HORSE-COURSER. How, sir! not into the water! why, will he not
drink of all waters?
FAUSTUS. Yes, he will drink of all waters; but ride him not into
the water: o'er hedge and ditch, or where thou wilt, but not into
the water. Go, bid the hostler deliver him unto you, and remember
what I say.
HORSE-COURSER. I warrant you, sir!—O, joyful day! now am I a
made man for ever.
[Exit.]
FAUSTUS. What art thou, Faustus, but a man condemn'd to die?
Thy fatal time draws to a final end;
Despair doth drive distrust into my thoughts:
Confound these passions with a quiet sleep:
Tush, Christ did call the thief upon the Cross;
Then rest thee, Faustus, quiet in conceit.
[He sits to sleep.]
Re-enter the HORSE-COURSER, wet.
HORSE-COURSER. 0, what a cozening doctor was this! I, riding
my horse into the water, thinking some hidden mystery had been
in the horse, I had nothing under me but a little straw, and had
much ado to escape
198 drowning. Well, I'll go rouse him, and
make him give me my forty dollars again.—Ho, sirrah Doctor, you
cozening scab! Master Doctor, awake, and rise, and give me my
money again, for your horse is turned to a bottle of hay, Master
Doctor! [He pulls off FAUSTUS' leg]. Alas, I am undone! what
shall I do? I have pulled off his leg.
FAUSTUS. O, help, help! the villain hath murdered me.
HORSE-COURSER. Murder or not murder, now he has
199 but one leg,
I'll outrun him, and cast this leg into some ditch or other.
[Aside, and then runs out.]
FAUSTUS. Stop him, stop him, stop him!—Ha, ha, ha! Faustus hath
his leg again, and the Horse-courser a bundle of hay for his
forty dollars.
Enter WAGNER.
How now, Wagner! what news with thee?
WAGNER. If it please you, the Duke of Vanholt doth earnestly
entreat your company, and hath sent some of his men to attend
you,
200 with provision fit for your journey.
FAUSTUS. The Duke of Vanholt's an honourable gentleman, and one
to whom I must be no niggard of my cunning. Come, away!
[Exeunt.
Enter ROBIN, DICK, the HORSE-COURSER, and a CARTER.
CARTER. Come, my masters, I'll bring you to the best beer in
Europe.—What, ho, hostess! where be these whores?
Enter HOSTESS.
HOSTESS. How now! what lack you? What, my old guess!
201 welcome.
ROBIN. Sirrah Dick, dost thou
202 know why I stand so mute?
DICK. No, Robin: why is't?
ROBIN. I am eighteen-pence on the score. but say nothing; see
if she have forgotten me.
HOSTESS. Who's this that stands so solemnly by himself? What,
my old guest!
ROBIN. O, hostess, how do you? I hope my score stands still.
HOSTESS. Ay, there's no doubt of that; for methinks you make no
haste to wipe it out.
DICK. Why, hostess, I say, fetch us some beer.
HOSTESS. You shall presently.—Look up into the hall there, ho!
[Exit.—Drink is presently brought in.]
DICK. Come, sirs, what shall we do now
203 till mine hostess comes?
CARTER. Marry, sir,
204 I'll tell you the bravest tale how a
conjurer served me. You know Doctor Faustus?
HORSE-COURSER. Ay, a plague take him! here's some on's have cause
to know him. Did he conjure thee too?
CARTER. I'll tell you how he served me. As I was going to
Wittenberg, t'other day,
205 with a load of hay, he met me, and
asked me what he should give me for as much hay as he could eat.
Now, sir, I thinking that a little would serve his turn, bad him
take as much as he would for three farthings: so he presently
gave me my
206 money and fell to eating; and, as I am a cursen
207 man, he never left eating till he had eat up all my load of hay.
ALL. O, monstrous! eat a whole load of hay!
ROBIN. Yes, yes, that may be; for I have heard of one that has eat
a load of logs.
HORSE-COURSER. Now, sirs, you shall hear how villanously he
served me. I went to him yesterday to buy a horse of him, and
he would by no means sell him under forty dollars. So, sir,
because I knew him to be such a horse as would run over hedge
and ditch and never tire, I gave him his money. So, when I had
my horse, Doctor Faustus bad me ride him night and day, and spare
him no time; but, quoth he, in any case, ride him not into the
water. Now, sir, I thinking the horse had had some quality
208 that he would not have me know of, what did I but rid
209 him
into a great river? and when I came just in the midst, my horse
vanished away, and I sate straddling upon a bottle of hay.
