Mephistopheles. And even thus, my progress is but small. This something, the big lumpish world, which stands Opposed to nothing, still ties my hands, And spite of all the ground that I seem winning, Remains as firm as in the beginning; With storms and tempests, earthquakes and burnings, Earth still enjoys its evenings and mornings, And the accursèd fry of brute and human clay, On them my noblest skill seems worse than thrown away. How many thousands have I not buried! Yet still a new fresh blood is hurried Through fresh young veins, that I must sheer despair. The earth, the water, and the air, The moist, the dry, the hot, the cold, A thousand germs of life unfold; And had I not of flame made reservation, I had no portion left in the creation. Faust. And thus thou seekest to oppose The genial power, from which all life and motion flows, Against Existence' universal chain, Clenching thy icy devil's fist in vain! Try some more profitable feats, Strange son of Chaos, full of cross conceits. Mephistopheles. The hint is good, and on occasion, May well deserve consideration; Meanwhile, with your good leave, I would withdraw. Faust. My leave! do I make devil's law? The liberty, methinks, is all your own. I see you here to-day with pleasure, Go now, and come back at your leisure. Here is the door, there is the window, and A chimney, if you choose it, is at hand. Mephistopheles. Let me speak plain! there is a small affair, That, without your assistance, bars my way, The goblin-foot upon the threshold there-- Faust. The pentagram stands in your way![*n6] Ha! tell me then, thou imp of sin, If this be such a potent spell To bar thy going out, how cam'st thou in? What could have cheated such a son of hell? Mephistopheles. Look at it well, the drawing is not true; One angle, that towards the door, you see, Left a small opening for me. Faust. So so! for once dame Fortune has been kind, And I have made a prisoner of you! Chance is not always blind. Mephistopheles. The cur sprang in before it looked about; But now the thing puts on a serious air; The devil is in the house and can't get out. Faust. You have the window, why not jump out there? Mephistopheles. It is a law which binds all ghosts and sprites; Wherever they creep in, there too they must creep out; I came in at the door, by the door I must go out. Faust. So so! then hell too has its laws and rights, Thus might one profit by the powers of evil, And make an honest bargain with the devil. Mephistopheles. The devil, sir, makes no undue exaction, And pays what he has promised to a fraction; But this affair requires consideration, We'll leave it for some future conversation. For this time, I beseech your grace, Let me be gone; I've work to do.