Mephistopheles.

How easy 'tis !-Hear'st thou the drums afar?
Faust. What, war again! The wise hear it not willingly.
Mephistopheles.

In peace or war the care must still be prudent,
From each occurrence to derive advantage.
We watch, we mark for every favouring time;
Here's opportunity; now seize it, Faust.

Faust. Spare me, I pray you now, such riddling stuff!
Now tell me short, what is 't? Explain thyself.

Mephistopheles.

Nothing was hidden from me in my progress,
In mighty cares the emperor good is wavering,
Thou know'st him. When we gave to him amusement,
And when into his hand we played false riches,
Then the whole earth to him was cheap.

For while yet young, the throne he gained,
Then made this faulty resolution,

That it would very well agree,

And was desirable and good,

To govern and to take his pleasure.

Faust. A mighty error. He who would command,
Must find his happiness but in commanding.
His breast must be of mighty willing full,
Yet what he wills, no man must dare to fathom.
That which he whispers in the true one's ear,
That is performed, astonished is the world.
So will he be, the highest still of all,

And worthiest; for pleasure common makes.

Mephistopheles.

Such is he not! He pleased himself, and how?
Meantime the kingdom fell to anarchy,

Where great and small opposing ever combated;
Brother chased brother and him slaughtered,
Castle 'gainst castle, town, too, against town,
Guilds 'gainst nobility had feuds,

Bishops with chapters, congregations,

Foes all you saw were to each other.

Death in the churches, and assassination,

Merchant and wanderer at the gates were murdered,
Their boldness grew, nor grew to small extent;
To live was to defend oneself-and thus it went.

Faust. It went, it limped, it fell, again it rose,
Then overbalanced and rolled in a heap.

Mephistopheles.

And no one needed to blame this condition,

For each one could and each one would be some one;

The smallest would be thought complete;
Yet for the best at last it bad became,
The powerful ones stood up with might

And said; he shall be Lord who brings us peace;
The emperor cannot, will not; let us choose then
The emperor new, new to inspire the kingdom,
And whilst each man's in safety placed,
Within a freshly formed world

To join together peace and justice.

Faust. That sounds too priestly.

Mephistopheles.

Oh! there were priests too,

For they insured the well-fed belly-they;
They had more share than others in it.

The uproar swelled, for the uproar was hallowed,
And our emperor whom we joyful made

Is marching here, to his last fight perhaps.

Faust. It grieves me: for he was so good and open.

Mephistopheles.

Come let us see, there's hope still to the living:
Come, let us free him from this narrow valley!
Once rescued, rescued is for thousand seasons,
Who knows which way the die will tumble?
And if he has fortune, he has also vassals.

(They ascend the middle range of hills and view the arrangement of the
army in the valley. Drums and warlike music sound up
from beneath.)

Mephistopheles. They've taken well, I see, their situation,
Let us go to them, then the victory's perfect.

Faust. And what may there awaited be?
Deceit and magic! hollow forms.

Mephistopheles.

Cunning of war to gain the battles!
Confirm thee in the mighty feeling

Whilst thou thine arm considerest.

If we preserve the emp'ror's throne and country
Thou wilt kneel down and straight receive

The fief of the unbounded strand.

Faust. Already hast accomplished much,
Do thou a battle also gain.

Mephistopheles. No! do thou gain it! for the nonce
Thou art the generalissimo.

Faust. Why that's the very thing to suit me,

There to command where I can comprehend nought!

Mephistopheles.

Let thou the general's staff look to it
And the field marshal is securèd.
Mischief of war I long have tracèd,

Counsel of war beforehand formed

From the old mountain's ancient human might;
Well, well for him who them together draws.

Faust. What do I see there bearing arms?

Hast thou the mountain folk roused up? Mephistopheles. No! but like Mr. Peter Squenz

Mephistopheles.

Of the whole stuff the quintessence.
(The three mighty ones step up).*

Now see there where my fellows come!
Thou seest of very different ages,

Of different clothes and armour are they there,

Thou 'lt not with these get on so badly.

Now every child is very fond

Of armour and of knightly gorget;

And allegorical as are the rags,

(To the spectators.)

