 | Faustus : The Second Part |  |
A Pleasing Landscape.
Faustus, lying on a flowery grass-plot, weary, restless, striving to sleep. Twilight—Spirits flit, hovering about—beautiful little forms.
Ariel.
(Song, accompanied by Æolian harps.)
(Addresses the Fairies.)
Chorus of Fairies;
at first singly; then two, and more, alternately and together.
[An exceedingly loud noise announces sunrise.
Ariel.
[Fairies disappear.
Faustus
(alone).
Faustus, lying on a flowery grass-plot, weary, restless, striving to sleep. Twilight—Spirits flit, hovering about—beautiful little forms.
Ariel.
(Song, accompanied by Æolian harps.)
In the spring, soft showers of blossoms
Sink down over all the earth;
And the green fields—a wide blessing—
Smile for all of mortal birth.
And the generous little Fairies
Haste to help whom help they may.
Is he good? or is he evil?
What know they? or what care they?
He is man—he is unhappy;
And they help whom help they may.
Sink down over all the earth;
And the green fields—a wide blessing—
Smile for all of mortal birth.
And the generous little Fairies
Haste to help whom help they may.
Is he good? or is he evil?
What know they? or what care they?
He is man—he is unhappy;
And they help whom help they may.
2
Ye, round this head who sweep in airy rings,
Here, generous, gentle spirits, noble Elves,
In your true nature manifest yourselves.
Make soft the heart—assuage its savage strife;
Chase back remorse—repel his burning stings;
Cleanse from the thoughts foul bygone wreck of life.
Four are the pauses of the lingering night—
To speed and charm them be it your delight.
First in cool pillows let his head sink deep;
Then bathe him in the dew of Lethe's stream,
Soon, his cramped limbs relaxing them, sweet sleep
Comes strengthening him to meet the morning's beam.
Here, generous, gentle spirits, noble Elves,
In your true nature manifest yourselves.
Make soft the heart—assuage its savage strife;
Chase back remorse—repel his burning stings;
Cleanse from the thoughts foul bygone wreck of life.
Four are the pauses of the lingering night—
To speed and charm them be it your delight.
First in cool pillows let his head sink deep;
Then bathe him in the dew of Lethe's stream,
Soon, his cramped limbs relaxing them, sweet sleep
Comes strengthening him to meet the morning's beam.
Then, brightest proof of fairy might,
And, kindest boon of fairy wight,
Give him back to holy light!
And, kindest boon of fairy wight,
Give him back to holy light!
Chorus of Fairies;
at first singly; then two, and more, alternately and together.
When the twilight mists of evening
Darken the encircling green,
Breezes come with balmy fragrance—
Clouds sink down with dusky screen;
And the heart—sweet whispers soothe it
Rocked to infant-like repose;
And the eyes of the o'er-wearied
Feel the gates of daylight close.
Darken the encircling green,
Breezes come with balmy fragrance—
Clouds sink down with dusky screen;
And the heart—sweet whispers soothe it
Rocked to infant-like repose;
And the eyes of the o'er-wearied
Feel the gates of daylight close.
3
Night hath now sunk down—and rising
Star comes close on holy star;
Sovereign splendours—tiny twinklers—
Sparkle near and shine from far:
Sparkle from the glassy waters—
Shine high up in the clear night;
While, of peace the seal and symbol,
Reigns the full moon's queenly light.
Star comes close on holy star;
Sovereign splendours—tiny twinklers—
Sparkle near and shine from far:
Sparkle from the glassy waters—
Shine high up in the clear night;
While, of peace the seal and symbol,
Reigns the full moon's queenly light.
On have flown the hours—and sorrows
Vanish; nor can joy abide.
Feel through sleep the sense of healing!
In the purpling dawn confide!
Green vales brightening—hills out-swelling;
Flowering copses—budding tree—
In the young corn's silver wavelets
Bends the harvest soon to be.
Vanish; nor can joy abide.
Feel through sleep the sense of healing!
In the purpling dawn confide!
Green vales brightening—hills out-swelling;
Flowering copses—budding tree—
In the young corn's silver wavelets
Bends the harvest soon to be.
Wake to Hope, and Hope's fulfilment;
In the sunrise see the day!
Thin the filmy bands that fold thee:
Fling the husk of sleep away!
Dare—determine—act. The many
Waver. Be not thou as these.
All things are the noble spirit's
Clear to see, and quick to seize.
In the sunrise see the day!
Thin the filmy bands that fold thee:
Fling the husk of sleep away!
Dare—determine—act. The many
Waver. Be not thou as these.
All things are the noble spirit's
Clear to see, and quick to seize.
[An exceedingly loud noise announces sunrise.
4
Hearken! hark! the storm of sunrise—
Sounding but to Spirits' ears—
As the Hours fling wide the portals
Of the East, and Day appears.
How the rock-gates, as the chariot
Of the sun bursts through, rebound!
Roll of drum, and wrath of trumpet,
Crashing, clashing, flashing round;
Unimaginable splendour—
Unimaginable sound!
Light is come; and in the tumult,
Sight is deadened—Hearing drowned.
Sounding but to Spirits' ears—
As the Hours fling wide the portals
Of the East, and Day appears.
