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A Gloomy Day. A Plain
A Gloomy Day. A Plain
Faust and Mephistopheles
Faust
In misery! despairing! long wandering pitifully on the face of the earth
and now imprisoned! This gentle hapless creature, immured in the dungeon as a
malefactor and reserved for horrid tortures! That it should come to this! To
this! - Perfidious, worthless spirit, and this thou hast concealed from me! -
Stand! ay, stand! roll in malicious rage thy fiendish eyes! Stand and brave me
with thine insupportable presence! Imprisoned! In hopeless misery! Delivered
over to the power of evil spirits and the judgment of unpitying humanity! -
And me, the while, thou wert lulling with tasteless dissipations, concealing
from me her growing anguish, and leaving her to perish without help!
Mephistopheles
She is not the first.
Faust
Hound! Execrable monster! - Back with him, oh thou infinite spirit! back
with the reptile into his dog`s shape, in which it was his wont to scamper
before me at eventide, to roll before the feet of the harmless wanderer, and
to fasten on his shoulders when he fell! Change him again into his favourite
shape, that he may crouch on his belly before me in the dust, whilst I spurn
him with my foot, the reprobate! - Not the first! - Woe! Woe! By no human soul
is it conceivable, that more than one human creature has ever sunk into a
depth of wretchedness like this, or that the first in her writhing death -
agony should not have atoned in the sight of all - pardoning Heaven for the
guilt of all the rest! The misery of this one pierces me to the very marrow,
and harrows up my soul; thou art grinning calmly over the doom of thousands!
Mephistopheles
Now we are once again at our wit`s end, just where the reason of you
mortals snaps! Why dost thou seek our fellowship, if thou canst not go through
with it? Wilt fly, and art not proof against dizziness? Did we force ourselves
on thee, or thou on us?
Faust
Cease thus to gnash thy ravenous fangs at me! I loathe thee! - Great and
glorious spirit, thou who didst vouchsafe to reveal thyself unto me, thou who
dost know my very heart and soul, why hast thou linked me with this base
associate, who feeds on mischief and revels in destruction?
Mephistopheles
Hast done?
Faust
Save her! - or woe to thee! The direst of curses on thee for thousands of
years!
Mephistopheles
I cannot loose the bands of the avenger, nor withdraw his bolts. - Save
her! - Who was it plunged her into perdition? I or thou?
(Faust looks wildly around.)
Mephistopheles
Would`st grasp the thunder? Well for you, poor mortals, that `tis not
yours to wield! To smite to atoms the being however innocent, who obstructs
his path, such is the tyrant`s fashion of relieving himself in difficulties!
Faust
Convey me thither! She shall be free!
Mephistopheles
And the danger to which thou dost expose thyself? Know, the guilt of
blood, shed by thy hand, lies yet upon the town. Over the place where fell the
murdered one, avenging spirits hover and watch for the returning murderer.
Faust
This too from thee? The death and downfall of a world be on thee,
monster! Conduct me thither, I say, and set her free!
Mephistopheles
I will conduct thee. And what I can do, - hear! Have I all power in
heaven and upon earth! I`ll cloud the senses of the warder, - do thou possess
thyself of the keys and lead her forth with human hand! I will keep watch! The
magic steeds are waiting, I bear thee off. Thus much is in my power.
Faust
Up and away!
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