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PROMENADE
FAUST walking thoughtfully up and down. To him MEPHISTOPHELES.
MEPHISTOPHELES
By all rejected love! By hellish fire I curse,
Would I knew aught to make my imprecation worse!
FAUST
What aileth thee? what chafes thee now so sore?
A face like that I never saw before!
MEPHISTOPHELES
I'd yield me to the devil instantly,
Did it not happen that myself am he!
FAUST
There must be some disorder in thy wit!
To rave thus like a madman, is it fit?
MEPHISTOPHELES
Think! only think! The gems for Gretchen brought,
Them hath a priest now made his own !--
A glimpse of them the mother caught,
And 'gan with secret fear to groan.
The woman's scent is keen enough;
Doth ever in the prayer-book snuff;
Smells every article to ascertain
Whether the thing is holy or profane,
And scented in the jewels rare,
That there was not much blessing there.
"My child," she cries, "ill-gotten good
Ensnares the soul, consumes the blood;
With them we'll deck our Lady's shrine,
She'll cheer our souls with bread divine!"
At this poor Gretchen 'gan to pout;
'Tis a gift-horse, at least, she thought,
And sure, he godless cannot be,
Who brought them here so cleverly.
Straight for a priest the mother sent,
Who, when he understood the jest,
With what he saw was well content.
"This shows a pious mind!" Quoth he:
"Self-conquest is true victory.
The Church bath a good stomach, she, with zest,
Whole countries hath swallow'd down,
And never yet a surfeit known.
The Church alone, be it confessed,
Daughters, can ill-got wealth digest."
FAUST
It is a general custom, too.
Practised alike by king and jew.
MEPHISTOPHELES
With that, clasp, chain, and ring, he swept
As they were mushrooms; and the casket,
Without one word of thanks, he kept,
As if of nuts it were a basket.
Promised reward in heaven, then forth he hied--
And greatly they were edified.
FAUST
And Gretchen!
MEPHISTOPHELES
In unquiet mood
Knows neither what she would or should;
The trinkets night and day thinks o'er,
On him who brought them, dwells still more.
FAUST
The darling's sorrow grieves me, bring
Another set without delay!
The first, methinks, was no great thing.
MEPHISTOPHELES
All's to my gentleman child's play!
FAUST
Plan all things to achieve my end!
Engage the attention of her friend!
No milk-and-water devil be,
And bring fresh jewels instantly!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Ay, sir! Most gladly I'll obey.
(FAUST exit.)
MEPHISTOPHELES
Your doting love-sick fool, with ease,
Merely his lady-love to please,
Sun, moon, and stars in sport would puff away.
(Exit.)
Content of PROMENADE [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play/drama: Faust Part 1]
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