Appeal to Heaven against thee; so that Heaven May scatter thy delusions, and the blot Upon my fame vanish in idle thought, Even as flame dies in the envious air, 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 Or can the heated mind engender shapes Lisander! father! lord! Lisander. No, Lady. Justina. I saw him. 'Tis impossible; the doors SCENES FROM THE FAUST OF GOETHE Which led to this apartment were all locked. Livia (aside). I daresay it was Mos- SCENE 1.-PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN con whom she saw, For he was locked up in my room. The LORD and the Host of Heaven. Enter three Archangels. Raphael. THE sun makes music as of old With thunder speed: the Angels even Draw strength from gazing on its glance, Though none its meaning fathom may: The world's unwithered countenance Is bright as at creation's day. Gabriel. And swift and swift, with rapid lightness, The adorned Earth spins silently, Alternating Elysian brightness With deep and dreadful night; the sea Foams in broad billows from the deep Up to the rocks, and rocks and ocean, Onward, with spheres which never sleep, Are hurried in eternal motion. 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, Though no one comprehend thee may; Thy world's unwithered countenance Enter MEPHIstopheles. Mephistopheles. As thou, O Lord, once more art kind enough To interest thyself in our affairsAnd ask, "How goes it with you there below?" And as indulgently at other times 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 The adornment of earth winds itself round, And exchanges Paradise-clearness With deep dreadful night. The sea foams in broad waves From its deep bottom, up to the rocks, My pathos certainly would make you laugh too, Had you not long since given over laughing. Nothing know I to say of suns and worlds; I observe only how men plague themselves ; The little god o' the world keeps the same stamp, As wonderful as on creation's day :A little better would he live, hadst thou Not given him a glimpse of Heaven's Which he calls reason, and employs it light only To live more beastlily than any beast. With reverence to your Lordship be it spoken, He's like one of those long-legged grasshoppers, Who flits and jumps about, and sings for ever The same old song i' the grass. There let him lie, Burying his nose in every heap of dung. The Lord. Have you no more to say? Do you come here And make, raging, a chain Chorus. Thy countenance gives the Angels strength, Though none can comprehend thee: 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. Always to scold, and cavil, and com- The full fresh cheeks of youth are food plain? Seems nothing ever right to you on earth? Mephistopheles. No, Lord! I find all there, as ever, bad at best. Even I am sorry for man's days of sorrow; for me, And if a corpse knocks, I am not at For I am like a cat-I like to play I could myself almost give up the His spirit from its And the fool's meat and drink are not of earth. His aspirations bear him on so far And from the earth the highest joy it 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 That fruits and blooms will deck the coming year. Mephistopheles. What will you bet? -now I am sure of winningOnly, observe you give me full per longings, Is well aware of the right way. active spirit of man soon sleeps, and soon He seeks unbroken quiet; therefore I Have given him the Devil for a companion, Who may provoke him to some sort of work, And must create for ever.-But ye, pure Children of God, enjoy eternal beauty;Let that which ever operates and lives Clasp you within the limits of its love; And seize with sweet and melancholy thoughts The floating phantoms of its loveliness. [Heaven closes; the Archangels excunt. Mephistopheles. From time to time Would favour us with your bright comI visit the old fellow, pany? And I take care to keep on good terms Why should you blaze away there to with him. Civil enough is the same God Almighty, SCENE II.-MAY-DAY NIGHT SCENE. The Hartz Mountain, a desolate Country. FAUST, MEPHISTOPHELES. Mephistopheles. Would you not like a broomstick? As for me I wish I had a good stout ram to ride; For we are still far from the appointed place. Faust. This knotted staff is help Is there in making short a pleasant way? Precipitate themselves in waterfalls, And the hoar pines already feel her Shall she not work also within our limbs ? no purpose? Pray be so good as light us up this way. Ignis-fatuus. With reverence be it spoken, I will try To overcome the lightness of my nature; Our course, you know, is generally zigzag. Mephistopheles. Ha, ha! your worship thinks you have to deal With men. Go straight on, in the Devil's name, Or I shall puff your flickering life out. tain Is all enchanted, and if Jack-a-lantern Shows you his way, though you should miss your own, You ought not to be too exact with him. FAUST, MEPHISTOPHELES, and IGNIS- The limits of the sphere of dream, The bounds of true and false, are past. Mephistopheles. Nothing of such an But see, how swift advance and shift influence do I feel. My body is all wintry, and I wish The flowers upon our path were frost and snow. But see how melancholy rises now, Trees behind trees, row by row,- The blank unwelcome round of the red Through the mossy sods and stones, moon, And gives so bad a light, that every step your permission, I'll call an Ignis-fatuus to our aid: I see one yonder burning jollily. With Stream and streamlet hurry down A rushing throng! A sound of song Beneath the vault of Heaven is blown! Sweet notes of love, the speaking tones Of this bright day, sent down to say That Paradise on Earth is known, Halloo, my friend! may I request that Resound around, beneath, above. you All we hope and all we love Finds a voice in this blithe strain, Which wakens hill and wood and rill, And vibrates far o'er field and vale, And which Echo, like the tale Of old times, repeats again. To-whoo! to-whoo! near, nearer now See, with long legs and belly wide, Curls, to seize or to affright; And, animated, strong, and many, The many-coloured mice, that thread moss; And, in legions intertangled, The fire-flies flit, and swarm, and throng, Till all the mountain depths are spangled. Tell me, shall we go or stay? Shall we onward? Come along! Everything around is swept Forward, onward, far away! Trees and masses intercept The sight, and wisps on every side Are puffed up and multiplied. Mephistopheles. Now vigorously seize my skirt, and gain This pinnacle of isolated crag. One may observe with wonder from this point, How Mammon glows among the moun- Their breath will sweep thee into dust, |