ALL. O, brave doctor!
HORSE-COURSER. But you shall hear how bravely I served him for
it. I went me home to his house, and there I found him asleep.
I kept a hallooing and whooping in his ears; but all could not
wake him. I, seeing that, took him by the leg, and never rested
pulling till I had pulled me his leg quite off; and now 'tis at
home in mine hostry.
ROBIN. And has the doctor but one leg, then? that's excellent;
for one of his devils turned me into the likeness of an ape's face.
CARTER. Some more drink, hostess!
ROBIN. Hark you, we'll into another room and drink a while, and
then we'll go seek out the doctor.
[Exeunt.]
Enter the DUKE OF VANHOLT, his DUCHESS, FAUSTUS, MEPHISTOPHILIS,
and ATTENDANTS.
DUKE. Thanks, Master Doctor, for these pleasant sights; nor know
I how sufficiently to recompense your great deserts in erecting
that enchanted castle in the air,
210 the sight whereof so
delighted
211 me as nothing in the world could please me more.
FAUSTUS. I do think myself, my good lord, highly recompensed in
that it pleaseth
212 your grace to think but well of that which
Faustus hath performed.—But, gracious lady, it may be that you
have taken no pleasure in those sights; therefore, I pray you
tell me, what is the thing you most desire to have; be it in the
world, it shall be yours: I have heard that great-bellied women
do long for things are rare and dainty.
DUCHESS. True, Master Doctor; and, since I find you so kind,
I will make known unto you what my heart desires to have; and,
were it now summer, as it is January, a dead time of the winter,
I would request no better meat than a dish of ripe grapes.
FAUSTUS. This is but a small matter.—Go, Mephistophilis; away!
[Exit MEPHISTOPHILIS.]
Madam, I will do more than this for your content.
Re-Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS with grapes.
Here now, taste you these: they should be good, for they come
213 from a far country, I can tell you.
DUKE. This makes me wonder more than all the rest, that at this
time of the year, when every tree is barren of his fruit, from
whence you had these ripe grapes.
214
FAUSTUS. Please it your grace, the year is divided into two
circles over the whole world; so that, when it is winter with
us, in the contrary circle it is likewise summer with them, as
in India, Saba, and such countries that lie far east, where
they have fruit twice a-year; from whence, by means of a swift
spirit that I have, I had these grapes brought, as you see.
DUCHESS. And, trust me, they are the sweetest grapes that e'er
I tasted.
The CLOWNS bounce
215 at the gate, within.
DUKE. What rude disturbers have we at the gate?
Go, pacify their fury, set it ope,
And then demand of them what they would have.
[They knock again, and call out to talk with FAUSTUS.]
SERVANT. Why, how now, masters! what a coil is there!
What is the reason you disturb the Duke?
DICK [within]. We have no reason for it; therefore a fig for him!
SERVANT. Why, saucy varlets, dare you be so bold?
HORSE-COURSER [within]. I hope, sir, we have wit enough to be
more bold than welcome.
SERVANT. It appears so: pray, be bold elsewhere, and trouble
not the Duke.
DUKE. What would they have?
SERVANT. They all cry out to speak with Doctor Faustus.
CARTER [within]. Ay, and we will speak with him.
DUKE. Will you, sir?—Commit the rascals.
DICK [within]. Commit with us! he were as good commit with his
father as commit with us.
FAUSTUS. I do beseech your grace, let them come in;
They are good subject for
216 a merriment.
DUKE. Do as thou wilt, Faustus; I give thee leave.
FAUSTUS. I thank your grace.
Enter ROBIN, DICK, CARTER, and HORSE-COURSER.
Why, how now, my good friends!
Faith, you are too outrageous: but, come near;
I have procur'd your pardons:
217 welcome, all.
ROBIN. Nay, sir, we will be welcome for our money, and we will
pay for what we take.—What, ho! give's half a dozen of beer here,
and be hanged!
FAUSTUS. Nay, hark you; can you tell me
218 where you are?
CARTER. Ay, marry, can I; we are under heaven.
SERVANT. Ay; but, Sir Saucebox, know you in what place?
HORSE-COURSER. Ay, ay, the house is good enough to drink in.
—Zouns, fill us some beer, or we'll break all the barrels in
the house, and dash out all your brains with your bottles!
