B00ARI2G5C EBOK (21 page)

What fools they are in such a case, these men!

No doubt he thinks he is the first one there.

A KNIGHT
. Come, let’s not carp. What majesty, what grace!

A LADY
. The common slut! Just look! It’s a disgrace!

A PAGE
. What would I give now to be in his place!

A COURTIER
. The man she can’t ensnare’s not yet been born.

A LADY
. The pretty jewel’s been so often worn,

Even the gilding’s getting less like gold.

ANOTHER
. She started it at only ten years old.
*

6530

A KNIGHT
. We must be opportunists; I’d not say

No to the good things others throw away.

A SCHOLAR
. I see her plain, but I must say I feel

A little doubtful whether she is real.

To say she’s here could be exaggeration;

The text is what I go by, the narration

In which I read that all Troy’s greybeards fell

Head over heels in love with her as well.

This proves the point, I think; for I’m not active

And young, and yet I find her most attractive.

6540

THE ASTROLOGER. NOW
he’s a boy no more! A hero’s arms

Boldly embrace her scarce-resisting charms;

With sudden strength he lifts her—seems to bear

Her off, indeed—

FAUST
. Rash fool! How does he dare?

Stop! Can’t you hear me? I must intervene!

MEPHISTOPHELES
. But it’s all in your mind, the mad spooky scene!

THE ASTROLOGER
. After all this, I’ve one more thing to say:

The Rape of Helen’s
what I’d call the play.

FAUST
. Rape! Do I count for nothing here? My hand

Still holds this key, this key that was my guide

6550

Through all the solitudes, through ocean-wide

Chaos, and brought me back again to land!

Here I set foot, here are realities,

From here the spirit wars with spirits, here is

The joining of the two great sovereignties.

Far as she was, how nearer can she be!

I’ll rescue her, and she’ll belong to me

Twice over! Mothers, Mothers, grant this boon!

Who that has known her lets her go so soon!

THE ASTROLOGER
. Faust! Faust! What are you doing?— By main force

6560

He has seized her, and her shape grows dim, of course.

He turns his key against the young man—No!—

It touches him!—We’re done for now! Oh! Oh!

[
There is an explosion
, FAUST
is struck to the ground. The spirits dissolve into mist
.]

MEPHISTOPHELES
[hoisting
FAUST
on his back]
. So there, you see! Take up with fools, and you’ll

Regret it; even the Devil learns that rule.

[
Darkness, general
tumult.]

[
Formerly
FAUST’S
study, unchanged
.
MEPHISTOP HELES
steps from behind a curtain. As he lifis it and looks hack, we see
FAUST
lying prostrate on a bed of antiquated design
.]

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Lie here, poor wretch! Ensnared again!

Who’ll free you now, misguided lover?

When Helen paralyses men,

They don’t so readily recover.

[
Looking about him
.]

I raise my eyes, I look around;

6570

It’s as it was, not changed a bit!

The stained glass seems a trifle browned,

And the room has more cobwebs covering it;

The ink’s congealed, the paper’s yellow,

But all’s in place—even the pen is duly

Displayed that Faust once used, poor fellow,

To sign his bargain with yours truly;

And here, dried up inside the quill,

That drop of blood I invited him to spill!

A valuable collector’s piece;

6580

Unique, in fact. And, if you please,

Here’s his old gown still on its hook,

To remind me of the pains I took

Teasing a student with my learned jokes—

He’ll have grown up still feeding on that hoax.

Well, you warm, furry cloak! I’d really quite

Like to wrap up in you and play

The tutor once again today.

That splendid sense of being always right!

It’s a fine art that scholars know;

6590

The Devil lost it long ago.

[
He takes down the fur-trimmed gown and shakes it; crickets, beetles, and moths fly out
.]

CHORUS OF INSECTS
. Our old master has come!

Let us hover and hum!

What a pleasure to meet you!

We know you, we greet you!

You planted us quietly,

A few here and there;

Now we swarm for our daddy

And dance in the air!

A man’s wicked thoughts,

6600

In his heart they will bide;

But the bugs in his cloak

Are less easy to hide.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. What an agreeable surprise! My youthful brood!

One harvests in due course the seeds one sowed.

I’ll give another shake to this old clout—

Now a few more of them come jumping out.

Fly up, fly round, my dears! Cover your traces!

Here you’ve a hundred thousand hiding-places.

Here’s yellowing paperwork enough,

6610

Old dusty files where you can stuff

Yourselves, old broken pots; and there,

Those death’s-heads with their hollow stare.

Where one’s all mouldering, only half alive,

Bugs in the brain will always thrive.

[
He puts on the gown
.]

Come, robe, cover my shoulders as before!

Today I am the boss once more.

But though I claim such a position,

What good is it without some recognition?

[
He pulls the bell,
*
which rings with a high-pitched, piercing clangour, making the halls tremble and the doors spring open
.]

A FAMULUS
[
tottering down the long dark passage]
.

What a clang that bell is making!

6620

Staircase shaking, walls all quaking!

Through the trembling windows’ glimmer

I can see the lightning shimmer.

Splitting ceilings, cracking floors,

Plaster, rubble, down it pours!

And the door I locked so fast,

Opened by this magic blast.—

There! In Faust’s old pelt, horrendous,

Stands a giant; heaven defend us!

