Faustus, walking briskly, enters his study, where Mephistophiles is lying on an oriental chaise. Faustus is reading aloud from an opened royal missive. A silky ribbon, bestrewn its wax seal, trails conspicuously, flirtatiously.

***

The image is

an etching of Charles V

(Carlos of Spain), the Holy Roman Emperor during Faustus’s lifetime.

Charles, a cosmopolitan emperor,

famously said:

“I speak Spanish to God,

Italian to women, French to men,

and German to my horse.”

Music excerpt is

Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kijé Suite,

Op. 60 - from the album

Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, Love For 3 Oranges, Lieutenant Kijé with conductor Lorin Maazel & Orchestre National De L'ORTF