VI WITCHES’ KITCHEN (_Upon a low hearth stands a great caldron, under which a fire is burning. Various figures appear in the vapors which rise from the caldron. An ape sits beside it, skims it, and watches lest it boil over. The he-ape, with the young ones, sits near and warms himself. Ceiling and walls are covered with the most fantastic witch-implements_.) FAUST MEPHISTOPHELES FAUST These crazy signs of witches’ craft repel me! I shall recover, dost thou tell me, Through this insane, chaotic play? From an old hag shall I demand assistance? And will her foul mess take away Full thirty years from my existence? Woe’s me, canst thou naught better find! Another baffled hope must be lamented: Has Nature, then, and has a noble mind Not any potent balsam yet invented? MEPHISTOPHELES Once more, my friend, thou talkest sensibly. There is, to make thee young, a simpler mode and apter; But in another book ’tis writ for thee, And is a most eccentric chapter. FAUST Yet will I know it. MEPHISTOPHELES Good! the method is revealed Without or gold or magic or physician. Betake thyself to yonder field, There hoe and dig, as thy condition; Restrain thyself, thy sense and will Within a narrow sphere to flourish; With unmixed food thy body nourish; Live with the ox as ox, and think it not a theft That thou manur’st the acre which thou reapest;— That, trust me, is the best mode left, Whereby for eighty years thy youth thou keepest! FAUST I am not used to that; I cannot stoop to try it— To take the spade in hand, and ply it. The narrow being suits me not at all. MEPHISTOPHELES Then to thine aid the witch must call. FAUST Wherefore the hag, and her alone? Canst thou thyself not brew the potion? MEPHISTOPHELES That were a charming sport, I own: I’d build a thousand bridges meanwhile, I’ve a notion. Not Art and Science serve, alone; Patience must in the work be shown. Long is the calm brain active in creation; Time, only, strengthens the fine fermentation. And all, belonging thereunto, Is rare and strange, howe’er you take it: The Devil taught the thing, ’tis true, And yet the Devil cannot make it. (_Perceiving the Animals_) See, what a delicate race they be! That is the maid! the man is he! (_To the Animals_) It seems the mistress has gone away? THE ANIMALS Carousing, to-day! Off and about, By the chimney out! MEPHISTOPHELES What time takes she for dissipating? THE ANIMALS While we to warm our paws are waiting. MEPHISTOPHELES (_to_ FAUST) How findest thou the tender creatures? FAUST Absurder than I ever yet did see. MEPHISTOPHELES Why, just such talk as this, for me, Is that which has the most attractive features! (_To the Animals_) But tell me now, ye cursed puppets, Why do ye stir the porridge so? THE ANIMALS We’re cooking watery soup for beggars. MEPHISTOPHELES Then a great public you can show. THE HE-APE (_comes up and fawns on_ MEPHISTOPHELES) O cast thou the dice! Make me rich in a trice, Let me win in good season! Things are badly controlled, And had I but gold, So had I my reason. MEPHISTOPHELES How would the ape be sure his luck enhances. Could he but try the lottery’s chances! (_In the meantime the young apes have been playing with a large ball, which they now roll forward_.) THE HE-APE The world’s the ball: Doth rise and fall, And roll incessant: Like glass doth ring, A hollow thing,— How soon will’t spring, And drop, quiescent? Here bright it gleams, Here brighter seems: I live at present! Dear son, I say, Keep thou away! Thy doom is spoken! ’Tis made of clay, And will be broken. MEPHISTOPHELES What means the sieve? THE HE-APE (_taking it down_) Wert thou the thief, I’d know him and shame him. (_He runs to the_ SHE-APE, _and lets her look through it_.) Look through the sieve! Know’st thou the thief, And darest not name him? MEPHISTOPHELES (_approaching the fire)_ And what’s this pot? HE-APE AND SHE-APE The fool knows it not! He knows not the pot, He knows not the kettle! MEPHISTOPHELES Impertinent beast! THE HE-APE Take the brush here, at least, And sit down on the settle! (_He invites_ MEPHISTOPHELES _to sit down_.) FAUST (_who during all this time has been standing before a mirror, now approaching and now retreating from it_) What do I see? What heavenly form revealed Shows through the glass from Magic’s fair dominions! O lend me, Love, the swiftest of thy pinions, And bear me to her beauteous field! Ah, if I leave this spot with fond designing, If I attempt to venture near, Dim, as through gathering mist, her charms appear!