The sovereign lord of rats and mice,
Of flies and frogs and bugs and lice,
Commands thee to come forth this hour,
And gnaw this threshold with great power,
As he with oil the same shall smear—
Ha! with a skip e'en now thou'rt here!
But brisk to work! The point by which I'm cowered,
Is on the ledge, the farthest forward.
Yet one more bite, the deed is done.—
Now, Faust, until we meet again, dream on!
Faust. [Waking.] Again has witchcraft triumphed o'er me? Was it a ghostly show, so soon withdrawn? I dream, the devil stands himself before me—wake, to find a poodle gone!
STUDY-CHAMBER.
FAUST. MEPHISTOPHELES.
Faust. A knock? Walk in! Who comes again to tease me?
Mephistopheles. 'Tis I.
Faust. Come in!
Mephistopheles. Must say it thrice, to please me.
Faust. Come in then!
Mephistopheles. That I like to hear.
We shall, I hope, bear with each other;
For to dispel thy crotchets, brother,
As a young lord, I now appear,
In scarlet dress, trimmed with gold lacing,
A stiff silk cloak with stylish facing,
A tall cock's feather in my hat,
A long, sharp rapier to defend me,
And I advise thee, short and flat,
In the same costume to attend me;
If thou wouldst, unembarrassed, see
What sort of thing this life may be.