
This senseless, juggling witchcraft I detest!
Dost promise that in this foul nest
Of madness I shall be restored?
Must I seek counsel from an ancient dame?
And can she, by these rites abhorred,
Take thirty winters from my frame?
Woe’s me, if thou naught better canst suggest!
Hope has already fled my breast.
Has neither nature nor a noble mind
A balsam yet devis’d of any kind?
MEPHISTOPHELES
My friend, you now speak sensibly. In truth,
Nature a method giveth to renew thy youth:
But in another book the lesson’s writ; —
It forms a curious chapter, I admit.
FAUST
I fain would know it.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Good! A remedy
Without physician, gold, or sorcery:
Away forthwith, and to the fields repair;
Begin to delve, to cultivate the ground;
Thy senses and thyself confine
Within the very narrowest round;
Support thyself upon the simplest fare;
Live like a very brute the brutes among;
Neither esteem it robbery
The acre thou dost reap, thyself to dung.
This the best method, credit me,
Again at eighty to grow hale and young.
FAUST
I am not used to it, nor can myself degrade
So far, as in my hand to take the spade.
This narrow life would suit me not at all.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Then we the witch must summon after all.
FAUST
Will none but this old beldame do?
Canst not thyself the potion brew?
MEPHISTOPHELES
A pretty play our leisure to beguile!
A thousand bridges I could build meanwhile.
Not science only and consummate art —
Patience must also bear her part.
A quiet spirit worketh whole years long;
Time only makes the subtle ferment strong.
And all things that belong thereto,
Are wondrous and exceeding rare!
The devil taught her, it is true;
But yet the draught the devil can’t prepare.
[Perceiving the beasts.]
Look yonder, what a dainty pair!
Here is the maid! the knave is there!
(To the beasts)
It seems your dame is not at home?
THE MONKEYS
Gone to carouse,
Out of the house,
Thro’ the chimney and away!
MEPHISTOPHELES
How long is it her wont to roam?
THE MONKEYS
While we can warm our paws she’ll stay.
MEPHISTOPHELES (to FAUST)
What think you of the charming creatures?
FAUST
I loathe alike their form and features!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Nay, such discourse, be it confessed,
Is just the thing that pleases me the best.
(To the MONKEYS)
Tell me, ye whelps, accursed crew!
What stir ye in the broth about?
MONKEYS
Coarse beggar’s gruel here we stew.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Of customers you’ll have a rout.
THE HE-MONKEY (approaching and fawning on MEPHISTOPHELES)
Quick! quick! throw the dice,
Make me rich in a trice,
Oh give me the prize!
Alas, for myself,
Had I plenty of pelf,
I then should be wise.
MEPHISTOPHELES
How blest the ape would think himself, if he
Could only put into the lottery!
[In the meantime the young MONKEYS have been playing with a large globe, which they roll forward.]
THE HE-MONKEY
The world behold;
Unceasingly roll’d,
It riseth and falleth ever;
It ringeth like glass!
How brittle, alas!
’Tis hollow, and resteth never.
How bright the sphere,
Still brighter here!
Now living am I!
Dear son, beware!
Nor venture there!
Thou too must die!
It is of clay;
‘Twill crumble away;
There fragments lie.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Of what use is the sieve
THE HE-MONKEY (taking it down)
The sieve would show, If thou wert a thief or no? [He runs to the SHE-MONKEY, and makes her look through it.]
Look through the sieve!
Dost know him the thief,
And dar’st thou not call him so?
MEPHISTOPHELES (approaching the fire)
And then this pot?
THE MONKEYS
The half-witted sot!
He knows not the pot!
He knows not the kettle!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Unmannerly beast!
Be civil at least!
THE HE-MONKEY
Take the whisk and sit down in the settle!
[He makes MEPHISTOPHELES sit down.]
FAUST (who all this time has been standing before a looking-glass, now approaching, and now retiring front it)
What do I see? What form, whose charms transcend
The loveliness of earth, is mirror’d here!
O Love, to waft me to her sphere,
To me the swiftest of thy pinions lend!
Alas! If I remain not rooted to this place,
If to approach more near I’m fondly lur’d,
Her image fades, in veiling mist obscur’d! —
Model of beauty both in form and face!
Is’t possible? Hath woman charms so rare?
In this recumbent form, supremely fair,
The essence must I see of heavenly grace?
Can aught so exquisite on earth be found?
MEPHISTOPHELES
The six days’ labor of a god, my friend,
Who doth himself cry bravo, at the end,
By something clever doubtless should be crown’d.
For this time gaze your fill, and when you please
just such a prize for you I can provide;
How blest is he to whom kind fate decrees,
To take her to his home, a lovely bride!
