Faust: A Tragedy
[_To_ /Margaret/.] A gallant youth!--has been abroad, and seen
The world--a perfect cavalier, I trow.
Margaret.
'Twould make me blush, should he bestow
A single look on one so mean.
Mephistopheles.
You have no cause to be ashamed before
The proudest king that ever sceptre bore.
Martha.
This evening, in the garden then, behind
The house, you'll find warm hearts and welcome kind!
Scene VIII.
_A Street._
Faust.
How now? what news? how speed your labors?
Mephistopheles.
Bravo! 'tis well you are on fire;
Soon shall you have your heart's desire.
This evening you shall meet her at her neighbor's;
A dame 'tis to a nicety made
For the bawd and gipsy trade.
Faust.
'Tis well.
Mephistopheles.
But you must lend a hand, and so must I.
Faust.
One good turn deserves another.
Mephistopheles.
We must appear before a judge together,
And solemnly there testify
That stiff and stark her worthy spouse doth lie,
Beside the shrine of holy Antony.
Faust.
Most wise! we must first make a goodly travel!
Mephistopheles.
_Sancta simplicitas!_ what stuff you drivel!
We may make oath, and not know much about it.
Faust.
If that's your best, your best is bad. I scout it.
Mephistopheles.
O holy man that would outwit the devil!
Is it the first time in your life that you
Have sworn to what you knew could not be true?
Of God, the world, and all that it contains,
Of man, and all that circles in his veins,
Or dwells within the compass of his brains,
Have you not pompous definitions given,
With swelling breast and dogmatizing brow,
As if you were an oracle from heaven?
And yet, if the plain truth you will avow,
You knew as much of all these things, in faith,
As now you know of Master Schwerdtlein's death!
Faust.
Thou art, and wert, a sophist and a liar.
Mephistopheles.
Yes, unless one could mount a little higher.
To-morrow I shall hear you pour
False vows that silly girl before,
Swear to do everything to serve her,
And love her with a quenchless fervor.
Faust.
And from my heart too.
Mephistopheles.
Oh! of course, of course!
Then will you speak, till you are hoarse,
Of love, and constancy, and truth,
And feelings of eternal youth--
Will that too be the simple sooth?
Faust.
It will! it will!--for, when I feel,
And for the feeling, the confusion
Of feelings, that absorbs my mind,
Seek for names, and none can find,
Sweep through the universe's girth
For every highest word to give it birth;
And then this soul-pervading flame,
Infinite, endless, endless name,
Call you this nought but devilish delusion?
Mephistopheles.
Still I am right!
Faust.
Hold! mark me, you
Are right indeed! for this is true,
Who _will_ be right, and only has a tongue,
Is never wrong.
Come, I confess thee master in debating,
That I may be delivered from thy prating.
/end of act third/.
ACT IV.
Scene I.
/Martha's/ _Garden._
/Margaret/ _on_ /Faust's/ _arm;_ /Martha/ _with_ /Mephistopheles/,
_walking up and down._
Margaret.
I feel it well, 'tis from pure condescension
You pay to one like me so much attention.
With travellers 'tis a thing of course,
To be contented with the best they find;
For sure a man of cultivated mind
Can have small pleasure in my poor discourse.
Faust.
One look from thee, one word, delights me more
Than all the world's high-vaunted lore.
[_He kisses her hand._
Margaret.
O trouble not yourself! how could you kiss it so?
It is so coarse, so rough! for I must go
Through all the work above stairs and below,
Mother will have it so.
[_They pass on._
Martha.
And you, sir, will it still
Be your delight from place to place to roam?
Mephistopheles.
In this our duty guides us, not our will.
With what sad hearts from many a place we go,
Where we had almost learned to be at home!
Martha.
When one is young it seems a harmless gambol,
Thus round and round through the wide world to ramble:
But soon the evil day comes on,
And as a stiff old bachelor to die
Has never yet done good to any one.
Mephistopheles.
I see ahead, and fear such wretched fate.
Martha.
Then, sir, take warning ere it be too late!
[_They pass on._
Margaret.
Yes, out of sight, and out of mind!
You see me now, and are so kind:
But you have friends at home of station high,
With far more wit and far more sense than I.
Faust.
Their sense, dear girl, is often nothing more
Than vain conceit of vain short-sighted lore.
Margaret.
How mean you that?
Faust.
Oh that the innocent heart
And sweet simplicity, unspoiled by art,
So seldom knows its own rare quality!
That fair humility, the comeliest grace
Which bounteous Nature sheds on blooming face--
Margaret.
Do thou bestow a moment's thought on me,
I shall have time enough to think of thee.
Faust.
You are then much alone?
Margaret.
Our household is but small, I own,
And yet must be attended to.
We keep no maid; I have the whole to do,
Must wash and brush, and sew and knit,
And cook, and early run and late;
And then my mother is, in every whit,
So accurate!
Not that she needs to pinch her household; we
Might do much more than many others do:
My father left a goodly sum, quite free
From debt, with a neat house and garden too,
Close by the town, just as you pass the gate;
But we have lived retired enough of late.
