Enter Faust and Mephistopheles.

Mephistopheles. First thing of all I bring you here, Into a company of jolly cheer, That you may learn how men contrive Without much thought or care to live. These fellows feast their lives away In a continual holiday; With little wit and much content Their narrow round of life is spent, As playful kittens oft are found To chase their own tails round and round. So live they on from day to day, As long as headache keeps away, And by no anxious thought are crossed, While they get credit from the host.

Brander. These gentlemen are strangers; in their face One reads they lack the breeding of the place; They’re not an hour arrived, I warrant thee.

Frosch. There you are right!—Leipzig’s the place, I say! It is a little Paris in its way.

Siebel. What, think you, may the strangers be?

Frosch. Leave that to me!—I’ll soon fish out the truth. Fill me a bumper till it overflows, And then I’ll draw the worms out of their nose, As easily as ’twere an infant’s tooth. To me they seem to be of noble blood, They look so discontented and so proud.

Brander. Quack doctors both!—Altmayer, what think you?

Altmayer. ’Tis like.

Frosch. Mark me! I’ll make them feel the screw.

Mephistopheles. [to Faust] They have no nose to smell the devil out, Even when he has them by the snout.

Faust. Be greeted, gentlemen!

Siebel. With much respect return we the salute. [Softly, eyeing Mephistopheles from the one side.] What! does the fellow limp upon one foot?

Mephistopheles. With your permission, we will make so free, As to intrude upon your company. The host’s poor wines may keep us in sobriety, But we at least enjoy your good society.

Altmayer. Our wine is good; and, for to speak the truth, Your mother fed you with too nice a tooth.

Frosch. When left you Rippach? you must have been pressed For time. Supped you with Squire Hans by the way?

Mephistopheles. We had no time to stay! But when I last came by, I was his guest. He spoke much of his cousins, and he sent To you and all full many a compliment. [He makes a bow to Frosch.

Altmayer. [softly] You have him there!—he understands the jest!

Siebel. He is a knowing one!

Frosch. I’ll sift him through anon!

Mephistopheles. As we came in, a concert struck my ear Of skilful voices in a chorus pealing! A gleesome song must sound most nobly here, Re-echoed freely from the vaulted ceiling.

Frosch. Perhaps you have yourself some skill?

Mephistopheles. O no! had I the power, I should not want the will.

Altmayer. Give us a song!

Mephistopheles. A thousand, willingly!

Siebel. Only brand-new, I say!—no thread-bare strain!

Mephistopheles. We are but just come from a tour in Spain, The lovely land of wine and melody. [He sings.] There was a king in old times That had a huge big flea—

Frosch. Ha, ha! a flea!—he seems a man of taste! A flea, I wis, is a most dainty guest?

Mephistopheles. [sings again] There was a king in old times That had a huge big flea, As if it were his own son, He loved it mightily. He sent out for the tailor, To get it a suit of clothes; He made my lord a dress-coat, He made him a pair of hose.

Brander. Be sure that Monsieur le Tailleur be told To take his measure most exact and nice, And as upon his head he puts a price, To make the hose without or crease or fold!

Mephistopheles. In velvet and in silk clad He strutted proudly then, And showed his star and garter With titled gentlemen. Prime minister they made him, With cross and ribbon gay, And then all his relations At court had much to say.

This caused no small vexation At court; I tell you true— The queen and all her ladies Were bitten black and blue. And yet they durst not catch them, Nor crack them, when they might, But we are free to catch them, And crack them when they bite.

Chorus. [shouting] But we are free to catch them And crack them when they bite!

Frosch. Bravo, bravo!—his voice is quite divine.

Siebel. Such fate may every flea befall!

Brander. Point your nails and crack ’em all!

Altmayer. A glass to liberty!—long live the vine!

Mephistopheles. I’d drink to liberty with right good will, If we had only better wine to drink.

Siebel. You might have kept that to yourself, I think!

Mephistopheles. I only fear our host might take it ill, Else should I give to every honored guest From our own cellar of the very best.

Siebel. O never fear!—If you but find the wine, Our host shall be content—the risk be mine!

Frosch. Give me a flowing glass, and praise you shall not want, So that your sample, mark me! be not scant; I cannot judge of wine, unless I fill My mouth and throat too with a goodly swill.

Altmayer. [softly] I see the gentlemen are from the Rhine.

Mephistopheles. Give me a gimlet here!—I’ll show you wine.

Brander. What would the fellow bore? Has he then wine-casks at the door?

Altmayer. There, in the basket, you will find a store Of tools, which our good landlord sometimes uses.

Mephistopheles. [Taking the gimlet.] [To Frosch.] Now every man may taste of what he chooses.

