THE SECOND PART OF GÖTHE'S FAUST.

TRANSLATED INTO RHYTHMICAL PROSE BY LEOPOLD J. BERNAYS.

To this night's awful festival, as oft before
I now am come, Erichtho, I, the gloomy one,
Not so disgusting as the horrid poets have
Defamed me overmuch.... for they can never end
In praise and censure. . . . seems to me the valley round
O'erpaled afar with billowy waves of greyish tents,
An after-sight of that most wretched dreadful night.—
How often is't repeated! and it will be so

On to eternity, still all begrudge the power

To others, all to him who reached it by his strength,-
Who rules with might. For each who cannot govern in
His inmost self, would gladly rule and govern o'er

His neighbour's will, just as his own proud mind may please.
But here a great example was fought through by men,
Where force to greater force opposed was, and where
The sweet and thousand-flowered wreath of freedom brake,
And the stiff laurel bent around the ruler's brow.
Here Pompey dreamed of earlier greatness' blossom-day,
Here Cæsar anxious watched the wavering balance tongue.
The trial cometh ;-but the world knows who prevailed.

The watch-fires burn, and scatter glowing flames around;
The once spilt blood's reflection breathes on high from earth,
And by the wondrous beauty of the night allured,
The legion of Hellenic myths is gathering fast.

The fabled forms of ancient days are hovering dim,

Or sitting easily around the watch-fire's flame.

The moon, although not yet at full, shines bright around,
And rising, spreads its gentle light on every side.

The fancied tents are gone, the fires are burning blue.
Yet, over me what unexpected meteor!

It glitters round, and lights a globe corporeal.
I scent a living thing; I will not go anear

That which bears mark of life, for I should injure it.
That brings me evil fame, and cannot profit me;
"Tis sinking down. With caution will I hence depart.

The Air Travellers above.

Homunculus. Once more in a circle hover
O'er the flames, and awful horror
In the depths and in the valley;
Spectral is the whole appearance.

[Exit.

Mephistopheles. As through old and timeworn windows,
In the northern waste and dread,
Many horrid spectres see I;

Here, as there, I am at home.

Homunculus. See a tall one there is striding,
On our path before us far.

Mephistopheles. Seemeth it as she were frighted,
Seeing us through ether fly.

Homunculus. Let her stride on! but do thou now
Let thy knight down, and restore

Life unto him; he will seek it

In the fable kingdom here.

Faust (touching the ground). Where is she?

Homunculus. Why, that I cannot say; but you may probably inquire her out here. You may hasten, searching, from fire to fire, before it dawns he who has ventured to the Mothers, has nothing farther to endure.

Mephistopheles. I, too, am here for my part; yet I know nothing better for our comfort, than that each should seek out his own adventures among the fires. Then, to unite us again, let thy lantern, little one, shine and sound.

Homunculus. So shall it lighten, and sound. (the glass rings, and glitters powerfully). Now away to new wonders!

Faust (alone). Where is she? Enquire now no farther. If this were not the soil that bore her, the wave that beat towards her, yet is it the air which spoke her language. Here am I! here, through a miracle, in Greece. I felt at once the ground whereon I stood. As if a spirit had briskly glowed through me the sleeper, I stand, an Antæus in soul, and find here the most strange things united. I will earnestly search through this labyrinth of flames.

Mephistopheles (prying about). As I wind among these fires I find myself altogether a stranger; almost every body is naked, here and there in shirts: the Sphinxes shameless, the Griffins unabashed, and what besides, shaggy and winged, mirrors itself before and behind in the eye. We are, indeed, in our hearts indecent, yet the antique I find too real. One ought to overcome this in the most modern sense, and after various fashions paste it over. A disagreeable set! Yet, new guest as I am, I must not object to address them politely. Hail! To the fair ladies, the wise greybeards.*

....

Griffin (gruffly). Not greybeards! Griffins! No one likes to be called a greybeard. Every word reechoes the origin whence it sprang. Grey, grievous, growling, graves, grim, etymologically alike in tone, only put

us out of tune.

Mephistopheles. And yet, not to leave the subject, the Griff in Griffin

pleases.

Griffin (as above, and always in the same way). Naturally! The

Here is another untranslateable pun: "Greisen" means "old men," "Greifen," 'griffins ;" and Mephistopheles purposely confounds the s and the f, which brings on the etymological remarks which follow.

connection is proved, often indeed blamed, but more often praised; let every body now gripe after maidens, crowns and gold; fortune is the kindest to the griper.

Ants (of the colossal kind). You speak of gold; we had collected much, and secretly stuffed it into rocks and caves. The Arimaspian people found it out; they are laughing there, how far they have carried it off.

Griffins. We will bring them to confession.

Arimaspes. Only not in the free festival night. By to-morrow it will all be spent. This time, no doubt, we shall succeed.

Mephistopheles (seats himself among the Sphinxes). How easy and readily I accustom myself to this place, for I understand man by man. Sphinx. We breathe our spirit tones, and you then embody them. Now name thyself, till we know thee more.

Are

Mephistopheles. People think to name me with many names. there Englishmen here? They generally travel so far, to pry into battle fields, waterfalls, ruined walls, dismal classic spots; this place here would be a worthy goal for them. They would also bear witness, that people saw me there in the ancient play as "Old Iniquity."

Sphinx. How did they hit upon that?
Mephistopheles. I myself know not how.

Sphinx. It may be! Have you any acquaintance with the stars? What say you to the present hour?

Mephistopheles (looking up). Star shoots after star: the cut moon shines bright, and I am comfortable in this pleasant spot, I will warm myself against thy lion's skin. To lose oneself up there, would be in jurious; give us some riddles, at all events charades.

