University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

A Prison.
Faust, with a bundle of keys in his hand and a lamp, before an iron-door.
FAUST.
Strange shuddering dread comes o'er me—seizes me
All the collected wretchedness of time.
Here dwells she now behind this wintry wall,
And sweet delusion was her only crime!
Fear'st thou to go to her?
Tremblest to meet her eye?
Quick! thy delay but hastens her death on.

(He seizes the lock. Singing heard from within.)

My mother, the whore
That did me slay!
My father, the knave
That ate me up!
My sister dear
In the cool green shade
My bones she laid.
Then was I a glad little bird of the wood;
Fly away! fly away!

FAUST.
(opening the door.)
She dreams not that her lov'd one is so near,
The clinking chains and rustling straw to hear.

MARGARET.
(hiding herself on the bed.)
Woe, woe! they come.—To bitter death they call.

FAUST.
(softly.)
Hush! hush! I come to free thee from them all.

MARGARET.
(throwing herself at his feet.)
Art thou a man, feel for my hapless plight.

FAUST.
Thy cries will wake the watchers of the night!

(he takes hold of the chains to unloose them.)
MARGARET.
(on her knees.)
Who gave thee, hangman, such a power
To drag me from my cell at midnight hour?
Have pity on me, use me not so rough!—
Surely to-morrow morn is soon enough.
(she stands up.)
So young, so very young, am I,
And must already die!
Once was I lovely too—'twas this that caus'd my fall.
Near was the friend, now he is far away;
Torn lies the wreath, the flowers are scattered all,
O tear me not so forcibly away!
Spare me! what have I done to injure thee?
O hear my prayer! for once compassion shew!—
'Tis the first time I ever look'd on thee.

FAUST.
That I should live to see such depth of woe!

MARGARET.
Thou hast me now completely in thy might.
Only first give me time to suckle my sweet child.
I hugg'd it the whole weary night;
They took't from me to give me pain,
And now they say that it was kill'd
By me.—And never shall I smile again.
They sing songs on me, too!—'tis an ill-natur'd thing!
Such is the ending of a well-known song,
Who told them that its words to me belong?

FAUST.
(throwing himself down.)
Here, at thy feet, see one who loves thee cling,
Deliverance from these bonds of woe to bring!

MARGARET.
(falling beside him on her knees.)
Yes! let us kneel to call upon the Saints!
Beneath these steps,
I hear it well!
Beneath the threshold,
Boileth hell!
The evil One
His fury vents,
With fearful noise!

FAUST.
(loud.)
Margaret! Margaret!

MARGARET.
(attentive.)
That was the lov'd one's voice!
(she springs up, the chains fall away.)
Where is he? where? I heard him call on me,
Now I am free! and none shall hinder me!
To his neck will I fly!
On his bosom lie!
He called me Margaret! at the door he stood.
Through the wild howling and clattering of hell,
Through the loud-laughing scorn of the fiendish brood,
Came the sweet voice of love that I know so well.

FAUST.
'Tis I!

MARGARET.
'Tis thou! O say it yet again!
(clasping him.)
'Tis he! 'tis he! Where now is all my pain?
Where all my prison's woe? my fetters where?
'Tis he! he comes my freedom to prepare!
Now am I free!
Already the well-known street I see,
Where the first time I spoke to thee,
And the cheerful garden, where
Martha and I did wait on thee.

FAUST.
(striving forward.)
Come, come!

MARGARET.
O stay, stay!
Thou know'st how pleased I stay where thou dost stay.

(caressing him.)
FAUST.
Away, away!
Unless we haste,
Dear shall we pay for these few moments' waste.

MARGARET.
How! giv'st thou me no kiss?
My friend, so very short a space away,
And hast forgot to kiss?
Why feel I now so straiten'd round thy neck?
Whereas of old thy words, thy glances, spoke
A very heaven, and thou didst kisses take
So many, as if thou wouldst make me choke.
Kiss me!
Else kiss I thee!
(she embraces him.)
—O woe! thy lips are cold,
Are dumb.
Where is the love thou hadst for me of old?
Who was it, Henry, robb'd me of thy love?

(She turns away from him.)
FAUST.
Come with me, sweet love, come!
I'll hug thee ten times closer than before,
Only come with me now! Come, I emplore!

MARGARET.
(turning to him.)
Art thou then he? Art thou then truly he?

FAUST.
'Tis I, in truth. Come, love, and follow me.

