 | Faustus, A Dramatic Mystery ; The Bride of Corinth ; The First Walpurgis Night |  |
Faustus.
In misery—in despair—long wandering in
wretchedness over the wide world; and now taken
up—shut up in the prison as a malefactor—this
gentle, unhappy creature—for horrid tortures.
To this—and has it come to this? Treacherous,
worthless Spirit! and this hast thou been concealing
from me! Stand, there, stand! Ay!
roll the devil eyes furiously round in thy head—
ay! stand and defy me with thy unsupportable
presence. Taken up—in distress irretrievable—
given over to evil spirits—abandoned to—man—
man that passes judgment, and is devoid of feeling;
and all this while you have been lulling and rocking
me and deluding me among loathsome dissipations,
and hiding from me her continually increasing
wretchedness, and have left her to perish without
help!
Mephistopheles.
She is not the first!
Faustus.
Dog! abhorred monster! turn him, oh, thou
infinite Spirit, turn the reptile again into his dog's
before me by night, to roll before the feet of the
unthinking passer-by, and as he fell to fasten on his
shoulders. Turn him again into his darling shape,
that he may crouch upon his belly before me in the
sand, and that I may trample upon him with my
foot—the outcast! Not the first! Misery—misery
—by no human soul is it to be fathomed how more
than one creature should have sunk into the depths
of this distress—that the first should not have suffered
enough in her agonising tortures to secure the
atonement of all the rest before the eyes of the All-merciful!
I feel marrow and life harrowed up by
the misery of this one—only this one! thou art
grinning calmly over the fate of thousands!
Mephistopheles.
At our wits' end we are again, it would seem,
already—just where you mortals find the over-strained
faculties snap. Why seek our society, if
you cannot go through with it? Think of flying, and
yet art not proof against dizziness! Did we force
ourselves upon thee? or thou thyself upon us?
Faustus.
Show not thy thirsty teeth thus defyingly—I
loathe thee. Great, glorious Spirit! thou who didst
heart and soul, why hast thou chained me with
this companion who feeds on mischief, and battens
on destruction?
Mephistopheles.
Are you done?
Faustus.
Save her, or woe to thee! The most horrible
curse on thee for thousands of years.
Mephistopheles.
I cannot loosen the avenger's fetters—I cannot
open his bolts. Save her! Who was it that threw
her into ruin—I or thou?
Art thou grasping for the thunder? Well that
it has not been given to you wretched mortals! To
dash to pieces one who stands in your way, however
innocent—that is just the tyrant's way of
rescuing himself, or, at all events, venting his spite
in every perplexity.
Faustus.
Take me thither—she shall be free!
The danger to which you expose yourself—have
you thought of that? The guilt of blood shed by
your hand still lies on the town. Over the place
where the murder was committed avenging spirits
are hovering and watching for the returning murderer.
Faustus.
That, too, and from thee? Murder and death of
a world upon thee, monster! Take me thither, I
say, and set her at liberty.
Mephistopheles.
I will,—and all I can do I will. What that all is,
listen till I tell you. Have I all power in heaven
and on earth? I will cloud the gaoler's senses. Do
you possess yourself of the keys, and carry her off
with human hand. Meanwhile I watch; the magic
horses are ready, and I take you away. This much
I can do.
Faustus.
Up and away!
| Faustus, A Dramatic Mystery ; The Bride of Corinth ; The First Walpurgis Night | |