— A woman’s form, in beauty shining! Can woman, then, so lovely be? And must I find her body, there reclining, Of all the heavens the bright epitome? Can Earth with such a thing be mated? MEPHISTOPHELES Why, surely, if a God first plagues Himself six days, Then, self-contented, _Bravo_! says, Must something clever be created. This time, thine eyes be satiate! I’ll yet detect thy sweetheart and ensnare her, And blest is he, who has the lucky fate, Some day, as bridegroom, home to bear her. (FAUST _gazes continually in the mirror_. MEPHISTOPHELES, _stretching himself out on the settle, and playing with the brush, continues to speak_.) So sit I, like the King upon his throne: I hold the sceptre, here,—and lack the crown alone. THE ANIMALS (_who up to this time have been making all kinds of fantastic movements together bring a crown to_ MEPHISTOPHELES _with great noise_.) O be thou so good With sweat and with blood The crown to belime! (_They handle the crown awkwardly and break it into two pieces, with which they spring around_.) ’Tis done, let it be! We speak and we see, We hear and we rhyme! FAUST (_before the mirror_) Woe’s me! I fear to lose my wits. MEPHISTOPHELES (_pointing to the Animals_) My own head, now, is really nigh to sinking. THE ANIMALS If lucky our hits, And everything fits, ’Tis thoughts, and we’re thinking! FAUST (_as above_) My bosom burns with that sweet vision; Let us, with speed, away from here! MEPHISTOPHELES (_in the same attitude_) One must, at least, make this admission— They’re poets, genuine and sincere. (_The caldron, which the_ SHE-APE _has up to this time neglected to watch, begins to boil over: there ensues a great flame_, _which blazes out the chimney. The_ WITCH _comes careering down through the flame, with terrible cries_.) THE WITCH Ow! ow! ow! ow! The damnéd beast—the curséd sow! To leave the kettle, and singe the Frau! Accurséd fere! (_Perceiving_ FAUST _and_ MEPHISTOPHELES.) What is that here? Who are you here? What want you thus? Who sneaks to us? The fire-pain Burn bone and brain! (_She plunges the skimming-ladle into the caldron, and scatters flames towards_ FAUST, MEPHISTOPHELES, _and the Animals. The Animals whimper_.) MEPHISTOPHELES (_reversing the brush, which he has been holding in his hand, and striding among the jars and glasses_) In two! in two! There lies the brew! There lies the glass! The joke will pass, As time, foul ass! To the singing of thy crew. (_As the_ WITCH _starts back, full of wrath and horror_) Ha! know’st thou me? Abomination, thou! Know’st thou, at last, thy Lord and Master? What hinders me from smiting now Thee and thy monkey-sprites with fell disaster? Hast for the scarlet coat no reverence? Dost recognize no more the tall cock’s-feather? Have I concealed this countenance?— Must tell my name, old face of leather? THE WITCH O pardon, Sir, the rough salute! Yet I perceive no cloven foot; And both your ravens, where are _they_ now? MEPHISTOPHELES This time, I’ll let thee ’scape the debt; For since we two together met, ’Tis verily full many a day now. Culture, which smooth the whole world licks, Also unto the Devil sticks. The days of that old Northern phantom now are over: Where canst thou horns and tail and claws discover? And, as regards the foot, which I can’t spare, in truth, ’Twould only make the people shun me; Therefore I’ve worn, like many a spindly youth, False calves these many years upon me. THE WITCH (_dancing_) Reason and sense forsake my brain, Since I behold Squire Satan here again! MEPHISTOPHELES Woman, from such a name refrain! THE WITCH Why so? What has it done to thee? MEPHISTOPHELES It’s long been written in the Book of Fable; Yet, therefore, no whit better men we see: The Evil One has left, the evil ones are stable. Sir Baron call me thou, then is the matter good; A cavalier am I, like others in my bearing. Thou hast no doubt about my noble blood: See, here’s the coat-of-arms that I am wearing! (_He makes an indecent gesture_.) THE WITCH (_laughs immoderately_) Ha! ha! That’s just your way, I know: A rogue you are, and you