Alas! I now begin to fear that this May be the occasion whence desire grows bola, I know not what I feel! [More calmly. It must be pity [She again becomes troubled. {Calmly. And woe is me! I know not where to find him now, Enter DEMON. Demon. Follow, and I will lead thee where he is. Jus. And who art thou, who hast found entrance hither, Into my chamber through the doors and locks? Art thou a monstrous shadow which my madness Has formed in the idle air? Demon. Is pledged to bear thee unto Cyprian. Jus. So shall thy promise fail. This agony Of passion which afflicts my heart and soul May sweep imagination in its storm, In the imagination of an act. The sin incurred, the pleasure then remains, Jus. I will not be discouraged, nor despair, Demon. But far a mightier wisdom than thine own Exerts itself within thee, with such power Compelling thee to that which it inclines That it shall force thy step; how wilt thou then Jus. By my free-will. Must force thy will. Jus. I It is invincible; It were not free if thou hadst power upon it. [He draws, but cannot move her. It were bought Demon. Come, where a pleasure waits thee. Too dear. Demon. "Twill soothe thy heart to softest peace. 43 Demon. 'Tis joy, 'tis glory. Jus. 'Tis shame, 'tis torment, 'tis despair. Demon. Canst thou defend thyself from that or me, If my power drags thee onward? Consists in God. My defence But how [He vainly endeavours to force her, and at last Demon. Woman, thou hast subdued me First by dishonouring thee, and then by turning Jus. I Appeal to Heaven against thee; so that Heaven Even as flame dies in the envious air, And as the flowret wanes at morning frost, A man go forth from my apartment now ?— I scarce sustain myself! A man here! No, Lady. 'Tis impossible; the doors Which led to this apartment were all locked. [Exit. Liv. [aside]. I daresay it was Moscon whom she saw, For he was locked up in my room. It must Lis. O, would it were So potent was the charm, that had not God Even in the temple of the highest God Which secretly the faithful worship. Liv. Here. Jus. [putting on her cloak]. In this, as in a shroud of snow, may I Quench the consuming fire in which I burn, Wasting away! Lis. And I will go with thee. Liv. When I once see them safe out of the house Jus. Thine is the cause, great God! turn for my sake, SCENES FROM THE FAUST OF GOETHE. 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 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 A flashing desolation there, Flames before the thunder's way; But thy servants, Lord, revere The gentle changes of thy day. CHORUS OF THE THREE. The Angels draw strength from thy glance, Is bright as on creation's day.* Enter MEPHISTOPHELES. Mep. As thou, O Lord, once more art kind enough And ask, How.goes it with you there below?" And as indulgently at other times Thou tookedst not my visits in ill part, Thou seest me here once more among thy household. In the high style which they think fashionable; A little better would he live, hadst thou To live more beastlily than any beast. With reverence to your Lordship be it spoken, * 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 The adornment of earth winds itself round, 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. 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.-Author's Note. He's like one of those long-legged grasshoppers, 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? Mep. No, Lord! I find all there, as ever, bad at best. Even I am sorry for man's days of sorrow; I could myself almost give up the pleasure Of plaguing the poor things. The Lord. Mep. The Doctor? The Lord. Mep. Knowest thou Faust? He serves you in a fashion quite his own; And the fool's meat and drink are not of earth. That he is half aware of his own folly, 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 Mep. What will you bet?-now I am sure of winningOnly, observe you give me full permission To lead him softly on my path. 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. Мер. And that is all I ask; for willingly Thanks. I never make acquaintance with the dead. The full fresh cheeks of youth are food for me, For I am like a cat-I like to play A little with the mouse before I eat it. The Lord. Well, well! it is permitted thee. Draw thou His spirit from its springs; as thou find'st power, Seize him and lead him on thy downward path; And stand ashamed when failure teaches thee That a good man, even in his darkest longings, Is well aware of the right way. Мер. Well and good. I am not in much doubt about my bet, Enjoy your triumph then with a full breast. Ay; dust shall he devour, and that with pleasure, Like my old paramour, the famous Snake. The Lord. Pray come here when it suits you; for I never Had much dislike for people of your sort. And, among all the Spirits who rebelled, The knave was ever the least tedious to me. The active spirit of man soon sleeps, and soon |