MARGARET.
And these vile chains thou breakest,
And me again unto thy bosom takest?
How comes it that thou dost not spurn me from thee?
Know'st thou then, Henry, whom thou com'st to free?

FAUST.
Come, come! the deep hour of the night doth flee.

MARGARET.
My mother made I sleep a sleep profound!
My little child I drown'd!
Was it not heaven's boon to me and thee?
Thee, too!—'tis thou! I scarce may credit it:
Give me thy hand. It is no dream.
Thy dear, dear hand!—Alas! but it is wet!
Wipe it away, for it doth seem
As were there blood on it.
O God! what hast thou done?
Put up thy sword;
I pray thee put it up.

FAUST.
Let what is gone for evermore be gone.
Thou stabbest me with daggers, every word.

MARGARET.
No, thou shalt survive our sorrow!
I will describe the graves to thee,
Where thou shalt bury them and me
To-morrow.
The best place thou shalt give my mother,
Close beside her lay my brother;
Me a little to the side,
But at distance not too wide!
And my child at my right breast.—
These only share our place of rest.
Me on thy loving side to press,
That was a heaven of blessedness!
But now, I cannot do it more;
I feel as if to thee I must compel me,
And thou didst coldly back repel me;
And yet 'tis thou!—as good, as loving as before.

FAUST.
Feel'st thou that 'tis I, then come!

MARGARET.
Out there?

FAUST.
Into the open air.

MARGARET.
If the grave be there,
And death there lurks, then come!
Hence to my eternal home,
Not a step more.—
Thou leav'st me now?—would I might go with thee?

FAUST.
Thou canst, if thou but wilt. I have unbarr'd the door.

MARGARET.
I may not go; no hope remains for me.
They watch me close—'tis all in vain to flee.
It is so sad to beg from door to door,
And with an evil conscience to boot.
A homeless earth to wander o'er;
And they are sure at last to find me out.

FAUST.
I will protect thee.

MARGARET.
Quick! Quick!
Save thy poor child!
Away, away!
Keep the path
Up the stream,
Across the bridge,
To the left hand,
Where the plank stands,
In the pond.
Seize it, quick!
It rises up,
It kicks! it lives!
O save it, save it!

FAUST.
Only bethink thee!
One step more, and thou art free.

MARGARET.
Would we were past that mountain gray!
There sits my mother on a stone—
I feel a hand that pulls me back
As cold as clay!
There sits my mother on a stone,
Her head wags heavily;
She winks not, she nods not, her head she may not raise.
She slept so long, she never more may wake.
She slept that we might our enjoyment take.
O these were happy days!

FAUST.
Here words and prayers will only make things worse;
Wilt thou not come, then bring I thee by force.

MARGARET.
Let me alone! lay no rough hands on me!
Nor with such murderous clutches seize me!
Thou know'st I have done every thing to please thee.

FAUST.
The day is gray! Come, sweet love, follow me!

MARGARET.
Day! yes, it is day! the judgment-day breaks in!
My marriage-day it should have been!
Let no one know thou wert before with Margaret.
Woe to my wreath!
'Tis done! 'tis done!
We will meet again;
But not at the dance.
The multitude in silent crowds are thronging,
The squares, the streets,
Cannot contain them all.
The bell doth call,
The staff doth break,
They bind me with cords, and drag me away,
And on the bloody scaffold me lay.
And every trembling eye doth quake
At the blade that is brandish'd o'er my neck.
Mute lies the world as the grave!

FAUST.
O that I ne'er were born!

MEPHISTOPHELES.
(appearing from without.)
Up! or we are undone.
Profitless whining, whimpering, and prating!
Meanwhile my frozen steeds are waiting,
Snuffing the scent of the morning sun.

MARGARET.
What see I rising from the floor?
'Tis he! 'Tis he! O Henry send him hence.
What seeks he on this place of penitence?
He comes for me!

FAUST.
No! thou shalt live.

MARGARET.
Judgment of God! to thee my soul I give.

MEPHISTOPHELES.
(to FAUST.)
Come, come! else will I leave you in the lurch.

MARGARET.
Thine am I, Father! Father, save thou me!
Ye angels! ye most holy spirits! now
Encamp around me! and protect me now!
Henry! I tremble when I think on thee.

MEPHISTOPHELES.
She is judged!

VOICE.
(from above)
Is saved!

MEPHISTOPHELES.
(to FAUST.)
Hither to me!

VOICE.
(from within, dying away.)
Henry! Henry!