XLVII
In May of 1930, L. invites all of his friends and associates to Pfeiffering to play them piano extracts from his recently completed The Lamentation of Doctor Faustus. The resulting assembly serves as a kind of group portrait of many of the secondary characters from the last twenty-five chapters. Once everybody has arrived, L. delivers a monologue in antiquated German that recalls a similar speech in the closing chapters of the Chapbook. He claims responsibility for the deaths of Rudi Schwerdtfeger and Nepomuk Schneidewein and claims to have had sexual intercourse with several succubae. Most of his scandalized guests flee the room. When only a small circle of his closest friends is left, L. attempts to perform his work, but suffers a paralytic stroke and falls to the floor.
Time of composition: January 2–19, 1947. Time of narration: Late April 1945. Narrated time: 1930.
516/711
“Watch with me! […] in my hour!”
Matthew 26:40. Compare Kretzschmar’s Beethoven lecture on 62/89 as well as Z.’s explanation on 514/710.
519/717
He sat with his hands folded, his head tilted to one side
A Christological posture, though also one frequently affected by Nietzsche during his final years.
519/717
in that slightly monotone […] fashion
Monotone and halting speech is another common symptom of tertiary syphilis, also attested in Nietzsche.
520/719
he used a kind of antiquated German
L.’s antiquated figures of speech are largely derived from the Chapbook, and in fact, parts of his address faithfully summarize similar passages in the original source.
520/718
famulus
See 56/79.
520/718
our hound Praestigiar
This name is derived from the Latin praestigiator (swindler, con man) and occurs in a later adaptation of the Chapbook that TM consulted during his research.
521/719
Goad
See 494/682.
521/720
The Angel of Poison
See Echo’s chatter on 244/333.
521/720
you must set pins if you would bowl
A phrase that L. derives from the theology professor Kumpf. See 104/142.
522/721
for indeed St. Thomas already teaches
TM found these teachings in the Malleus Maleficarum.
523/722
my datum was fixed
Latin: “that which is given,” though in German, Datum simply means “date.”
523/723
the great religiosus
This reference to the devil as “the great religiosus” is unusual, but must be understood in light of the teachings of Eduard Schleppfuss in XIII.
523/723
figuris […] characteribus
See 263/362.
524/724
should a man make the Devil […] and break through
The summation of the “breakthrough” theme in DF, which is here applied not only to L.’s personal musical development, but also quite clearly to the German nation.
524/724
Nigromantia, carmina, incantatio, veneficium
Latin: “black arts, [magical] songs, incantation, preparation of poisons and potions.” All terms that can be found in the Chapbook.
524/724
Hyphialta by name
Another term for “succubus” that TM found in early modern sources.
524/724
as my concubine
The original here has the antiquated term Schlafweib, which the Chapbook uses to describe Helen after Faustus employs her as his concubine.
525/725
Therefore I must needs kill him
The reference is, of course, to Schwerdtfeger. L.’s confession here suggests he knew exactly what would happen to his friend when he sent him to Marie Godeau’s house.
525/725
magisterulus
Latin: “little master.”
525/726
“He who seeketh hard things shall have it hard.”
See 232/987. TM removed the earlier reference from the novel following the publication of the first edition, thus interfering with the tightly woven net of self-quotations that characterize L.’s final monologue.
527/728
“I, as a numismatist, consider myself completely incompetent here.”
See 471/651.
527/728
We saw tears trickle […] and fall on the keys
A similar occurrence is attested in the life of Hugo Wolf, another victim of syphilis that served as a model for L.
527/728
held his upper body in her motherly arms
Another instance of the pietà motif that we already saw on 137/188.