B00ARI2G5C EBOK (36 page)

MEPHISTOPHELES
. And what was your new project, may one ask?

Some bold and noble striving, I’ll be bound;

Perhaps, since you’ve learnt to float above the ground,

A mission to the moon is our next task?

10180

FAUST
. Certainly not! This earthly sphere

Is room enough for high deeds; here

I still can achieve wonders. Never

Have I felt such great strength for bold endeavour.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. So, fame is what you want? One sees you’ve been

Consorting with a heroine.

FAUST
. I want to rule and to possess: what need

Have I of fame? What matters but the deed?

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Poets will come nevertheless,

Your posthumous glory to profess;

10190

Fools, kindling further foolishness.

FAUST
. Mean spirit, you have no part nor lot

In any of man’s longings: what

Can your embittered caustic mind

Know of the needs of humankind?

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Well, tell me—111 be governed by

Your will—what whim you now would satisfy.

FAUST
. My eye fell, as I passed, on the high sea:

It surged and swelled, mounted up more and more,

Then checked, and spilt its waves tempestuously,

10200

Venting its rage upon the flat, wide shore.

And this displeased me: as when pride’s excess

And angry blood and passion unconfined,

Rising too high, fill with uneasiness

A free and just and equitable mind.

I thought it chance, and looked more closely: then

The tide stood still, it turned, rolled back again—

From its high point’s proud goal the flood retreated.

And later, the whole process is repeated.

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
ad spectatores]
.

This is no news to me; I know that game,

10210

For a hundred thousand years it’s been the same.

FAUST
[
continuing with passionate excitement]
.

Landward it streams, and countless inlets fill;

Barren itself, it spreads its barren will;

It swells and swirls, its rolling waves expand

Over the dreary waste of dismal sand;

Breaker on breaker, all their power upheaved

And then withdrawn, and not a thing achieved!

I watch dismayed, almost despairingly,

This useless elemental energy!

And so my spirit dares new wings to span:

10220

This I would fight, and conquer if I can.

And I can conquer it!—Flood as it may,

It slinks past all that rises in its way;

For all its gushing pride, a little hill

Denies it passage, and against its will

The least concavity lures it from its course.

At once my plan was made! My soul shall boast

An exquisite achievement: from our coast

I’ll ban the lordly sea, I’ll curb its force,

I’ll set new limits to that watery plain

10230

And drive it back into itself again.

I’ve worked out every detail, and I say:

This is my will, now dare to find a way!

[
A sound of distant drums and martial music is heard from behind the spectators, on the right
.]

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Why, that’s no problem!—Distant drums; do you hear?

FAUST
. A sad sound to the wise; more war, I fear.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. War or peace it may be, but the wise man

Turns both to his advantage if he can.

He waits for the right moment, till he sees it.

Now, Faust, your chance has come; be bold and seize it!

FAUST
. Spare me this riddling rubbish and explain

10240

Yourself! What’s to be done? Just tell me plain.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. On my way here I noticed, with distress,

Our friend the Emperor is in a mess.

You will recall, we entertained him well

And fooled him with false gold—why, he could sell

The whole world, he supposed. As a mere boy

He was elected to the throne;

And then, regrettably misguided

Of course, he very soon decided

To have it both ways: to enjoy

10250

Both the imperial power and pleasures of his own.

FAUST
. A great mistake. A ruler, to fulfil

His duty, which is to command, must find

Pleasure in the commanding. A high will

Dwells in his heart, yet none must know his mind.

He whispers it to intimates, and when

It’s done, the world can wonder at it then.

That way, a lasting dignity allies

Itself to supreme power. Mere pleasures vulgarize.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. That was not his way. Pleasure, endlessly,

10260

Was what he sought; the Empire’s anarchy

Is the result. Feuds between great or small,

Criss-crossing strife, brothers exiling, killing

Each other, castle against castle, all

The cities daggers-drawn, the guilds rebelling

Against the feudal lords, the bishops fighting

Chapter and parish, every man despiting

His fellow, throats cut in the church, no travellers

Or merchants safe from highway murderers.

And all men plucked up courage, for life now

100270

Meant self-defence. Well, life went on somehow.

FAUST
. Went on! Limped, fell, got to its feet, and then Tripped up and fell head-over-heels again.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. And no one did too badly; everyone

Tried to be someone; it was easily done.

Nonentities assumed sufficiency.

But the best and the strongest finally

Decided things had gone too far. They rose

In arms, and said: Let him be master who’ll impose

Peace! This the Emperor cannot, will not do.

10280

We shall elect another, who’ll renew

The Empire, bring things back to life,

Protect us all from war and strife,

Remake the world and give us peace and justice too.

FAUST
. Very religious.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Priests, indeed, they were;

They played a leading part in this affair,

Protecting their fat bellies. The insurrection

Increased: it had their holy benediction.

And so our Emperor, whom we entertained of late,

Comes here to fight the battle that may seal his fate.

10290

FAUST
. That’s sad; he was a frank, good-natured man.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Come, while there’s life there’s hope; so let’s do what we can!

This narrow gorge is trapping him: one bold

Rescue will rescue him a thousandfold.

