My pathos certainly would make you laugh too, A little better would he live, hadst thou THE LORD. Have you no more to say? Do you come here MEPHISTOPHELES. No, Lord; I find all there, as ever, bad at best The Doctor? THE LORD. Knowest thou Faust? MEPHISTOPHELES. THE LORD. Ay; my servant Faust. MEPHISTOPHELES. In truth He serves you in a fashion quite his own, And the fool's meat and drink are not of earth; His aspirations bear him on so far That he is half aware of his own folly, For he demands from Heaven its fairest star, THE LORD. Though he now serves me in a cloud of error, knows That fruits and blooms will deck the coming year. MEPHISTOPHELES. What will you bet ?-now I am sure of winning- THE LORD. As long As he shall live upon the earth, so long MEPHISTOPHELES. Thanks. And that is all I ask; for willingly I never make acquaintance with the dead. For I am like a cat-I like to play A little with the mouse before I eat it. THE LORD. Well, well, it is permitted thee. Draw thou His spirit from its springs; as thou find'st power, MEPHISTOPHELES. Well and good. I am not in much doubt about my bet, And, if I lose, then 'tis your turn to crow; Ay; dust shall he devour, and that with pleasure, THE LORD. Pray come here when it suits you; for I never Had much dislike for people of your sort. And, among all the Spirits 'who rebelled, The knave was ever the least tedious to me. The active spirit of man soon sleeps, and soon Have given him the Devil for a companion, [Heaven closes; the Archangels exeunt. MEPHISTOPHELES. From time to time I visit the old fellow, I wish I had a good stout ram to ride; For we are still far from th' appointed place. FAUST. This knotted staff is help enough for me, In the true sport that seasons such a path. MEPHISTOPHELES. Nothing of such an influence do I feel. The flowers upon our path were frost and snow. Dimly uplifting her belated beam, The blank unwelcome round of the red moon, And gives so bad a light, that every step One stumbles 'gainst some crag. mission I'll call an Ignis-fatuus to our aid: I see one yonder burning jollily. With your per Halloo, my friend! may I request that you Would favour us with your bright company? Why should you blaze away there to no purpose? Pray be so good as light us up this way. IGNIS-FATUUS. With reverence be it spoken, I will try |