The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-07
"FAUsT."


Continuation OF Professor Davidson's
Lecture Course.
At the women's College Building on
Benefit street, on Monday afternoon, FRO
fessor Thomas Davidson OF New York,
continued his course Of lectures on
Goethe's "Faust" with an analysis OF the
first act of the second part.
"We pass now" said he, "from the
world OF individual instincts, la which
Mephistopheles' attempts toensnare Faust
met with confusion and defeat, 10 the
great world of ideas, where we hnd
the same Mephisto, still endeavoring to
allure Faust by the pleasures of the senses.
The second part OF the play shows us that
true happiness, which is not TO be found
elsewhere, exists i'm the realm OF active
ideas, and hinges on the aim for complete
self sacrifice.
"Faust had found his way to mountain
retreat, where, in communion with nature,
he could obtain rest and comfort after
the severe mental tortures he had been
undergoing. Under the direction OF
Ariel the fairies administered to him, re-
presenting the healing powers OF nature
assuaging the bitter pangs OF
remorse he felt. Here we have
very vivid picture OF Fausts
shattered mental and moral condition.
II is unfortunate that Goethe has repre-
sented moral suffering as cured by natu-
raj agents, but it is obviously the only
means he had at his command.
"With the break of day, beautifully de-
scribed in the German, Faust rose with
new vigor, ready for struggle for high
er existence and an attainment OF more
lofty ideal. But he had enough experience
to show him that to obtain the culture
for which he was seeking he ought to go
not to the world OF merely pure
ideals, but to the world OF institu-
tions. To crafty him Mephistopheles
set TO work to obtain for him
a high position at court. He accomplished
this by clever trick, taking the place OF
the court fool, who was intoxicated, and
worming himself into the Emperors con-
fidence. This incident gives the poet q
chance to describe the imperial court and
the empire as it existed Mt that time, and
he does so with great accuracy. 1t was
perfect incarnation of the Mephistopheliar
spirit OF disintegration.
"When Mephisto came TO court every
thing was in turmoil. The ministers
thought that everything was going to ruin
and the Emperor was finding
fault with them for not ordering
matters so that he need not be troubled
by affairs Of State. In the next scene we
are introduced to carnival in the i'm
perial palace, with gorgeous procession
passing by. There is time but for the
merest outline of the scenes, which
represent the empire under the influence
OF the Italian culture which was destroy
ing the old German simplicity and un der
mining the empire. The influence of
wealth and avarice on the popular mind
was also well illustrated.
son the reassembling of the court,
Mephisto succeeded in persuading the
Emperor that ali that was necessary to
right matters was the unlimited coinage
of money, which could be done by
means of paper money, representing
the vast stores Of wealth
yet uncovered in the kingdom, which, by
popular tradition, were the property of the
monarch. Faust was brought forward
into favor at this time az the kings ad-
wiser In the matter, and stood high in his
estimation, inasmuch as prosperity
naturally followed for time"
The remainder of the time was taken
up with the conjuration scene i'm the first
act, where Faust, shown the method by
Mephisto, conjured up Paris and Helen
for the entertainment of the court.
From this time on Faust's mind was
turned toward the Greek world and
farther away from the world of medieval
institutions where alone Mephisto has
any meaning. In the first act Faust, the
type OF medieval development, learned
to seek his satisfaction in the world of
ideal beauty.