Conclusion of second Study scene

Posing as a professor Mephistopheles delivers some very satirical advice on various subjects to a student.

MEPHISTOPHELES (IN FAUST’S LONG GOWN)

Despise all knowledge and all reason’s seeing,

All-highest power within the human being,

And just allow yourself to be,

In works of fraud and sorcery,

Thus strengthened by the spirit of lies,

And then, in any case, I’ll get your soul.

For fate has given him a spirit that’s so driving

It presses forward without control,

Leaps over all the joys that earth provides,

In its so over-hasty striving.

I’ll drag him through wild life and right

Through shallow triviality,

I’ll make him flounder, stiffen and stick tight.

In his insatiability

The drink shall float before his greedy lips,

In vain he’ll beg me for refreshing sips;

And even if had not signed

A bargain with a fiendish friend,

He’d still come to a nasty end.

A STUDENT ENTERS

STUDENT

I’ve only come quite recently;

I’ve come, in all humility,

To meet and speak with one all name

With reverence that is quite plain.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Your courtesy most pleases me.

You see a man like any that may be.

But have you made some calls on others?

STUDENT

I beg you, take me in these quarters.

I’ve come with every good resolve,

Fresh blood, a moderate bit of gold.

My mother would hardly let me depart.

While out, I’d like to learn a useful art.

MEPHISTOPHELES

You’re at the right location then.

STUDENT

Frankly, I would I could be off again:

I don’t like being here at all;

In all these walls, in all these halls,

I feel so very cramped. I see

Not one green thing, not even a tree.

And all the schoolroom benches hurt me,

My hearing, sense and thought desert me.

MEPHISTOPHELES

It’s just a habit; wait and see.

A child upon its mother’s breast,

That won’t at first take willingly,

Is quite soon sucking like the rest.

So you’ll find wisdom’s breasts, my boy,

Will every day bring you more joy.

STUDENT

I’d hang upon her neck with great delight,

If you can tell me how to reach that right.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Before continuing, please tell me

What is your chosen faculty?

STUDENT

I’d like great learning, want to try

To grasp all in the earth and sky.

All that's in knowledge I would know

And all that shines in Nature's day.

MEPHISTOPHELES

You’re on the proper track, although

Take care you do not go astray.

STUDENT

With body and with soul I’ll strive;

Yet I admit it’s good to raise

Some free time, just for being alive,

On sunny, summer holidays.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Make use of time, it flows so quickly past,

But system conquers it at last.

My dear friend, my advice to you

Is study logic first right through.

For when your mind is well and truly trained

And laced in “Spanish Boots” and maimed,

It’ll creep more carefully along

The paths of thought and not go on

Like something darting everywhere,

Will-o’-the-wisping here and there.

Then you’ll be taught, as your days fly,

That what you did once in a single try,

Like eating and drinking, unhampered and free,

Must be in order, one, two, three!

It's true, thought’s working is like this-

A weaver’s ceaseless masterpiece;

One pedal rules a thousand lines,

The shuttle shoots forth to and fro,

Lines flow unseen, and at a blow

A thousand threads are intertwined.

And then steps in philosophy

And proves that's how that it must be:

If first were so, and second so,

Then third and fourth would be so too-

If first and second were not though,

Then third and fourth would never do.

Though praised by pupils everywhere,

None find they win the weaver’s flair.

And he who studies what a living thing’s about

Seeks first to drive the spirit out;

He has each part now in his hand,

But lacks, I fear- the spirit’s band.

“Manipulating Nature's sphere",

So it is called by Chemistry-

Not knowing its self-mockery.

STUDENT

I didn’t quite get all of it.

MEPHISTOPHELES

That will improve though, after a bit,

When you have learnt to lessen creation

And use a proper classification.

STUDENT

I feel confused by all you’ve said,

As though a mill wheel turned within my head.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Before all other things you must

Bite into Metaphysic’s crust.

There study and profoundly claim

What won’t go in the human brain.

For what is grasped and what’s not too,

A splendid word will always do.

Above all, for your first half year,

It’s best to keep strict order here.

So take five classes every day

And be there on the bell, I say!

Be well prepared before hand too,

Each paragraph quite studied through,

So you can tell, without a look,

That nothing’s said that’s not there in the book.

And eagerly take down each note,

As if the holy spirit spoke.

STUDENT

You shall no have to tell me twice!

I see how that makes useful sense;

For what you’ve got in black and white

You can bear home with confidence.