FAUSTUS. Be not so furious: come, you shall have beer.—
My lord, beseech you give me leave a while;
I'll gage my credit 'twill content your grace.
DUKE. With all my heart, kind doctor; please thyself;
Our servants and our court's at thy command.
FAUSTUS. I humbly thank your grace.—Then fetch some beer.
HORSE-COURSER. Ay, marry, there spake
219 a doctor, indeed!
and, faith, I'll drink a health to thy wooden leg for that word.
FAUSTUS. My wooden leg! what dost thou mean by that?
CARTER. Ha, ha, ha!—Dost hear him,
220 Dick? he has forgot his
leg.
HORSE-COURSER. Ay, ay, he does not stand much upon that.
FAUSTUS. No, faith; not much upon a wooden leg.
CARTER. Good Lord, that flesh and blood should be so frail with
your worship! Do not you remember a horse-courser you sold a
horse to?
FAUSTUS. Yes, I remember I sold one a horse.
CARTER. And do you remember you bid he should not ride him
221 into the water?
FAUSTUS. Yes, I do very well remember that.
CARTER. And do you remember nothing of your leg?
FAUSTUS. No, in good sooth.
CARTER. Then, I pray you,
222 remember your courtesy.
FAUSTUS. I
223 thank you, sir.
CARTER. 'Tis not so much worth. I pray you, tell me one thing.
FAUSTUS. What's that?
CARTER. Be both your legs bed-fellows every night together?
FAUSTUS. Wouldst thou make a Colossus of me, that thou askest me
such questions?
CARTER. No, truly, sir; I would make nothing of you; but I would
fain know that.
Enter HOSTESS with drink.
FAUSTUS. Then, I assure thee certainly, they are.
CARTER. I thank you; I am fully satisfied.
FAUSTUS. But wherefore dost thou ask?
CARTER. For nothing, sir: but methinks you should have a wooden
bed-fellow of one of 'em.
HORSE-COURSER. Why, do you hear, sir? did not I
224 pull off
one of your legs when you were asleep?
FAUSTUS. But I have it again, now I am awake: look you here, sir.
ALL. O, horrible! had the doctor three legs?
CARTER. Do you remember, sir, how you cozened me, and eat up my
load of——
[FAUSTUS, in the middle of each speech, charms them dumb.]
DICK. Do you remember how you made me wear an ape's——
HORSE-COURSER. You whoreson conjuring scab, do you remember how
you cozened me with a ho——
ROBIN. Ha'
225 you forgotten me? you think to carry it away with
your hey-pass and re-pass: do you remember the dog's fa——
[Exeunt CLOWNS.]
HOSTESS. Who pays for the ale? hear you, Master Doctor; now you
have sent away my guess,
226 I pray who shall pay me for my a——
[Exit HOSTESS.]
DUCHESS. My lord,
We are much beholding
227 to this learned man.
DUKE. So are we, madam; which we will recompense
With all the love and kindness that we may:
His artful sport
228 drives all sad thoughts away.
[Exeunt.]
Thunder and lightning. Enter DEVILS with covered dishes;
MEPHISTOPHILIS leads them into FAUSTUS'S study; then enter
WAGNER.
WAGNER. I think my master
229 means to die shortly; he has made
his will, and given me his wealth, his house, his goods,
230 and
store of golden plate, besides two thousand ducats ready-coined.
I wonder what he means: if death were nigh, he would not frolic
thus. He's now at supper with the scholars, where there's such
belly-cheer as Wagner in his life ne'er
231 saw the like: and,
see where they come! belike the feast is ended.
232 [Exit.]
Enter FAUSTUS, MEPHISTOPHILIS, and two or three SCHOLARS.
FIRST SCHOLAR. Master Doctor Faustus, since our conference
about fair ladies, which was the beautifulest in all the world,
we have determined with ourselves that Helen of Greece was the
admirablest lady that ever lived: therefore, Master Doctor, if
you will do us so much favour as to let us see that peerless
dame of Greece, whom all the world admires for majesty, we should
think ourselves much beholding unto you.
FAUSTUS. Gentlemen,
For that I know your friendship is unfeign'd,
It is not Faustus' custom to deny
The just request of those that wish him well:
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherwise for pomp or majesty
Than when Sir Paris cross'd the seas with her,
And brought the spoils to rich Dardania.
