_Mephistopheles_. What! carried off already? Then I must use my house-right.--Steady! Room! Squire Voland[36] comes. Sweet people, Clear the ground! Here, Doctor, grasp my arm! and, at a single bound; Let us escape, while yet 'tis easy; E'en for the like of me they're far too crazy. See! yonder, something shines with quite peculiar glare, And draws me to those bushes mazy. Come! come! and let us slip in there.
_Faust_. All-contradicting sprite! To follow thee I'm fated. But I must say, thy plan was very bright! We seek the Brocken here, on the Walpurgis night, Then hold ourselves, when here, completely isolated!
_Mephistopheles_. What motley flames light up the heather! A merry club is met together, In a small group one's not alone.
_Faust_. I'd rather be up there, I own! See! curling smoke and flames right blue! To see the Evil One they travel; There many a riddle to unravel.
_Mephistopheles_. And tie up many another, too. Let the great world there rave and riot, We here will house ourselves in quiet. The saying has been long well known: In the great world one makes a small one of his own. I see young witches there quite naked all, And old ones who, more prudent, cover. For my sake some flight things look over; The fun is great, the trouble small. I hear them tuning instruments! Curs'd jangle! Well! one must learn with such things not to wrangle. Come on! Come on! For so it needs must be, Thou shalt at once be introduced by me. And I new thanks from thee be earning. That is no scanty space; what sayst thou, friend? Just take a look! thou scarce canst see the end. There, in a row, a hundred fires are burning; They dance, chat, cook, drink, love; where can be found Any thing better, now, the wide world round?
_Faust_. Wilt thou, as things are now in this condition, Present thyself for devil, or magician?
_Mephistopheles_. I've been much used, indeed, to going incognito;
But then, on gala-day, one will his order show. No garter makes my rank appear, But then the cloven foot stands high in honor here. Seest thou the snail? Look there! where she comes creeping yonder! Had she already smelt the rat, I should not very greatly wonder. Disguise is useless now, depend on that. Come, then! we will from fire to fire wander, Thou shalt the wooer be and I the pander. [_To a party who sit round expiring embers_.] Old gentlemen, you scarce can hear the fiddle! You'd gain more praise from me, ensconced there in the middle, 'Mongst that young rousing, tousing set. One can, at home, enough retirement get.