Hear my tale of tragedy: [Faustus:] "Alas, philosophy I have explored as well as medicine and law add to these regrettably my studies in theology Yet here I sit, a foolish bore no wiser than I was before No dog can live like this knowledge gained is far from bliss So I resolved my soul to free through blackest magic and dark alchemy" [Goethe: Faust] And from my library old I have this book which I am told Holds the key to strangest lands Places never travelled by man It will, no doubt, open my eyes through Hell I will finally find my Paradise [The Fool:] From browsing through this book I have learned that all that I have ever yearned may be accomplished easily with words uttered feasibly As long as I in my circle remain nothing can harm me, the demons are chained And with the next word I do burn The devils back to Hell return [Faustus:] As a fool summons a devil, so will I summon the Fallen Angel of Light And with his widom in my sight I will remain (both day and night) as happy as a man can be for no knowledge will be strange to me Of stars in heaven I will know As life itself I will explore Rain and thunder I do endure, likewise fire and ice the elements are torturing me with the only purpose that I shall see and know the wisdom of the lord Lucifer I summon thee! [Mephistopheles:] I have come to visit you this late (although your spells are out of date) To see who mocks the name of God he might be of interest to my lord [Faustus:] Then I will speak, and you hear this: In my search for eternal bliss I will give my very soul to you If what you claim is really true Then you will serve me loyally obey my orders accurately For me accomplish any task bring me the moon if I should ask When time is up you claim your prize: My soul forever absent from heavenly paradise As I do sign this covenant in blood from a cut in my hand My soul is not for God to claim I will have twenty-four years with maidens and fame And now I do enquire of you The secrets of life, of Oceans blue of stars upon the mighty sky of moon and planets far up high [Mephistopheles:] That is not for man to know as words can not tell what they are of and man cannot grasp what words cannot command for words are far more glorious than ever was man [Faustus:] Your tracherous lies are powerless You do not convince me, for I stress: do I not grasp love and hate, pleasure and pain, lust and fate ? I cannot describe these, yet I know that in my heart with fire they flow How I repent my loathsome deeds, these devils do not fullfill my needs... [Mephistopheles:] Faustus! I am not at all thrilled you try to escape, yet you have no will but to bath in all pleasures that flesh can give even though, as it appears, your virgin is a devil and now is the day of your fears I will collect what is mine after twelve years as day and night I gave you plenty (twelve and twelve is four-and-twenty) thus, what was thine is now forever mine