Be silent, then, for danger is in words.
Music sounds. MEPHISTOPHILIS brings in HELEN; she passeth
over the stage.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Was this fair Helen, whose admired worth
Made Greece with ten years' war
233 afflict poor Troy?
THIRD SCHOLAR. Too simple is my wit
234 to tell her worth,
Whom all the world admires for majesty.
FIRST SCHOLAR. Now we have seen the pride of Nature's work,
We'll take our leaves: and, for this blessed sight,
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore!
FAUSTUS. Gentlemen, farewell: the same wish I to you.
[Exeunt SCHOLARS.]
Enter an OLD MAN.
OLD MAN. O gentle Faustus, leave this damned art,
This magic, that will charm thy soul to hell,
And quite bereave thee of salvation!
Though thou hast now offended like a man,
Do not persever in it like a devil:
Yet, yet thou hast an amiable soul,
If sin by custom grow not into nature;
Then, Faustus, will repentance come too late;
Then thou art banish'd from the sight of heaven:
No mortal can express the pains of hell.
It may be, this my exhortation
Seems harsh and all unpleasant: let it not;
For, gentle son, I speak it not in wrath,
Or envy of thee,
235 but in tender love,
And pity of thy future misery;
And so have hope that this my kind rebuke,
Checking thy body, may amend thy soul.
FAUSTUS. Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what hast thou done?
Hell claims his right, and with a roaring voice
Says, "Faustus, come; thine hour is almost come;"
And Faustus now will come to do thee right.
[MEPHISTOPHILIS gives him a dagger.]
OLD MAN. O, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
I see an angel hover o'er thy head,
And, with a vial full of precious grace,
Offers to pour the same into thy soul:
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.
FAUSTUS. O friend, I feel
Thy words to comfort my distressed soul!
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.
OLD MAN. Faustus, I leave thee; but with grief of heart,
Fearing the enemy of thy hapless soul.
[Exit.]
FAUSTUS. Accursed Faustus, wretch, what hast thou done?
I do repent; and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?
MEPHIST. Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord:
Revolt, or I'll in piece-meal tear thy flesh.
FAUSTUS. I do repent I e'er offended him.
Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
The former vow I made to Lucifer.
MEPHIST.
236 Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.
FAUSTUS. Torment, sweet friend, that base and aged man,
That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torments
237 that our hell affords.
MEPHIST. His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul;
But what I may afflict
238 his body with
I will attempt, which is but little worth.
FAUSTUS. One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee,
To glut the longing of my heart's desire,—
That I may have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen which I saw of late,
Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean
239 Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep my oath
240 I made to Lucifer.
MEPHIST. This, or what else my Faustus shall desire,
Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.
Re-enter HELEN, passing over the stage between two CUPIDS.
FAUSTUS. Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?—
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.—
[Kisses her.]
Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!—
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening
241 air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azur'd
242 arms;
And none but thou shalt
243 be my paramour!
[Exeunt.]
Thunder. Enter LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.
LUCIFER. Thus from infernal Dis do we ascend
To view the subjects of our monarchy,
Those souls which sin seals the black sons of hell;
'Mong which, as chief, Faustus, we come to thee,
Bringing with us lasting damnation
To wait upon thy soul: the time is come
Which makes it forfeit.
MEPHIST. And, this gloomy night,
Here, in this room, will wretched Faustus be.
BELZEBUB. And here we'll stay,
To mark him how he doth demean himself.
MEPHIST. How should he but in desperate lunacy?
Fond worldling, now his heart-blood dries with grief;
His conscience kills it; and his
244 labouring brain
Begets a world of idle fantasies
To over-reach the devil; but all in vain;
His store of pleasures must be sauc'd with pain.
He and his servant Wagner are at hand;
Both come from drawing Faustus' latest will.
See, where they come!
Enter FAUSTUS and WAGNER.
FAUSTUS. Say, Wagner,—thou hast perus'd my will,—
How dost thou like it?
WAGNER. Sir, So wondrous well,
As in all humble duty I do yield
My life and lasting service for your love.
FAUSTUS. Gramercy,
245 Wagner.
Enter SCHOLARS.
Welcome, Gentlemen.
[Exit WAGNER.]
FIRST SCHOLAR. Now, worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are chang'd.
FAUSTUS. O, gentlemen!
SECOND SCHOLAR. What ails Faustus?