[FAUST continues to gaze into the mirror.]
MEPHISTOPHELES [stretching himself on the settle and playing with the whisk, continues to speak.]
Here sit I, like a king upon his throne;
My sceptre this; — the crown I want alone.
THE MONKEYS (who have hitherto been making all sorts of strange gestures, bring MEPHISTOPHELES a crown, with loud cries)
Oh, be so good,
With sweat and with blood
The crown to lime!
[They handle the crown awkwardly and break it in two pieces, with which they skip about.]
’Twas fate’s decree!
We speak and see!
We hear and rhyme.
FAUST (before the mirror)
Woe’s me! well-nigh distraught I feel!
MEPHISTOPHELES (pointing to the beasts)
And even my own head almost begins to reel.
THE MONKEYS
If good luck attend,
If fitly things blend,
Our jargon with thought
And with reason is fraught!
FAUST (as above)
A flame is kindled in my breast!
Let us begone! nor linger here!
MEPHISTOPHELES (in the same position)
It now at least must be confessed,
That poets sometimes are sincere.
[The caldron w
hich the SHE-MONKEY has neglected begins to boil over; a great flame arises, which streams up the chimney. The WITCH comes down the chimney with horrible cries.]
THE WITCH
Ough! ough! ough! ough!
Accursed brute! accursed sow!
The caldron dost neglect, for shame!
Accursed brute to scorch the dame!
(Perceiving FAUST and MEPHISTOPHELES.)
Whom have we here?
Who’s sneaking here?
Whence are ye come?
With what desire?
The plague of fire
Your bones consume!
[She dips the skimming-ladle into the caldron and throws flames at FAUST, MEPHISTOPHELES, and the MONKEYS. The MONKEYS whimper.]
MEPHISTOPHELES (twirling the whisk which he holds in his hand, and striking among the glasses and pots)
Dash! Smash!
There lies the glass!
There lies the slime!
’Tis but a jest;
I but keep time,
Thou hellish pest,
To thine own chime!
[While the WITCH steps back in rage and astonishment.]
Dost know me! Skeleton! Vile scarecrow, thou!
Thy lord and master dost thou know?
What holds me, that I deal not now
Thee and thine apes a stunning blow?
No more respect to my red vest dost pay?
Does my cock’s feather no allegiance claim?
Have I my visage masked today?
Must I be forced myself to name?
THE WITCH
Master, forgive this rude salute!
But I perceive no cloven foot.
And your two ravens, where are they?
MEPHISTOPHELES
This once I must admit your plea; —
For truly I must own that we
Each other have not seen for many a day.
The culture, too, that shapes the world, at last
Hath e’en the devil in its sphere embraced;
The northern phantom from the scene hath pass’d;
Tail, talons, horns, are nowhere to be traced!
As for the foot, with which I can’t dispense,
’Twould injure me in company, and hence,
Like many a youthful cavalier,
False calves I now have worn for many a year.
THE WITCH (dancing)
I am beside myself with joy,
To see once more the gallant Satan here!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Woman, no more that name employ!
THE WITCH
But why? what mischief hath it done?
MEPHISTOPHELES
To fable-books it now doth appertain;
But people from the change have nothing won.
Rid of the evil one, the evil ones remain.
Lord Baron call thou me, so is the matter good;
Of other cavaliers the mien I wear.
Dost make no question of my gentle blood;
See here, this is the scutcheon that I bear!
[He makes an unseemly gesture.]
THE WITCH (laughing immoderately)
Ha! Ha! Just like yourself! You are, I ween,
The same mad wag that you have ever been!
MEPHISTOPHELES (to FAUST)
My friend, learn this to understand, I pray!
To deal with witches this is still the way.
THE WITCH
Now tell me, gentlemen, what you desire?
MEPHISTOPHELES
Of your known juice a goblet we require.
But for the very oldest let me ask;
Double its strength with years doth grow.
THE WITCH
Most willingly! And here I have a flask,
From which I’ve sipp’d myself ere now;
What’s more, it doth no longer stink;
To you a glass I joyfully will give.
(Aside.)
If unprepar’d, however, this man drink,
He hath not, as you know, an hour to live.
MEPHISTOPHELES
He’s my good friend, with whom ‘twill prosper well;
I grudge him not the choicest of thy store.
Now draw thy circle, speak thy spell,
And straight a bumper for him pour!
[The WITCH, with extraordinary gestures, describes a circle, and places strange things within it. The glasses meanwhile begin to ring, and the caldron to sound and make music. Lastly, she brings a great book; places the MONKEYS in the circle to serve her as a desk, and to hold the torches. She beckons FAUST to approach.]
FAUST (to MEPHISTOPHELES)
Tell me, to what doth all this tend?
Where will these frantic gestures end?
This loathsome cheat, this senseless stuff
I’ve known and hated long enough.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Mere mummery, a laugh to raise!
Pray don’t be so fastidious! She
But as a leech, her hocus-pocus plays,
That well with you her potion may agree.
[He compels FAUST to enter the circle.]
[The, WITCH, with great emphasis, begins to declaim from the book.]
This must thou ken:
Of one make ten,
Pass two, and then
Make square the three,
So rich thou’lt be.
Drop out the four!
From five and six,
Thus says the witch,
Make seven and eight.
So all is straight!
And nine is one,
And ten is none,
This is the witch’s one-time-one!
FAUST
The hag doth as in fever rave.
MEPHISTOPHELES
To these will follow many a stave.
I know it well, so rings the book throughout;
Much time I’ve lost in puzzling o’er its pages,
For downright paradox, no doubt,
A mystery remains alike to fools and sages.
Ancient the art and modern too, my friend.
’Tis still the fashion as it used to be,
Error instead of truth abroad to send
By means of three and one, and one and three.
’Tis ever taught and babbled in the schools.
Who’d take the trouble to dispute with fools?
When words men hear, in sooth, they usually believe,
That there must needs therein be something to conceive.
THE WITCH (continues)
The lofty power
Of wisdom’s dower,
From all the world conceal’d!
Who thinketh not,
To him I wot,
Unsought it is reveal’d.
FAUST
What nonsense doth the hag propound?
My brain it doth well-nigh confound.
A hundred thousand fools or more,
Methinks I hear in chorus roar.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Incomparable Sibyl cease, I pray!
Hand us thy liquor without more delay.
And to the very brim the goblet crown!
My friend he is, and need not be afraid;
Besides, he is a man of many a grade,
Who hath drunk deep already.
[The WITCH, with many ceremonies, pours the liquor into a cup; as FAUST lifts it to his mouth, a light flame arises.]
MEPHISTOPHELES
Gulp it down!
No hesitation! It will prove
A cordial, and your heart inspire!
What! with the devil hand and glove,
And yet shrink back afraid of fire?
[The WITCH dissolves the circle. FAUST steps out.]
MEPHISTOPHELES
Now forth at once! thou dar’st not rest.
WITCH
And much, sir, may the liquor profit you!
MEPHISTOPHELES (to the WITCH)
And if to pleasure thee I aught can do,
; Pray on Walpurgis mention thy request.
WITCH
Here is a song, sung o’er, sometimes you’ll see,
That ‘twill a singular effect produce.
MEPHISTOPHELES (to FAUST)
Come, quick, and let thyself be led by me;
Thou must perspire, in order that the juice
Thy frame may penetrate through every part.
Then noble idleness I thee will teach to prize,
And soon with ecstasy thou’lt recognize
How Cupid stirs and gambols in thy heart.
FAUST
Let me but gaze one moment in the glass!
Too lovely was that female form!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Nay! nay!
A model which all women shall surpass,
In flesh and blood ere long thou shalt survey.
(Aside.)
As works the draught, thou presently shalt greet
A Helen in each woman thou dost meet.
A STREET
FAUST (MARGARET passing by).
FAUST
Fair lady, may I thus make free
To offer you my arm and company?
MARGARET
I am no lady, am not fair, Can without escort home repair. [She disengages herself and exit.]
FAUST
By heaven! This girl is fair indeed!
No form like hers can I recall.
Virtue she hath, and modest heed,
Is piquant too, and sharp withal.
Her cheek’s soft light, her rosy lips,
No length of time will e’er eclipse!
Her downward glance in passing by,
Deep in my heart is stamp’d for aye;
How curt and sharp her answer too,
To ecstasy the feeling grew!
[MEPHISTOPHELES enters.]
FAUST
This girl must win for me! Dost hear?
MEPHISTOPHELES
Which?
FAUST
She who but now passed.
MEPHISTOPHELES
What! She?
She from confession cometh here,
From every sin absolved and free;
I crept near the confessor’s chair.
All innocence her virgin soul,
For next to nothing went she there;
O’er such as she I’ve no control!
FAUST
She’s past fourteen.
MEPHISTOPHELES
You really talk
Like any gay Lothario,
Who every floweret from its stalk
Would pluck, and deems nor grace, nor truth,
Secure against his arts, forsooth!
This ne’er the less won’t always do.
FAUST
Sir Moralizer, prithee, pause;
Nor plague me with your tiresome laws!
To cut the matter short, my friend,
She must this very night be mine, —
And if to help me you decline,
Midnight shall see our compact end.
MEPHISTOPHELES
What may occur just bear in mind!
A fortnight’s space, at least, I need,