Who knows how soon his luck may turn?

And with his luck, his vassals will return.

[
They cross the lower mountain range and survey the disposition of the army in the valley. Drums and military music are heard from below
.]

MEPHISTOPHELES
. A good position; he’s quite well secured;

We’ll join him, and his victory’s assured.

FAUST
. What help is ours supposed to be?

Fraud, sleight-of-hand, magical trickery!

10300

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Stratagems to win battles! You

Must keep your higher aims in view,

Your noble purpose. If we save

The Emperor’s throne for him, restore his land,

Then you will kneel before him and receive

As your personal fief the wide sea-strand.

FAUST
. Well, you have many talents, I don’t doubt it;

Now win a battle too, and quick about it!

MEPHISTOPHELES
. No, you will win it; this time, sir,

You’re the commanding officer.

10310

FAUST
. Oh yes, that suits me very nicely,

My knowledge of war being nil precisely.

MEPHISTOPHELES
.
Herr Feldmarschall
Simply rely

On your general staff, and you’ll get by.

I’ve smelt for some time there was war afoot,

And so my council has been put

On a war footing. Ancient human powers

From primal mountains; allies, now, of ours,

Fortunately.

FAUST
. What’s that? I see armed men.

Have you stirred up the mountain people,
*
then?

10320

MEPHISTOPHELES
. No, but like Peter Quince, I’ve brought a mere

Quintessence of the rabble here.
*

[
The
THREE MIGHTY MEN
*
enter
(2
Sam
. 23:8)]

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Here are my lads; as you can see,

Their age varies appreciably,

As do their clothes and armour. You shall be

Well served, I’ll warrant, by all three.

[
ad spectatores
] Weapons, these days, and knightly gear

Are popular; these wretches here

Will also widen their appeal

By being more allegorical than real.

10330

BUSTER
[
young, lightly armed, colourfully dressed
].

If a man looks me in the eye,

I bash his face in till needs repairs.

Escape my fist? Just let him try!

I’ll have him first by the short hairs.

BAGGER
[
mature, well armed, richly dressed]
.

Picking an empty quarrel’s not

My style; why waste the day with words?

Be bold and grab the goods first; afterwards

It’s time enough to ask what’s what.

HUGGER
[
middle-aged, heavily armed, without a cloak]
.

That’s not much profit either; when

You’ve gained wealth, it’s soon lost again;

10340

Life’s current washes it away.

It’s good to get, better to hold:

Let me take charge—I’m old and grey—

And then you’ll keep it till you’re old.

[
They descend together towards the valley
.]

[
Drums and martial music from below
.
THE EMPEROR
’
s tent is mtched
.
THE EMPEROR. THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. GUARDS.]

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. This valley is convenient; to withdraw our force

And concentrate it here, still seems the proper course.

I am confident that it will prove

To have been a well-considered move.

THE EMPEROR
. Well, we shall see. I’m sorry, I must say,

That we retreated, or at least gave way.

10350

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. Consider our right flank, your Majesty:

It’s ideal fighting terrain. The hills neither

Too steep, the going not too easy either;

Favouring us, baffling the enemy.

This undulating ground half hides us: we’re

Safe from a cavalry attack in here.

THE EMPEROR
. All I can do is to approve.

Now we shall see how strong our arms and hearts will prove.

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. Mark too the central meadow’s flat expanse:

Our phalanx there in warlike fettle stands.

10360

Look how their pike-points gleam and glimmer where

The bright sun strikes through misty morning air!

Darkly the mighty quadrilateral stirs;

Afire for deeds, a thousand warriors

Are waiting ready: judge what massive power

Shall break our enemy in this great hour!

THE EMPEROR
. So fine a sight has never met my eyes.

An army such as this looks twice its size.

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. Of our left flank there is nothing I need say.

The cliff stands sheer, brave fighters guard the way;

10370

That precipice, where weapons glint, protects

The vital path. The enemy expects

To take the narrow rocky pass: but he

Will come to bloody grief there, I foresee.

THE EMPEROR
. So here they come, false cousins as they are,

Who called me cousin, uncle, brother; far

Beyond itself their insolence has grown:

My sceptre’s power is usurped, my throne

Robbed of respect; against me all rebel,

Though by their own feuds they have devastated

10380

The Empire. The weak mob first hesitated,

And now the current sweeps it on as well.

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. Approaching from the rocks, a trusty scout

Comes to report: let’s hear what he’s found out.

FIRST SCOUT
. By skill and by audacity

We have penetrated and explored

Hither and thither: would that we

Could bring more favourable word!

Many still plight their troth to you,

But plead excuse: what can they do,

10390

They say, amid this fermentation,

This inner peril of the nation?

THE EMPEROR
. Thus the old self-preserving attitude

Flouts honour, duty, love and gratitude.

But when their reckoning’s made, can they not learn

That in a neighbour’s fire one’s own house too may burn?

THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
. Our next man comes. Slowly, unsteadily

He clambers down: how weary he must be!

SECOND SCOUT
. At first we were content to view

This wild rebellion’s mad career;

10400

But unexpectedly, a new

Emperor suddenly was here.