FAUSTUS. Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee,
then had I lived still! but now must die eternally. Look, sirs,
comes he not? comes he not?
FIRST SCHOLAR. O my dear Faustus, what imports this fear?
SECOND SCHOLAR. Is all our pleasure turn'd to melancholy?
THIRD SCHOLAR. He is not well with being over-solitary.
SECOND SCHOLAR. If it be so, we'll have physicians,
And Faustus shall be cur'd.
THIRD SCHOLAR. 'Tis but a surfeit, sir;
246 fear nothing.
FAUSTUS. A surfeit of deadly
247 sin, that hath damned both
body and soul.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven, and remember
mercy is infinite.
FAUSTUS. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent
that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. O gentlemen,
hear me
248 with patience, and tremble not at my speeches! Though
my heart pant and quiver to remember that I have been a student
here these thirty years, O, would I had never
249 seen Wittenberg,
never read book! and what wonders I have done, all Germany can
witness, yea, all the world; for which Faustus hath lost both
Germany and the world, yea, heaven itself, heaven, the seat of
God, the throne of the blessed, the kingdom of joy; and must
remain in hell for ever, hell. O, hell, for ever! Sweet friends,
what shall become of Faustus, being in hell for ever?
SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, call on God.
FAUSTUS. On God, whom Faustus hath abjured! on God, whom Faustus
hath blasphemed! O my God, I would weep! but the devil draws in
my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears! yea, life and soul!
O, he stays my tongue! I would lift up my hands; but see, they
hold 'em, they hold 'em? ('?' sic)
ALL. Who, Faustus?
FAUSTUS. Why, Lucifer and Mephistophilis. O gentlemen, I gave
them my soul for my cunning!
ALL. O, God forbid!
FAUSTUS. God forbade it, indeed; but Faustus hath done it: for
the vain pleasure of four-and-twenty years hath Faustus lost
eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood:
the date is expired; this is the time, and he will fetch me.
FIRST SCHOLAR. Why did not Faustus tell us of this before,
that divines might have prayed for thee?
FAUSTUS. Oft have I thought to have done so; but the devil
threatened to tear me in pieces, if I named God, to fetch me
body and soul, if I once gave ear to divinity: and now 'tis
250 too late. Gentlemen, away, lest you perish with me.
SECOND SCHOLAR. O, what may we do to save Faustus?
FAUSTUS. Talk not of me, but save yourselves, and depart.
THIRD SCHOLAR. God will strengthen me; I will stay with Faustus.
FIRST SCHOLAR. Tempt not God, sweet friend; but let us into the
next room, and pray for him.
FAUSTUS. Ay, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever
you hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy
upon thee.
FAUSTUS. Gentlemen, farewell: if I live till morning, I'll visit
you; if not, Faustus is gone to hell.
ALL. Faustus, farewell.
[Exeunt SCHOLARS.]
MEPHIST. Ay, Faustus, now thou hast no hope of heaven;
Therefore despair; think only upon hell,
For that must be thy mansion, there to dwell.
FAUSTUS. O thou bewitching fiend, 'twas thy temptation
Hath robb'd me of eternal happiness!
MEPHIST. I do confess it, Faustus, and rejoice:
'Twas I that, when thou wert i'the way to heaven,
Damm'd up thy passage; when thou took'st the book
To view the Scriptures, then I turn'd the leaves,
And led thine eye.
251 What, weep'st thou? 'tis too late; despair! Farewell:
Fools that will laugh on earth must weep in hell.
[Exit.]
252
Enter GOOD ANGEL and EVIL ANGEL at several doors.
GOOD ANGEL. O Faustus, if thou hadst given ear to me,
Innumerable joys had follow'd thee!
But thou didst love the world.
EVIL ANGEL. Gave ear to me,
And now must taste hell-pains
253 perpetually.
GOOD ANGEL. O, what will all thy riches, pleasures, pomps,
Avail thee now?
EVIL ANGEL. Nothing, but vex thee more,
To want in hell, that had on earth such store.
GOOD ANGEL. O, thou hast lost celestial happiness,
Pleasures unspeakable, bliss without end
Hadst thou affected sweet divinity,
Hell or the devil had had no power on thee:
Hadst thou kept on that way, Faustus, behold,
[Music, while a throne descends.]
In what resplendent glory thou hadst sit
254 In yonder throne, like those bright-shining saints,
And triumph'd over hell! That hast thou lost;
And now, poor soul, must thy good angel leave thee:
The jaws of hell are open
255 to receive thee.
