Feel nerved myself upon the world to throw, To battle with tempests, and stand on the deck The moon hides her light,. The lamp glimmers faintly; Smoke swells, red flashes sparkle round my head, Down from the roof it sinks, and seizes me. Spirit invoked, I feel thou hoverest near, Ha, what conflict tears my heart, Deep stirred and passion tossed, I feel my heart entire to thee resigned, Thou must, thou must, though it my life should cost. tion of angels and spirits, but only by the unity and harmony of nature. There were some also that stayed not here, but went further, and held, that if the Spirit of Man, whom they call the Microcosm, do give a fit touch to the Spirit of the world, by strong imaginations and belief, it might command nature, for Paracelsus and some darksome authors of magic, do ascribe to imagination exalted the power of miracle working fate." Lord Bacon. * Literally all my senses are stirred up or harrowed. The He pronounces the sign of the Spirit of the Earth mysteriously. A reddish flame flashes. Spirit appears in the flame. THE SPIRIT. Who calls upon me? FAUST, turning away. Aspect of affright. THE SPIRIT. Thy potent call hath brought me here, And now FAUST. Torture, I cannot bear the sight. THE SPIRIT. With panting supplication thou hast sought me, Its swoln self to us, the spirits, elevated? * Mich neigt, bends me, inclines me to comply with your prayer. Where art thou Faust, whose voice so rang unto me, FAUST. Thou shape of flame, I yield not so, SPIRIT. In the tide of life, in action's storm, Up and down I ever float; Hover here and there, The cradle and the tomb, An eternal ocean, A changeful motion, A glowing living: I work at old Time's whirring loom, A garment of life for the Deity weaving. FAUST. Thou that pervadest earth, and air, and sea, Creative Spirit, how I yearn to thee. Oh death! I know it, it is my Famulus.* That all the fulness of bright visions thus WAGNER, in his dressing gown and night-cap, a lamp in his hand-FAUST turns unwillingly. WAGNER. Pardon; just now I heard you loud declaim ; * Famulus, a sort of literary aide-de-camp. + Goethe seems to have gibbeted the name of Wagner, in retaliation for a small act of piracy, committed by an early friend of his bearing it. He says, "On account of the consequences, I must recall the recollection of a good companion, who, without any extraordinary gifts, was nevertheless one of And much I wish to profit by the same; A player might be to a preacher. FAUST. Yes, if the preacher act himself a play, WAGNER. occasion. Ah, when one to one's study is confined, As through a telescope one sees mankind, FAUST. Unless you feel, in vain pursuit ; Unless from out your soul it wells, us. He was called Wagner, and was first a member of the Strasburg, then of the Frankfurt company. He was not without spirit, talent, and instruction. He shewed himself active, and so was welcome. He was also attached to me, and as I made no secret of my projects, I told him, as I did others, of my plot for Faust, especially the catastrophe of Gretchen. He took up the plot and used it for a tragedy, 'the Infanticide.' That was the first time any one snatched away any of my designs. It vexed me, though I bore him no grudge for it." Wahrheit und Dichtung. |