NIGHT. Street before Margaret's door. VALENTINE a soldier, Margaret's brother. I used to sit in company, Where all themselves would glorify; And each gay comrade loud would boast, Till all the swaggerers† had done. Let each one praise his own; * Das Lob verschwemmen, corresponds to the Irish phrase of drowning the shamrock. ↑ Schwadroniren, to swagger, from Schwadron a squadron of dragoons. Yet not within the country's bound sister can compare. * Then round and round the clatter went; They shout, he's right;' and some would swear She is her sex's ornament. The boasters then were silent all. Now I am fit to tear my hair, And beat my brains out on the wall; And wince at each chance word I hear; Could call them liars. Who comes here? deceive. The very two, I do believe; 'Tis them, unless my eyes If that's the one, the fox is caught;† * Das wasser reichen, an idiomatical expression, which may be rendered, somewhat freely perhaps, by the phrase, to hold a candle.' + Ich pack ihn beim Felle, I hold him by the skin. FAUST. MEPHISTOPHELES. FAUST. As from yon vestry window there, the ray In the surrounding darkness of the night: MEPHISTOPHEles. For me, I am like the tom cat, sprightly A little sly desire, a little caterwauling : After to-morrow comes it back ; 'Tis then worth while to be awake. FAUST. Doth the light I see glimmering over there, *Feuer leitern, are the long ladders used in case of fire, which in Germany are always to be found hung on hooks, under the eaves of the churches, where they are both protected from weather and ready at hand when wanted. MEPHISTOPHEles. You shall experience, soon, the pleasure, Of raising up the hidden treasure ; Good Lion Dollars* are there in't. FAUST. What, not a trinket? not a ring, With which my darling I may deck? MEPHISTOPHEles. I think I spied out some such thing. * Lion, Lowen, or Louvain Dollars. Dollars of Brabant, coined at the capital of that duchy, Löwen or Louvain, and bearing the arms of Brabant, (Sable, a lion rampant, gules). It is well known that about the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, the mechanical skill of Europe was principally centred in the Low Countries, and in Numismatics it has left its impress upon most nations of Europe. Our terms, shilling, groat, penny, are derived from it, and the lineal successors of the lion dollars mentioned here, were, a few years ago, the only coin that was current, unchallenged and unquestioned, all over Germany. They are still very common under the name of Brabanters. FAUST. That's right, I should indeed regret, MEPHISTOPHELES. Well, never mind; you need not fret Gratis to light on something pleasant. A moral song I shall sing to her, With greater certainty to undo her. [sings to the guitar. What dost thou here, before the break of morning, My pretty Kate, before thy lover's door? A maid he'll let thee in, but, oh, take warning, A maid from thence he lets thee out no more. Beware, beware in time; if once 'tis over, VALENTINE. Hell and the devil! for whom is meant, You cursed ratcatcher, here your snare? |