Mephistopheles.  Woman, the name offends my ear!

The witch.  Why so?  What has it done to you?

Mephistopheles.  It has long since to fable-books been banished;
But men are none the better for it; true,
The wicked one, but not the wicked ones, has vanished. 
Herr Baron callst thou me, then all is right and good;
I am a cavalier, like others.  Doubt me? 
Doubt for a moment of my noble blood? 
See here the family arms I bear about me!
     [He makes an indecent gesture.]

The witch [laughs immoderately_].  Ha! ha! full well I know you, sir! 
You are the same old rogue you always were!

Mephistopheles [to Faust].  I pray you, carefully attend, This is the way to deal with witches, friend.

The witch.  Now, gentles, what shall I produce?

Mephistopheles.  A right good glassful of the well-known juice! 
And pray you, let it be the oldest;
Age makes it doubly strong for use.

The witch.  Right gladly!  Here I have a bottle,
From which, at times, I wet my throttle;
Which now, not in the slightest, stinks;
A glass to you I don’t mind giving;
     [Softly.]
But if this man, without preparing, drinks,
He has not, well you know, another hour for living.

Mephistopheles. 
’Tis a good friend of mine, whom it shall straight cheer up;
Thy kitchen’s best to give him don’t delay thee. 
Thy ring—­thy spell, now, quick, I pray thee,
And give him then a good full cup.

[The WITCH, with strange gestures, draws a circle, and places singular things in it; mean-while the glasses begin to ring, the kettle to sound and make music.  Finally, she brings a great book and places the monkeys in the circle, whom she uses as a reading-desk and to hold the torches.  She beckons FAUST to come to her.]

Faust [to Mephistopheles]. 
Hold! what will come of this?  These creatures,
These frantic gestures and distorted features,
And all the crazy, juggling fluff,
I’ve known and loathed it long enough!

Mephistopheles.  Pugh! that is only done to smoke us;
Don’t be so serious, my man! 
She must, as Doctor, play her hocus-pocus
To make the dose work better, that’s the plan.
      [He constrains FAUST to step into the circle.]

            THE WITCH
      [beginning with great emphasis to declaim out of the book]

Remember then! 
Of One make Ten,
The Two let be,
Make even Three,
There’s wealth for thee. 
The Four pass o’er! 
Of Five and Six,
(The witch so speaks,)
Make Seven and Eight,
The thing is straight: 
And Nine is One
And Ten is none—­
This is the witch’s one-time-one![24]

Faust.  The old hag talks like one delirious.