were always so. MEPHISTOPHELES (_to_ FAUST) My friend, take proper heed, I pray! To manage witches, this is just the way. THE WITCH Wherein, Sirs, can I be of use? MEPHISTOPHELES Give us a goblet of the well-known juice! But, I must beg you, of the oldest brewage; The years a double strength produce. THE WITCH With all my heart! Now, here’s a bottle, Wherefrom, sometimes, I wet my throttle, Which, also, not the slightest, stinks; And willingly a glass I’ll fill him. (_Whispering_) Yet, if this man without due preparation drinks, As well thou know’st, within an hour ’twill kill him. MEPHISTOPHELES He is a friend of mine, with whom it will agree, And he deserves thy kitchen’s best potation: Come, draw thy circle, speak thine adjuration, And fill thy goblet full and free! THE WITCH (_with fantastic gestures draws a circle and places mysterious articles therein; meanwhile the glasses begin to ring, the caldron to sound, and make a musical accompaniment. Finally she brings a great book, and stations in the circle the Apes, who are obliged to serve as reading-desk, and to hold the torches. She then beckons_ FAUST _to approach_.) FAUST (_to_ MEPHISTOPHELES) Now, what shall come of this? the creatures antic, The crazy stuff, the gestures frantic,— All the repulsive cheats I view,— Are known to me, and hated, too. MEPHISTOPHELES O, nonsense! That’s a thing for laughter; Don’t be so terribly severe! She juggles you as doctor now, that, after, The beverage may work the proper cheer. (_He persuades_ FAUST _to step into the circle_.) THE WITCH (_begins to declaim, with much emphasis, from the book_) See, thus it’s done! Make ten of one, And two let be, Make even three, And rich thou ’It be. Cast o’er the four! From five and six (The witch’s tricks) Make seven and eight, ’Tis finished straight! And nine is one, And ten is none. This is the witch’s once-one’s-one! FAUST She talks like one who raves in fever. MEPHISTOPHELES Thou’lt hear much more before we leave her. ’Tis all the same: the book I can repeat, Such time I’ve squandered o’er the history: A contradiction thus complete Is always for the wise, no less than fools, a mystery. The art is old and new, for verily All ages have been taught the matter,— By Three and One, and One and Three, Error instead of Truth to scatter. They prate and teach, and no one interferes; All from the fellowship of fools are shrinking. Man usually believes, if only words he hears, That also with them goes material for thinking! THE WITCH (_continues_) The lofty skill Of Science, still From all men deeply hidden! Who takes no thought, To him ’tis brought, ’Tis given unsought, unbidden! FAUST What nonsense she declaims before us! My head is nigh to split, I fear: It seems to me as if I hear A hundred thousand fools in chorus. MEPHISTOPHELES O Sibyl excellent, enough of adjuration! But hither bring us thy potation, And quickly fill the beaker to the brim! This drink will bring my friend no injuries: He is a man of manifold degrees, And many draughts are known to him. (_The_ WITCH, _with many ceremonies, pours the drink into a cup; as_ FAUST _sets it to his lips, a light flame arises_.) Down with it quickly! Drain it off! ’Twill warm thy heart with new desire: Art with the Devil hand and glove, And wilt thou be afraid of fire? (_The_ WITCH _breaks the circle_: FAUST _steps forth_.) MEPHISTOPHELES And now, away! Thou dar’st not rest. THE WITCH And much good may the liquor do thee! MEPHISTOPHELES (_to the_ WITCH) Thy wish be on Walpurgis Night expressed; What boon I have, shall then be given unto thee. THE WITCH Here is a song, which, if you sometimes sing, You’ll find it of peculiar operation. MEPHISTOPHELES (_to_ FAUST) Come, walk at once! A rapid occupation Must start the needful perspiration, And through thy frame the liquor’s potence fling. The noble indolence I’ll teach thee then to treasure, And soon thou’lt be aware, with keenest thrills of pleasure, How Cupid stirs and leaps, on light and restless wing. FAUST One rapid glance within the mirror give me, How beautiful that woman-form! MEPHISTOPHELES No, no! The paragon of all, believe me, Thou soon shalt see, alive and warm. _(Aside)_ Thou’lt find, this drink thy blood compelling, Each woman beautiful as Helen! [Illustration] [Illustration]