Frosch. How mean you that? Can you afford?

Mephistopheles. No fear of that; my cellar is well stored.

Altmayer. [to Frosch] Aha! I see you smack your lips already.

Frosch. I’ll have Rhine wine; what fatherland produces Is better far than French or Spanish juices.

Mephistopheles. [boring a hole in the edge of the table where Frosch is sitting] Fetch me some wax, to make the stoppers ready.

Altmayer. He means to put us off with jugglery.

Mephistopheles. [to Brander] And you, sir, what?

Brander. Champagne for me! And brisk and foaming let it be!

[Mephistopheles bores; meanwhile one of the party has got the stoppers ready, and closes the holes.

Brander. To foreign climes a man must sometimes roam, In quest of things he cannot find at home; For Frenchmen Germans have no strong affection, But to their wines we seldom make objection.

Siebel. [while Mephistopheles is coming round to him] I have no taste for your sour wines to-day, I wish to have a swig of good Tokay.

Mephistopheles. [boring] That you shall have, and of the very best.

Altmayer. No, gentlemen!—’tis plain you mean to jest; If so, in me you much mistake your man.

Mephistopheles. Ha! ha!—no little risk, methinks, I ran, To venture tricks with noble guests like you. Come! make your choice, speak boldly out, and I Will do my best your wish to gratify.

Altmayer. Give me what wine you please!—only not much ado.

[After having bored and stopped up all the holes.

Mephistopheles. [with strange gestures] Grapes on the vine grow! Horns on the goat! The wine is juicy, the vine is of wood, The wooden table can give it as good. Look into Nature’s depths with me! Whoso hath faith shall wonders see! Now draw the corks, and quaff the wine!

All. [drawing the corks, and quaffing the out-streaming liquor each as he had desired] O blessed stream!—O fount divine!

Mephistopheles. Drink on! only be cautious in your hurry.

[They drink freely.

All. [singing] No king of cannibals to day More bravely rules the drinking bout, Than we, when, like five hundred swine, We drain the brimming bumpers out!

Mephistopheles. [to Faust] Look at the fellows now!—are they not merry?

Faust. I feel inclined to go!—’tis getting late.

Mephistopheles. Soon shall we have a glorious revelation Of the pure beast in man, if you but wait.

Siebel. [drinks carelessly; the wine falls to the ground and becomes flame] Help! fire! the devil’s here! death and damnation!

Mephistopheles. [Addressing himself to the flames] Peace, friendly element! be still! [To the company.] This time ’twas but a spurt of purgatorial flame.

Siebel. What’s that?—you little know your men; we’ll tame Your impudence, you juggling knave, we will!

Frosch. ’Twere dangerous to repeat such gambols here!

Altmayer. Methinks ’twere best to whisper in his ear That he had better leave the room.

Siebel. What, sirrah? do you then presume To play your hocus-pocus here?

Mephistopheles. Peace, old wine-cask!

Siebel. You broomstick, you! Must we then bear your insolence too?

Brander. Wait! wait! it shall rain blows anon!

Altmayer. [draws a stopper from the table, and fire rushes out on him] I burn! I burn!

Siebel. There’s witchcraft in his face! The fellow’s an outlaw! strike him down!

[They draw their knives and attack Mephistopheles.

Mephistopheles. [with serious mien] False be eye, and false be ear! Change the sense, and change the place! Now be there, and now be here!

[They look as thunderstruck, and stare at one another.

Altmayer. Where am I? in what lovely land?

Frosch. Vineyards! can it be so?

Siebel. And grapes too quite at hand!

Brander. And here beneath this shady tree, This noble vine, these blushing clusters see!

[He seizes Siebel by the nose. The rest seize one another in the same manner, and lift up their knives.

Mephistopheles. [as above] Let Error now their eyes unclose, The devil’s joke to understand!

[He vanishes with Faust. The fellows start back from one another.

Siebel. What’s the matter?

Altmayer. How now?

Frosch. Was that your nose?

Brander. [to Siebel] And yours is in my hand!

Altmayer. It was a stroke shot through my every limb! Give me a chair!—I faint! My eyes grow dim!

Frosch. Now tell me only what has been the matter?

Siebel. Where is the fellow? Could I catch him here, His life out of his body I should batter!

Altmayer. I saw him just this instant disappear, Riding upon a wine-cask—I declare I feel a weight like lead about my feet. [Turning to the table.] I wonder if his d——d wine still be there!

Siebel. There’s not a single drop; ’twas all a cheat.

Frosch. And yet methinks that I was drinking wine.

Brander. And I could swear I saw a clustered vine.

Altmayer. Let none now say the age of miracles is past!