[Exit. The throne ascends.]
EVIL ANGEL. Now, Faustus, let thine eyes with horror stare
[Hell is discovered.]
Into that vast perpetual torture-house:
There are the Furies tossing damned souls
On burning forks; there bodies boil
256 in lead;
There are live quarters broiling on the coals,
That ne'er can die; this ever-burning chair
Is for o'er-tortur'd souls to rest them in;
These that are fed with sops of flaming fire,
Were gluttons, and lov'd only delicates,
And laugh'd to see the poor starve at their gates:
But yet all these are nothing; thou shalt see
Ten thousand tortures that more horrid be.
FAUSTUS. O, I have seen enough to torture me!
EVIL ANGEL. Nay, thou must feel them, taste the smart of all:
He that loves pleasure must for pleasure fall:
And so I leave thee, Faustus, till anon;
Then wilt thou tumble in confusion.
[Exit. Hell disappears.—The clock strikes eleven.]
FAUSTUS. O Faustus,
Now hast thou but one bare hour to live,
And then thou must be damn'd perpetually!
Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven,
That time may cease, and midnight never come;
Fair Nature's eye, rise, rise again, and make
Perpetual day; or let this hour be but
A year, a month, a week, a natural day,
That Faustus may repent and save his soul!
O lente, lente currite, noctis equi!
The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,
The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd.
O, I'll leap up to heaven!—Who pulls me down?—
See, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!
257 One drop of blood will save me: O my Christ!—
Rend not my heart for naming of my Christ;
Yet will I call on him: O, spare me, Lucifer!—
Where is it now? 'tis gone:
And, see, a threatening arm, an
258 angry brow!
Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me,
And hide me from the heavy wrath of heaven!
No!
Then will I headlong run into the earth:
Gape, earth! O, no, it will not harbour me!
You stars that reign'd at my nativity,
Whose influence hath
259 allotted death and hell,
Now draw up Faustus, like a foggy mist,
Into the entrails of yon
260 labouring cloud[s],
That, when you
261 vomit forth into the air,
My limbs may issue from your smoky mouths;
But let my soul mount and ascend to heaven!
[The clock strikes the half-hour.]
O, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon.
O, if
262 my soul must suffer for my sin,
Impose some end to my incessant pain;
Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years,
A hundred thousand, and at last
263 be sav'd!
No end is limited to damned souls.
Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul?
Or why is this immortal that thou hast?
O, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true,
This soul should fly from me, and I be chang'd
Into some brutish beast! all beasts are happy,
For, when they die,
Their souls are soon dissolv'd in elements;
But mine must live still to be plagu'd in hell.
Curs'd be the parents that engender'd me!
No, Faustus, curse thyself, curse Lucifer
That hath depriv'd thee of the joys of heaven.
[The clock strikes twelve.]
It strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air,
Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell!
O soul, be chang'd into small water-drops,
And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!
Thunder. Enter DEVILS.
O, mercy, heaven! look not so fierce on me!
Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while!
Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer!
I'll burn my books!—O Mephistophilis!
[Exeunt DEVILS with FAUSTUS.]
Enter SCHOLARS.
264
FIRST SCHOLAR. Come, gentlemen, let us go visit Faustus,
For such a dreadful night was never seen;
Since first the world's creation did begin,
Such fearful shrieks and cries were never heard:
Pray heaven the doctor have escap'd the danger.
SECOND SCHOLAR.
O, help us, heaven!
265 see, here are Faustus' limbs,
All torn asunder by the hand of death!
THIRD SCHOLAR.
The devils whom Faustus serv'd have
266 torn him thus;
For, twixt the hours of twelve and one, methought,
I heard him shriek and call aloud for help;
At which self
267 time the house seem'd all on fire
With dreadful horror of these damned fiends.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Well, gentlemen, though Faustus' end be such
As every Christian heart laments to think on,
Yet, for he was a scholar once admir'd
For wondrous knowledge in our German schools,
We'll give his mangled limbs due burial;
And all the students, cloth'd in mourning black,
Shall wait upon his heavy funeral.
[Exeunt.]
Enter CHORUS.
CHORUS. Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,
And burned is Apollo's laurel-bough,
That sometime grew within this learned man.
Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall,
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise,
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits
To practise more than heavenly power permits.
[Exit.]
Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus.