Daemon. Too dear. Come, where a pleasure waits thee. It were bought Daemon. "Twill soothe thy heart to softest peace. Daemon. "Tis joy, 'tis glory. Justina. "Tis shame, 'tis torment, 'tis despair. Daemon. Canst thou defend thyself from that or me, Justina. Consists in God. My defence 130 But how 135 [He vainly endeavours to force her, and at last releases her. Daemon. Woman, thou hast subdued me, Only by not owning thyself subdued. But since thou thus findest defence in God, I will assume a feigned form, and thus Make thee a victim of my baffled rage. For I will mask a spirit in thy form Who will betray thy name to infamy, And doubly shall I triumph in thy loss, First by dishonouring thee, and then by turning Justina. I Appeal to Heaven against thee; so that Heaven And as the floweret wanes at morning frost; And thou shouldst never-But, alas! to whom Do I still speak?-Did not a man but now Enter LISANDER and LIVIA. Lisander. Oh, my daughter! What? Livia. Justina. 140 [Exit. What! Saw you A man go forth from my apartment now?— 145 150 155 160 Which led to this apartment were all locked. Livia (aside). I daresay it was Moscon whom she saw, For he was locked up in my room. It must 165 Lisander. Oh, would it were Justina. I should have sought my sorrow and my shame Even in the temple of the highest God Livia. Here. 170 175 Justina (putting on her cloak). In this, as in a shroud of snow, may I Quench the consuming fire in which I burn, Wasting away! Lisander. And I will go with thee. Livia. When I once see them safe out of the house Let us go. 180 185 Justina. Thine is the cause, great God! turn for my sake, And for Thine own, mercifully to me! STANZAS FROM CALDERON'S CISMA DE Translated by Medwin and corrected by Shelley. I HAST thou not seen, officious with delight, Move through the illumined air about the flower Till kindle in that monumental fire His sunflower wings their own funereal pyre? II My heart, its wishes trembling to unfold, Thus round the Rose and Taper hovering came, 10 15 SCENES FROM THE FAUST OF GOETHE [Published in part (Scene II) in The Liberal, No. 1, 1822; in full, by Mrs. Shelley, Posthumous Poems, 1824.] SCENE I-PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN. The LORD and the Host of HEAVEN. Enter three ARCHANGELS. Raphael. THE sun makes music as of old With thunder speed: the Angels even Is bright as at Creation's day. Gabriel. And swift and swift, with rapid lightness, With deep and dreadful night; the sea Up to the rocks, and rocks and Ocean, Michael. And tempests in contention roar From land to sea, from sea to land; And, raging, weave a chain of power, Which girds the earth, as with a band. A flashing desolation there, Flames before the thunder's way; But Thy servants, Lord, revere The gentle changes of Thy day. 5 10 15 20 Chorus of the Three. The Angels draw strength from Thy glance, Is bright as on Creation's day'. Enter MEPHISTOPHELES. 25 Mephistopheles As thou, O Lord, once more art kind enough To interest Thyself in our affairs, And ask, 'How goes it with you there below?' And as indulgently at other times Thou tookest not my visits in ill part, Thou seest me here once more among Thy household. You will excuse me if I do not talk In the high style which they think fashionable; My pathos certainly would make You laugh too, Had You not long since given over laughing. 38 certainly would edd. 1839; would certainly 1824. 1 Raphael. The sun sounds, according to ancient custom, In the song of emulation of his brother-spheres. And its fore-written circle Fulfils with a step of thunder. Its countenance gives the Angels strength The incredible high works Are excellent as at the first day. Gabriel. And swift, and inconceivably swift With deep dreadful night. The sea foams in broad waves From its deep bottom, up to the rocks, The gentle alternations of Thy day. Chorus. Thy countenance gives the Angels strength, And all Thy lofty works Are excellent as at the first day. 30 35 Such is a literal translation of this astonishing chorus; it is impossible to represent in another language the melody of the versification; even the volatile strength and delicacy of the ideas escape in the crucible of translation, and the reader is surprised to find a caput mortuum.—— [SHELLEY'S NOTE.] Nothing know I to say of suns and worlds; A little better would he live, hadst Thou 40 The Lord. Have you no more to say? Do you come here Always to scold, and cavil, and complain? Seems nothing ever right to you on earth? 45 50 55 Mephistopheles. No, Lord! I find all there, as ever, bad at best. Even I am sorry for man's days of sorrow; Mephistopheles. The Doctor? Mephistopheles. Knowest thou Faust? Ay; My servant Faust. In truth 60 He serves You in a fashion quite his own; That he is half aware of his own folly, And from the earth the highest joy it bears, For he demands from Heaven its fairest star, Yet all things far, and all things near, are vain To calm the deep emotions of his breast. The Lord. Though he now serves Me in a cloud of error, I will soon lead him forth to the clear day. When trees look green, full well the gardener knows 65 70 Mephistopheles. What will You bet ?-now I am sure of win ning Only, observe You give me full permission The Lord. As long As he shall live upon the earth, so long Is nothing unto thee forbidden-Man Must err till he has ceased to struggle. Mephistopheles. And that is all I ask; for willingly Thanks. I never make acquaintance with the dead. 75 80 |