 | Faustus |  |
20
SCENE V.
Exterior of the Count di Casanova's Mansion.Enter Faustus, Mephistophiles, and Two Serenaders.
Meph.
This is your turtle's nest.
Faus.
My sweet Rosolia!
Meph.
Sweet Adine!
Faus.
How dar'st thou name that name?
Meph.
I do but sing a good old song of yours.
Faus.
Speak it again, we separate that instant.
Meph.
That were a pity. But now for the lady.
Faus.
I'll have her love, and you must find the means.
Meph.
Nothing more easy; our friends here shall chaunt
An am'rous stave or two; she opes the casement;
You send a score of lies up to her beauty.
Compare her to the sun, the moon, the stars;
Sigh, laugh, kneel, rage, protest, deny,
Swear you will shoot, or drown, or hang yourself—
You need not do it though, 'twould spoil the farce—
And so the thing is done.
Faus.
Why, thou dull fiend,
Can all thy subtlety advise no better?
Meph.
What would you have?
Faus.
Rosolia!
Meph.
And shall,
Give me but time enough.
Faus.
With time myself
Would win her, and not need the devil's help.
But no; fill her young heart with instant love;
Let me be as Apollo in her eyes,
My voice as musical—my form as fair;
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The everlasting shadow of her dreams;
My presence be her joy, her light, her life;
And in my absence let her love and weep,
As flowers weep, and droop their golden heads,
When the bright sun has left them.
Meph.
Here's a strain!
For his sake, friend, who shall be nameless, pray you,
No more of it. Come, gentlemen, your tools,
Your hurdy-gurdies, quick; and dole me out
An invocation to the lady's beauty;
No matter for the sense; the rhyme—the rhyme
Shall bear you out.
SERENADE.
The world is gay, the moon is bright,
But oh, there are sweeter hours in night,
Believe me, love; believe me!
When the light falls down in pearly showers,
And trembles o'er rills and the sleeping flowers,
And softly—so softly steal the hours,
Night like a dream would leave thee.
But oh, there are sweeter hours in night,
Believe me, love; believe me!
When the light falls down in pearly showers,
And trembles o'er rills and the sleeping flowers,
And softly—so softly steal the hours,
Night like a dream would leave thee.
Sweet, then, on the moonlit bank to lie,
For love then burns in the heart and eye,
With no day-cares to grieve thee;
Sweet, then, to murmur the words of bliss,
While lip meets lip in a breathless kiss;
Earth may have joys, but heaven's in this;
Believe me, love; believe me.
For love then burns in the heart and eye,
With no day-cares to grieve thee;
Sweet, then, to murmur the words of bliss,
While lip meets lip in a breathless kiss;
Earth may have joys, but heaven's in this;
Believe me, love; believe me.
Enrico enters.
En.
Villains! have I found you?
Meph.
Why, are we villains, Faustus?
En.
Faustus? oh!
I thank thee, heaven. Now, then, draw or die!
Meph.
You'll find us ready; we can win the wife,
And after cut the cuckold-husband's throat.
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Faus.
Stand by;
This quarrel's mine!
Enrico and Faustus fight. The Serenaders run off.
Meph.
A noble thrust in carte!
Parry—Seconde! an excellent reverse—
Riposte! a shrewd lunge, faith! Sa, sa, sa, sa!
Carte over arm—now tierce—and now, my boy,
Hai!—you have it! (Enrico falls)
Bravo, my noble Faustus!
Faus.
I ne'er shed blood till now.
Meph.
'Twas high time, then!
Your duel is as absolutely needed
To the condition of a perfect gentleman,
As paint and patches to a dame of fashion.
Rosolia appears in the balcony.
Ros.
Good heavens! Adine! Adine! There's some one murder'd.
Call up my father.
Mont.
(without)
This way, this way, friends.
Meph.
Holla! my Faustus! time for us to fly.
Faus.
I ne'er shed blood till now.
Meph.
A peccadillo.
Now you're a gentleman, you'll soon grow used
To trifles of this sort.
Faus.
Would I lay there
Instead of him.
Meph.
Why that might do as well;
But come, away, away. No time for morals.
[Mephistophiles drags off Faustus. Montolio, Antonio, and people rush in from all sides.
Mon.
How is it with you, man?
En.
The blow was hard
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Adine.
Who is he—who?
Mon.
The son of her who bore thee!
Adine.
My brother!
Ros.
Enrico!
En.
This is death!
Why do you stand there with your idle howling?
Come here, my sister, for you're still my sister.
Nay, nearer, nearer. I've no breath to spare.
Is't true? are you—that which I would not name?
What does she say? Stand from me, my good people.
Adine.
Oh, heavens!
En.
I understand—the tale is true!
Then welcome death! Montolio, my good friend,
Bid the young falsehood spare her treach'rous tears.
And, Rosolia—keep you from her side;
She'll make you like herself. I warn you, sweet,
As one, who, dying, loves you.
Ros.
Alas, he's dying!
Adine.
Oh, not dying!
En.
Hear the false whore. What should I do but die!
I have not shoulders strong enough to bear
A sister's infamy! Ah, Adine!
[Enrico faints away. The rest group round him.
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