Sphinx. Declare yourself, that will be a riddle at once. Try once to unriddle yourself in your inmost mind: "Necessary to the pious man equally with the impious-to one a cuirass ascetically to fence; companion to another to execute desperate things, and both only to amuse Jupiter."

First Griffin (gruffly). I don't like him!

Second (more gruffly). What does he want with us?
Both. The brute does not belong here.

Mephistopheles (brutally). You think perhaps your guest's nails do not scratch as well as your sharp claws? Try it only.

Sphinx (mild). You may continue to stay, you will drive yourself from the midst of us; you are something in your own land, yet if I mistake not, here you are ill at ease.

Mephistopheles. You are very agreeable to look at above, yet below, the beast horrifies me.

Sphinx. Thou false one wilt come to bitter repentance; for our paws are sound: you with your shrivelled horse-hoof are not pleased in our society.

Sirens (prelude above).

Mephistopheles. Who are the birds rocked to and fro in the branches of the river poplars?

Sphinx. Beware! A sing-song like this has before now overcome the noblest.

Sirens. Ah! Why thus yourselves misguide ye
All amidst these hideous wonders!
Hark, in bands we here are coming,
And in harmonising measures,
Thus the Sirens it beseemeth.

Sphinxes (mocking them in the same melody).

Make them come from their concealment !
In the branches they are hiding

From you hawk's claws, vile and loathsome,
To fall on you to destruction

If you give to them a hearing.
Sirens. Hate away! away, too, envy!
We collect the brightest pleasures
Scattered underneath the sky!
On the earth and on the water,
Be it the most cheerful gesture
Which to welcome ones we give.

Mephistopheles. These are the pretty novelties, when one sound from throat and strings interweaves itself with another. Trilling is lost with me, it tickles my ears indeed, but penetrates not to the heart.

Sphinx. Speak not of hearts! that is foolish; a shrivelled leathern bag fits thy face better.

Faust (stepping forward). How wonderful! the spectacle gives me pleasure, the vast, powerful features in the disagreeable. Already I expect a favourable fate; whither does this earnest look remove me? (pointing to the Sphinxes) Before such once stood Edipus; (pointing to the Sirens) before such, Ulysses writhed in hempen bonds; (pointing to the Ants) by such was the greatest treasure saved; (pointing to the Griffins) by these was it carefully and unfailingly guarded. I feel myself penetrated by a fresh spirit-the figures are grand-grand are the recollections.

Mephistopheles. Formerly, you would have driven away the like with curses, but now it appears to please you; for when one seeks the beloved, even monsters are welcome.

Faust (to the Sphinxes). You lady forms must answer me: have any of you seen Helen?

Sphinxes. We do not reach up to her days, Hercules killed the last of us. You can learn it of Chiron; he is galloping about in this spirit-night, if he stands still for you, you will have far advanced.

Sirens. Come with us, thou wilt not rue it!—

When Ulysses, with us dwelling,

Did not hasting by reject us,

Much he could relate and utter;

But with all we would entrust thee,

If to our seats thou wouldst betake thee,
Flying to the azure ocean.

Sphinx. Be not, thou noble one, deceived; instead of Ulysses having caused himself to be bound, let our good counsel bind thee; if thou can'st find the lofty Chiron, thou may'st learn what I promise thee. (Faust withdraws.)

Mephistopheles (vexed). What croaks past us with flapping of wings? So swiftly that we cannot see it, and one ever after the other; they would tire the hunter.

Sphinx. They are the rapid Stymphalides, like the storm of the winter wind, scarcely attainable by the arrows of Hercules. And well meant is their croaking hail, with their vulture beak and goose foot. They would like to shew themselves as relations in our circle.

Mephistopheles (as if scared). Something else is hissing among

them.

Sphinx. Be not frightened at these; they are the heads of the Lernæan hydra, parted from the neck; yet they believe they are something. But say, what is to become of you? What restless gestures ? What do you want? Take yourself off! I see that chorus there turns you into a wryneck. Do not stay, be off! greet many a charming face. They are the Lamiæ, smart damsels, with smiling mouth and bold forehead, as they please the satyrs: a goat's foot may dare everything there. Mephistopheles. You will remain here, so that I may find you again? Sphinx Yes! mix with the aerial throng. We from Egypt have long been wont that one of us should be enthroned a thousand years. only respect our situation, thus we rule the days of sun and moon. We sit before the pyramids for the judgment of the nations: inundation, war and peace; we alter not a feature.

Peneus surrounded (with waters and nymphs).

Move thyself, thou reedy whispering,
Breathe ye gentle kindred rushes,
And ye willows lightly rustle,
Whisper trembling poplar branches
To my interrupted dreams!

Wakes me now a dread oppression,
A secret and all-moving tremblance
From the waving stream and rest.

And

Faust (stepping to the river). If I hear aright, I must believe: behind the closed-in arbours of these branches and these bushes, rings a sound as it were human. Even the wave appears a prattling, the breeze like to a sportive amusement.

Nymphs (to Faust).

Best were it for thee

In silence reclining

To refresh in the coolness
Thy limbs that are weary,
To enjoy the for-ever-
Avoiding-thee rest;

We'll rustle and murmur,

And whisper to thee.

Faust. I am indeed awake! O, let the incomparable forms, as my eye sends them thither, have sway. How wonderfully am I penetrated! Once before hast thou Are they dreams? Are they recollections?

been thus blessed. Waters creep through the freshness of the thick

N. S.-VOL. I.

3 I