Only more pleased they will be for that reason.

Bully (young, lightly armed, and gaudily attired).

If any one looks into

my face,

With my fist I will strike him on the mouth.
I'll catch a coward if he flies,

And by his locks extreme I'll seize him.

Have-quick (manly, well armed, richly clothed).
Empty quarrels are but folly,

With that one only wastes the day;
In taking only be unwearied,

Ask afterwards for what remains.

Holdfast (old, strongly armed, without garb).

With that too much is ne'er obtained!
Soon is a great possession vanished

It rushes down the stream of life.

Taking indeed is good, but better is retaining;
Let only the old fellow manage,

And none will take away from thee.

(They descend altogether deeper.)

* 2 Sam. xxiii. 8.

ON THE PROMONTORY.

Drums and warlike music from beneath.
The Emperor's tent pitched.
Emperor, Generalissimo, halberdiers.

Generalissimo.

Still well weighed appears our planning,
That we to this convenient vale

When pressed have led back all our army;
I hope the choice will profit now.

Emperor. How it now goes, soon must be shown us;
Yet grieveth me this flight-this yielding.

Generalissimo.

On our right side behold, behold, my emperor!
The thought of war would wish for such a station:
The hills not steep, nor easy of ascending,
To the foe danger, but to us advantage,
Half hidden we, on the undulating plain,
Here will the cavalry not dare to come.

Emperor. There's nothing left us but to praise it,
Here arm and breast can well be proven.

Generalissimo.

On the flat spaces of the middle meadows
Seest thou the phalanx here, prepared for combat.
The pikes are glancing, glittering in the air,
In the sunshine through morning's steamy mist.
How darkly waves the strong and powerful square!
By thousands glow they there for mighty acts.
Thou canst in that the mass's strength discover,
To them I trust the hostile power to scatter.
Emperor. I have for the first time this beauteous sight.
Such men as these are worth their number twice.
Generalissimo,

Of our left wing nothing need I tell you,
The steep rocks are possessed by sturdy heroes.
The stormy cliffs that now with weapons gleam,
The important pass to the narrow vale protect.
I bode already shattered powers of foemen
Since they foresee not in the bloody matter.
Emperor. See, hither march they all, the false relations,
Who called me uncle, cousin, even brother,

Who to themselves took more and still more ever,
Took honour from the throne, strength from the sceptre,
And then, divided, ravaged the kingdom,

And now collected raise themselves against me.

The mob are wavering in uncertain mind

Then, where the stream may bear them they will go. Generalissimo.

A faithful man for information sent

Hastes down the rocks; may he have speeded well!

First Spy. Happily have we succeeded,

Bold and crafty was our art,
Here and there we penetrated,
Yet have little good to tell.
Many swore to thee obedience
Pure, as many a faithful band,
But their excuse for inactivity,
Was civil ferment, people's hurt.

Emperor. To aid oneself is still of selfishness the doctrine,
Not gratitude or liking, duty, honour;

You never think, if your own reck'ning's full,
Your neighbour's house may burn and you consume.
Generalissimo.

The second comes, but slowly steps he downward,
Tired he seems and all his limbs are trembling.

Second Spy.

First of all we saw with pleasure

The wild doing's erring course;
Unexpected, undelaying,

Steppeth a new emperor forth.
And with regulated journeying
Speeds the throng across the plain ;
The unfurled and flying banners
All are following-like to sheep!

Emperor. A rival emperor is to me a gain,

Now first I feel that I the emperor am.
Only as soldier put I armour on,

For higher purpose now it clothes my limbs.
every feast however much it shone,

In

Nothing was missed, except that danger failed.
Whene'er you call'd me to the ring's wild sport,
Loud beat my heart, I breathed the tournament;
And if you had not me from war dissuaded
Long since I had shone forth in deeds heroic.
I felt my bosom sealed, independent,

When in the fire domain I there was mirrored;

Fearfully on me pressed the element;

'Twas but a seeming, yet a seeming grand,
Confused of victory and fame. I've dreamed;
Now will I do what sinful I delayed.

(The heralds are sent off to challenge the rival emperor.)