The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-13
"FAUsT.,
Professor Davidson Finishes His
Lecture Course.


AT the women's College BUILDING on
Benefit street, yesterday afternoon, Pro-
fessor Thomas Davidson Of
New York completed his
course of lectures on Goethe's
Faust" His subject was the salvation
OF Faust and he carried the thought along
from the beginning of the second act of
the second part to the close, touching
briefly on the main points.
"We left Faust" said he, with his con-
soiousness lost after his glimpse OF the
Greek life. In order to restore him,
Mephistopheles conveyed him back to his
old study, which was about the same as
he had left it.. Wagner had now
become a learned man after the medieval
style, and was looked up TO by all. As
might be supposed, he had developed into
a complete example of the pedant of the
middle age, with nosthought'save for his
books and studies.
"When Faust was finally restored to
consciousness IL was no longer the same
old condition ofthoughts which animated
him. He had become part of
the classical Greek world, and SO
in order to tempt him further
Mephistopheles had to appear in different
guise entirely. Faust was still seeking for
Helen, of whom he had caught but a
glimpse, and at the end of the
second act was about to descend to Hades
in quest of her. But here the poet evident
ly changed his plans, for in the beginning
OF the third act we find the scene laid at
the court of Menelaus. where Helen had
just returned from Troy. Mephisto-
pheles devised a plan to bring her
to Faust and was entirely successful, the
two living for long time in a rural dis
trict in Arcadia. Helen gave birth to n
son by Faust, whose character showed
accurately the union of THE medieval and
classical spirit, exactly what took place
at the German Renaissance, which
resulted in Romanticism. But at
length a voice from the under world
called Helen and she obeyed IT.. Faust
was stif1 unsatisfied. Never had he felt
inclined To- shy to the passing
moment 20, stay, thou art so
fair and 1t was necessary for
joyment for him. Every one he suggested
was rejected with contempt by Faust,
who had an immense project in
view, in which he demanded Mephisto's
aid. In course of time he was successful
in forcing back the sea by means
OF dykes and founding there a
community OF laborers whose ceaseless
annoyed by the chapel bell of an
old couple living near him and bade Me-
phisto remove them to another place be
had provided, Mephisto bent on mischief
set fire to their cottage and
they died OF fright. When the news was
related TO Faust he was thrown into
state of melancholy. He
realized the futility of the
selfish life he had been leading. seeking
his own satisfaction, and he saw that,
though at last be had apparently accom-
plished some good, it had been done
through a compromise with the evil. lie
felt that he was not ready for death. Only
he deserves freedom and life, who daily
must earn them, on free ground
with a free people,, he exclaimed, and
with the conviction at last OF where true
happiness was TO be found he died.
"The poet followed Faust after death,
showing how he was saved, not by the
good he had done, but because he had
continually been aspiring TO something
higher. Salvation depends not on
what man accomplishes but on the ear
nestness OF his purpose. Mephisto had
lost his wager, and Faust, with Gretchen,
redeemed and glorifed, for his instructor,
at last reached that true contact with ma
ture which he had so long desired.