omprehensible to me--yes! even if the vivid lightnings, which at this
moment shoot from thy demon eyes, were to stretch me lifeless in this
circle of damnation. Dost thou think that I have summoned thee merely
for pleasure and gold? Any dastard may fill his belly, and satiate the
desires of the flesh. Thou tremblest! Have I more courage than thyself?
What quaking devil has hell vomited out? And thou callest thyself
Leviathan, who canst do all! Away, away! thou art no fiend, but a
miserable thing like myself.

_Devil_. Madman! thou hast not yet felt, as I have, the vindictiveness
of the Avenger, the anticipation of which alone would make thee return to
dust, even if thou didst bear in thy bosom the united strength of men
from the first to the last sinner. Urge me no farther.

_Faustus_. I will, and am resolved.

_Devil_. Thou inspirest me with reverence and pity.

_Faustus_. Obedience is all I require.

_Devil_. Go to war with him who has lighted up a torch within thee which
will consume thee, if fear do not extinguish it.

_Faustus_. I have done so, and in vain. Obey!

_Devil_. Insatiable man! But know that a devil has his bounds too.
Since our fall, we have lost the idea of these sublime secrets, and
forget even the language to express them. The pure spirits of yonder
world can alone sing and imagine them.

_Faustus_. Dost thou think by this crafty excuse to cheat me of that
which I desire?

_Devil_. Fool! I would wish for no better revenge upon thee than to be
able to paint to thy soul, in the glittering colours of Paradise, all
that thou hast lost, and then see thee writhe in despair. Knew I more
than I know, can the tongue formed of flesh make intelligible to the ear
of flesh what lies beyond the bounds of sense, and the disembodied spirit
only comprehends?

_Faustus_. Then be a spirit, and speak! Shake off this figure.

_Devil_. Wilt thou then understand me?

_Faustus_. Shake off this figure, and let me see thee as a spirit.

_Devil_. Thy words are folly. Now, then, see me: I shall exist, but not
for thee; I shall speak, but thou wilt not catch my meaning.

Leviathan then melted into a thin clear flame, and disappeared.

_Faustus_. Speak, and unfold the enigma.

As the soft west wind moves along the perfumed meadows and gently kisses
the tender flowers, so did it murmur around the ears of Faustus. Then
the murmur changed to a loud continued tumult, which resembled the