itence he relinquishes his property to the young people, and
exhorting Manal to be a just and clement Judge, he betakes himself to
the mountains, resolved to join in the war against the Turks.

{201}

MARGUERITE (OR FAUST).

Opera in five acts by CHARLES GOUNOD.

The subject of this piece is taken from the first part of Goethe's
greatest drama--"Faust".

Faust, a celebrated old Doctor, is consumed by an insatiable thirst for
knowledge, but, having already lived through a long life devoted to the
acquirement of learning and to hard work as a scholar, without having
his soul-hunger appreciably relieved, is dissatisfied and in his
disappointment wishes to be released from this life, which has grown to
be a burden to him. At this moment Mephistopheles, the incarnation of
the Evil One, appears and persuades him to try life in a new shape.
The old and learned Doctor has only known it in theory, Mephisto will
now show it to him in practice and in all the splendor of youth and
freshness. Faust agrees, and Mephisto endows him with youth and
beauty. In this guise he sees earth anew. It is Easter-time, when all
is budding and aglow with freshness and young life and on such a bright
spring-day he first sees Margaretha and at once offers her his arm.

But this lovely maiden, pure and innocent, and well guarded by a
jealous brother, named Valentin, refuses his company somewhat
sharply.--Nevertheless she cannot help seeing the grace and good
bearing of the fine cavalier, and the simple village-maiden is inwardly
pleased with his flattery. A bad fate wills it, that her brother
Valentin, who is {202} a soldier, has to leave on active service and
after giving many good advices and warnings for his beautiful sister's
wellfare he goes and so Mephisto is able to introduce Faust to the
unprotected girl by means of a message, which he is supposed to have
received for an old aunt of Margaretha's "Frau Marthe Schwertlein".
This old gossip, hearing from Mephisto that her husband has been killed
in battle, lends a willing ear to the flatteries of the cunning Devil;
and Margaretha is left to Faust, who wins her by his love and easy
manners. She is only a simple maiden, knowing nothing of the world's
ways and wiles, and she accepts her lover's precious gifts with
childish delight.

By and bye, her brother Valentin returns victorious from the war, but
alas! too late! He challenges his sister's seducer; Mephisto however
directs Faus