The Living Age Volume 115 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 Excerpt: ...bleed. Then to the Father high Went up thy yearning sigh, Pleading for his and thy sore need. Who knoweth How floweth Keen anguish through me now, How my poor heart with fear Is trembling longing here? Thou knowest, only them. And wheresoe'er I go Wilh woe, and woe, and woe, My heart is always aching; And when alone I creep I weep, and weep, and weep, My heart is in me breaking. The flowers before my window, As soon as dawn appears, Dew-gemmed I pluck to bring thee, The dew-drops are my tears. The bright sun every morrow, As on the day that's fled, Finds me in lonely sorrow Weeping upon my bed. Keep, save me, comfort me indeed, Bend down thy gracious brow, 0 Rich in sorrow thou Upon my sore distress and need. MS., " A. P." This touching hymn prepares us for two scenes, in one of which Valentine, Gretchen's brother, finds Faust and Mephistopheles serenading his sister, whose shame is now known, and, attempting to drive them off, is slain, and dies reproaching her. There is no part more full of character and vigour, and Valentine, though only sketched, is drawn, we need scarcely say, with artist-hand. Faust, of course, has to fly for this murder, and Margaret seeks comfort in the cathedral, praying to God. An evil spirit is introduced, through whose words we learn that the mother has died from the sleeping-potion, and he infuses the temptation to kill the coming babe. In the former of these scenes is evidence of the strong hold the play of Hamlet always had over Goethe's mind. Whoever has read Wilhelm Meister will remember that a critique on Hamlet is one of the most interesting digressions of that most digressive work. Faust's self-communing.s have much in common with those of Hamlet, different as are the circumstances of the two characters. It is...