My brother is a soldier: he
Is at the wars: my little sister's dead:
Poor thing! it caused me many an hour of pain
To see it pine, and droop its little head,
But gladly would I suffer all again,
So much I loved the child!
Faust.
An angel, if like thee!
Margaret.
I nursed it, and it loved me heartily.
My father died before it saw the light,
My mother was despaired of quite,
So miserably weak she lay.
Yet she recovered slowly, day by day;
And as she had not strength herself
To suckle the poor helpless elf,
She gave't in charge to me, and I
With milk and water nursed it carefully.
Thus in my arm, and on my lap, it grew,
And smiled and crowed, and flung its legs about,
And called me mother too.
Faust.
To thy pure heart the purest joy, no doubt.
Margaret.
Ay! but full many an hour
Heavy with sorrow, and with labor sour.
The infant's cradle stood beside
My bed, and when it stirred or cried,
I must awake;
Sometimes to give it drink, sometimes to take
It with me to my bed, and fondle it:
And when all this its fretting might not stay,
I rose, and danced about, and dandled it;
And after that I must away
To wash the clothes by break of day.
I make the markets too, and keep house for my mother,
One weary day just like another;
Thus drudging on, the day might lack delights,
But food went lightly down, and sleep was sweet o' nights.
[_They pass on._
Martha.
A woman's case is not much to be vaunted;
A hardened bachelor is hard to mend.
Mephistopheles.
A few apostles such as you were wanted,
From evil ways their vagrant steps to bend.
Martha.
Speak plainly, sir, have you found nothing yet?
Are you quite disentangled from the net?
Mephistopheles.
A house and hearth, we have been often told,
With a good wife, is worth its weight in gold.
Martha.
I mean, sir, have you never felt the want?
Mephistopheles.
A good reception I have always found.
Martha.
I mean to say, did your heart never pant?
Mephistopheles.
For ladies my respect is too profound
To jest on such a serious theme as this.
Martha.
My meaning still you strangely miss!
Mephistopheles.
Alas, that I should be so blind!
One thing I plainly see, that you are very kind!
[_They pass on._
Faust.
You knew me, then, you little angel! straight,
When you beheld me at the garden-gate?
Margaret.
Marked you it not?--You saw my downward look.
Faust.
And you forgive the liberty I took,
When from the minster you came out that day,
And I, with forward boldness more than meet,
Then ventured to address you on the street?
Margaret.
I was surprised, I knew not what to say;
No one could speak an evil word of me.
Did he, perchance, in my comportment see
Aught careless or improper on that day,
That he should take me for a worthless girl,
Whom round his little finger he might twirl?
Not yet the favorable thoughts I knew,
That even then were rising _here_ for you;
One thing I know, myself I sharply chid,
That I could treat you then no harshlier than I did.
Faust.
Sweet love!
Margaret.
Let go!
[_She plucks a star-flower, and pulls the petals off one after
another._
Faust.
What's that? a nosegay? let me see!
Margaret.
'Tis but a game.
Faust.
How so?
Margaret.
Go! you would laugh at me.
[_She continues pulling the petals, and murmuring to herself._
Faust.
What are you murmuring now, so sweetly low?
Margaret. [_half loud_]
He loves me, yes!--he loves me, no!
Faust.
Thou sweet angelic face!
Margaret. [_murmuring as before_]
He loves me, yes!--he loves me, no!
[_Pulling out the last petal with manifest delight._]
He loves me, yes!
Faust.
Yes, child! the fair flower-star hath answered /Yes/!
In this the judgment of the gods approves thee;
He loves thee! know'st thou what it means?--He loves thee!
[_He seizes her by both hands._
Margaret.
I scarce can speak for joy!
Faust.
Fear thee not, love! But let this look proclaim,
This pressure of my hand declare
What words can never name:
To yield us to an ecstacy of joy,
And feel this tranceful bliss must be
Eternal! yes! its end would be despair!
It hath no end! no end for thee and me!
[/Margaret/ _presses his hands, makes herself free, and runs away.
He stands still for a moment thoughtfully, then follows her._
Martha. [_coming up_]
'Tis getting late.
Mephistopheles.
Yes, and we must away.
Martha.
I fain would have you stay;
But 'tis an evil neighborhood,
Where idle gossips find their only good,
Their pleasure and their business too,
In spying out all that their neighbors do.
And thus, the whole town in a moment knows
The veriest trifle. But where is our young pair?
Mephistopheles.
Like wanton birds of summer, through the air
I saw them dart away.
Martha.
He seems well pleased with her.
Mephistopheles.
And she with him. 'Tis thus the world goes.
Scene II.
_A Summer-house in the Garden._
[/Margaret/ _comes springing in, and hides herself behind the door.
She places the point of her finger on her lips, and looks through a
rent._
Margaret.
He comes!
Faust. [_coming up_]
Ha! ha! thou cunning soul, and thou
Would'st trick me thus; but I have caught thee now!
[_He kisses her._
Margaret. [_clasping him and returning the kiss_]
Thou best of men, with my whole heart I love thee!
[/Mephistopheles/ _heard knocking._
Faust. [_stamping_]
Who's there?
Mephistopheles.
A friend!
Faust.
A beast!
Mephistopheles.