MEPHISTOPHELES

You’ve yet to choose a faculty!

STUDENT

I’m just not comfortable, I fear, with law.

MEPHISTOPHELES

I cannot blame you there, I’m sure.

I know about this field’s deformity.

Like lasting illness rules and rights pass over

From one sad generation to another-

Soft-shift from place to place, thief-like.

Sound sense turns nonsense then; kind deeds to blight.

You’re still a youth, alas for you!

The rights we’re born with, sad but true,

Are never given their right due.

STUDENT

I loathe it even more. I am

In luck to learn from such a man.

I’m almost leaning towards Theology.

MEPHISTOPHELES

I would not wish to lead you so astray. You see,

Where knowledge of this sort applies,

It is so hard to shun false paths- within

This work so much well-hidden poison lies,

It’s hard to separate it from the medicine.

Here too it’s best if only one is heard;

One swears upon one master’s word.

In all- hold onto words! Thus sure,

Through this, the safest portal’s door,

You’ll enter the temple of certainty.

STUDENT

Yet thoughts must go with words to some degree.

MEPHISTOPHELES

All right! But do not be too anxious over that,

For just there, where ideas fall flat,

A word turns up in a nick of time. Trust me,

Words let you have fine altercation,

Or bring a system to creation.

In words you can believe unshaken,

For from a word there’s nothing can be taken.

STUDENT

Forgive me holding you with many questions,

Still I must trouble you once more.

Concerning medicine, I’m sure

You also have some strong suggestions.

Three years just flee so quickly past,

And God, the field is all too vast.

If only one had but one hint, just that alone

Would help one feel one's way to further levels.

MEPHISTOPHELES (ASIDE)

I’m fed up with this dust-dry tone;

Again I must right-play the devil.

(ALOUD)

The spirit of medicine’s easily grasped;

You work through macro- and then microcosm,

And then you let things go at last

As God wills them.

In vain you roam on being scientific,

For each one learns just what he can.

But he who seizes on the moment that’s specific,

He is your clued-up man.

You’re passably well-built. Audacity

Won’t fail you either, and if you

Will only trust yourself you’ll see

That other souls will trust you too.

Particularly learn a lot

About the managing of women;

For their eternal sighs and woes,

So thousandfold,

Can all be cured at one spot;

And if you’re just halfway discreet,

You’ll have them all right at your feet.

First off a title makes them trust

Your art transcends the common art;

For greetings you can tap each personal sweet part

Which others must skirt round for years. You grasp

Just how to press the little pulse

And clasp her, with a sly and fiery glance,

Around her slender, pretty waist

To see how tightly she is laced.

STUDENT

That’s more my thing. You see just why and how that way.

MEPHISTOPHELES

All theory, my dear friend, is grey;

The golden tree of life is green.

STUDENT

I swear to you, to me it’s like a dream.

So may I trouble you another time to sound

Your depths of wisdom to their very ground?

MEPHISTOPHELES

I’ll gladly do now what I can.

STUDENT

I cannot possibly be off again

Until I pass my album to you. Grant this good

Sign of your favour, if you would.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Very well.

HE WRITES AND HANDS IT BACK

STUDENT (READING)

Eritis sicut Deus scientes bonum et malum.

You’ll be like God, knowing good and evil.

STUDENT CLOSES THE BOOK REVERENTIALLY AND
EXITS

MEPHISTOPHELES

Just follow that and with it my cousin, the snake;

One day your likeness to God will make

You shiver and shake.

FAUST ENTERS

FAUST

And where shall we go now?

MEPHISTOPHELES

Wherever you want, don’t wait.

We’ll see the little world and then the great.

And with what joy, what gain you’ll find

You’ll sponge on through this course of mine.

FAUST

With my long beard you know that I’ll

Quite fail to lead the light life-style.

So this attempt’s no good. I’ve never grasped

How one’s to fit into the world at large.

I feel so small in front of others, I

Forever feel embarrassed if I try.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Good friend, that will all pass, have no misgiving;

When you can trust yourself, you’ll learn the art of living.

FAUST

How are we going? Who will get

The horses, coach and coachmen too?

MEPHISTOPHELES

We’ll just spread out my cloak a bit

And that will bear us through the blue.

So take this daring step and go,

But please don’t take much luggage though.

A little fire air, that I shall now prepare,

Will lift us swiftly from earth’s care.

And when we’re light we’ll quickly rise from here.

My friend, congratulations on your new career!