How the rock-gates, as the chariot
Of the sun bursts through, rebound!
Roll of drum, and wrath of trumpet,
Crashing, clashing, flashing round;
Unimaginable splendour—
Unimaginable sound!
Light is come; and in the tumult,
Sight is deadened—Hearing drowned.
In the bells of flowerets hide,
Or beneath the green leaves glide;
Deeper, deeper in the rock,
Shrink ye from the deafening shock!
Or beneath the green leaves glide;
Deeper, deeper in the rock,
Shrink ye from the deafening shock!
[Fairies disappear.
Faustus
(alone).
Life's pulses reawakening leap anew,
The gentle twilight of the dawn to greet;
And thou, oh Earth!—for nature still is true—
Didst, this night, of the common boon partake;
And, breathing in fresh vigour at my feet,
Already, with thy charms of new delight,
Dost in my heart the earnest wish awake
To strive towards Being's unascended height.
Half seen, half hid, in twilight gleams the world;
The dawning woodland rings with ceaseless sound,—
Life's thousand voices: rapture infinite;
And, to and fro the valley, mist-wreaths curled
Gush in loose streaks;—yet downward pierces deep
Heaven's brightness. From the vaporous gulf profound
Start boughs and branches, disenthralled from sleep;
And sparks of colour leap up from the ground
In trembling flower and leaflet dew-impearled.
The gentle twilight of the dawn to greet;
And thou, oh Earth!—for nature still is true—
Didst, this night, of the common boon partake;
And, breathing in fresh vigour at my feet,
Already, with thy charms of new delight,
5
To strive towards Being's unascended height.
Half seen, half hid, in twilight gleams the world;
The dawning woodland rings with ceaseless sound,—
Life's thousand voices: rapture infinite;
And, to and fro the valley, mist-wreaths curled
Gush in loose streaks;—yet downward pierces deep
Heaven's brightness. From the vaporous gulf profound
Start boughs and branches, disenthralled from sleep;
And sparks of colour leap up from the ground
In trembling flower and leaflet dew-impearled.
A paradise is everywhere around.
Look up! O'th'mountains, how each giant height
Reveals the unrisen sun with solemn glow:
They are the first to enjoy the eternal light
That later will to us its way have found.
Now, on the green-sunk Alpine meadows low
The dawn-streaks a distincter radiance shed;
And, downward speeding still in gradual flow,
The wide illumination here is spread.
Forth comes the sun—insufferably bright.
I shrink with wounded eyes—I cower as from a blow!
Reveals the unrisen sun with solemn glow:
They are the first to enjoy the eternal light
That later will to us its way have found.
Now, on the green-sunk Alpine meadows low
The dawn-streaks a distincter radiance shed;
And, downward speeding still in gradual flow,
The wide illumination here is spread.
Forth comes the sun—insufferably bright.
I shrink with wounded eyes—I cower as from a blow!
Thus, too, it is, when yearning Hope hath striven
Trustfully toward the Highest, and at last
Finds open flung Fulfilment's portal wings;
But then o'er-powering burst—we stand aghast—
Flames rushing from those deep eternal springs:
Life's torch we would have lit with light from heaven,
A fire-sea whirls about us—and what fire!
Is't Love? is't Hate? that glowing round us clings—
With pain and joy, and passion and desire—
So that again we would our eyes depress
To earth; again would hide us in the veil
Of childhood—unforeseeing, passionless.
Trustfully toward the Highest, and at last
6
But then o'er-powering burst—we stand aghast—
Flames rushing from those deep eternal springs:
Life's torch we would have lit with light from heaven,
A fire-sea whirls about us—and what fire!
Is't Love? is't Hate? that glowing round us clings—
With pain and joy, and passion and desire—
So that again we would our eyes depress
To earth; again would hide us in the veil
Of childhood—unforeseeing, passionless.
Behind me, then, let burn the sun's fierce blaze!
Where roars the Cataract thro' the rent rock
I gaze—delight increasing as I gaze;
From fall to fall, in thousand thousand streams,
He leaps—down plunges he with thunder-shock—
Whirls, rushes, raves—mad foam on foam uptost;
But, see! where springs—glad bud of this wild storm—
A tranquil presence thro' the storm that gleams,
The heaven-illumined Rainbow's glorious form;
Distinctly now limned out, and now it seems
To flow away, in airy atoms lost,
Spreading around a cool and fragrant shower.
Man's strivings, are they not the torrent's strife?
Think, and yet more you feel the emblem's power:
The colour, the reflected light, is Life.
I gaze—delight increasing as I gaze;
From fall to fall, in thousand thousand streams,
He leaps—down plunges he with thunder-shock—
Whirls, rushes, raves—mad foam on foam uptost;
But, see! where springs—glad bud of this wild storm—
A tranquil presence thro' the storm that gleams,
The heaven-illumined Rainbow's glorious form;
Distinctly now limned out, and now it seems
To flow away, in airy atoms lost,
Spreading around a cool and fragrant shower.
Man's strivings, are they not the torrent's strife?
Think, and yet more you feel the emblem's power:
The colour, the reflected light, is Life.
| Faustus : The Second Part | |