How he beckons, how he eyes me,

6630

How his presence terrifies me!

Shall I stay or shall I flee?

What is to become of me?

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
beckoning]
.

Draw near, my friend!—Your name is Nicodemus.

THE FAMULUS
. Most reverend sir, it is indeed—
oremus
.

MEPHISTOPHELES
.

We’ll leave that out.

THE FAMULUS
. So glad you recognize me!

MEPHISTOPHELES
.

As your old mossy pate can yet apprize me,

You’re still a student. What else can you do

But just read on! That’s scholarship for you!

One builds a modest card-house, there to sit;

6640

Even great minds never quite finish it.

But your master, now he’s a man of parts:

We all know Wagner
*
doctor of all the arts,

A noble man, a prince of scholars! He

Alone sustains the academic mystery,

And contributes to knowledge day by day;

His eager hearers come from far away,

Crowding to listen, as in the lecture-hall

He shines unique! Saint Peter’s key, with all

Its power to open secrets high and low,

6650

Is like the erudition he can show.

None before his renown can stand,

His fame’s the brightest in the land,

Not Faust himself’s now so well known;

Invention has been Wagner’s gift alone.

THE FAMULUS
. Most reverend sir, forgive me if I say,

Venturing to contradict you if I may:

All that is not at all my master’s way!

Humility’s all he could ever learn.

Since the great Doctor in mysterious fashion

6660

Vanished, he has been suffering from depression;

He’ll be consoled and healed only by Faust’s return.

This study, since the Doctor left,

Untouched, just as it’s always been,

For its old master waits bereft;

I scarcely dare to venture in.

What hour of destiny has struck?

The walls all seem to shake with fear,

The doorposts swayed, locks came unstuck—

How else could you have got in here?

6670

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Come now, where can your master be?

Take me to him, bring him to me.

THE FAMULUS
. Oh dear, he gave strict orders—how

Shall I dare interrupt him now?

For months the
Opus Magnums
mewed

Him up in total solitude.

This learned man, so meek and mild,

Looks like a charcoal-burner: wild

Complexion, black from ear to nose,

Eyes reddened by all the fires he blows.

6680

Moment by moment he craves and longs;

Music for him’s the click of tongs.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. My visit should be welcome to him;

There are professional favours I could do him.

[
THE FAMULUS
departs
,
MEPHISTOPHELES
sits
down ceremoniously
.]

Now, when I’ve scarcely taken up my place,

I have a visitor; I know that face.

But this time he’s the
dernier
cri;

Who knows how limitless his cheek will be!

THE GRADUATE
*
[
barging along the passage]
.

Open doors and free admissions!

Here’s some hope of new conditions.

6690

As things were, one used to rot

Like a corpse in such a spot;

Life was mere disintegration,

Death by slow anticipation.

Walls and halls, you’ve had your day!

Now you crumble and decay.

Here’s no place to stop; we’ll all

Squash to death here when you fall.

Though I’m bold as brass, I fear

They’ll not educate me here.

6700

But, bless me! This is the same

Place—long years ago I came

Here, a freshman fond and shy;

What a silly boy was I!

Trusted those old greybeard farts,

Let them peddle me their arts.

Lies they told me from a few

Scabby books, that’s all they knew,

And they knew it’s all moonshine;

Thus they’d waste their lives and mine.

6710

What’s that?—Still, in this same room,

One of them sits in the gloom!

There he sits in his old gown—

How amazing!—that same brown

Furry robe I saw him wear;

Just as when I left him there!

Then, I thought him smart enough,

Couldn’t understand his stuff;

But that trick won’t work today.

So here goes, I’ll have my say!

6720

If, ancient sir, your bowed, bald head is yet

Unswamped by Lethe’s turgid stream,

Recall a humble pupil you once met:

One who has now outgrown the rods of academe.

You’ve not changed much in that time-span,

But I’ve come back another man.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. I am glad my bell has summoned you.

I had a high opinion of you too;

The grub, the chrysalis, can prophesy

The future many-coloured butterfly.

6730

Lace collars, curly locks—the charming style

You favoured, was a trifle puerile.

Perhaps you sometimes wore a pigtail?—But

Today, I see, it’s a crew cut.

Very manly, I’m sure, and quite the hero.

Still, let’s not send you home as Absolute Zero.

THE GRADUATE
. My ancient sir, this place may be the same,

But times have changed; and, by your leave,

I’d just as soon be spared your verbal game

Of ambiguities. We’ve grown harder to deceive.

6740

When I was a poor innocent you played

Those jokes on me, and easy sport you made.

No one dares try that on today.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Greenhorns don’t like to hear the honest truth.

One tells it plain to unsuspecting youth

Who will learn it themselves the painful way

Years later. Then of course they’ll say

Their own brains were their only school

And their old erstwhile teacher was a fool.

THE GRADUATE
. A rogue perhaps! What teacher’s ever told

6750

The truth straight to our faces? They all mould

It to their docile childish hearers, smiling

So wisely, or so solemnly beguiling.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Well, there’s a time for learning. You,

I see,

Are yourself qualified to teach. Presumably,

After these many years, or months at least,

Your store of experience will have increased.

THE GRADUATE
. Experience! Insubstantial stuff!

Unworthy of the intellectual.

What’s long been known quite well enough,

6760

Why bother knowing it at all?

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
after a pause]
.