_How Dr. Faustus fell into Despair with himself, for having put a
question unto his Spirit; they fell at Variance, whereupon the Rout of
Devils appeared unto him, threatening him sharply._
Dr. Faustus resolved with himself the speeches of his spirit, and became
so woeful and sorrowful in his cogitations that he thought himself
already frying in the hottest flame of hell; and lying in this muse,
suddenly there appeared unto him his spirit, demanding what thing so
grieved and troubled his conscience?
Whereat Dr. Faustus gave no answer. Yet the spirit lay very earnestly
upon him to know the cause, and if it were possible he would find a
remedy for his grief and ease him of his sorrows.
To whom Faustus answered, "I have taken thee unto me as a servant to do
my service, and thy service will be very dear unto me; yet I cannot have
any diligence of thee farther than thou list thyself, neither dost thou
in anything as it becometh thee."
The spirit replied: "My Faustus, thou knowest that I was never against
thy commandment as yet, but ready to serve and resolve thy questions,
although I am not bound unto thee in such respects as concern the hurt
of our kingdom; yet was I always willing to answer thee, and so am I
still: therefore, my Faustus, say on boldly, what is thy will and
pleasure?"
At which words the spirit stole away the heart of Faustus, who spake in
this sort: "Mephistophiles, tell me how and after what sort God made the
world and all the creatures in it? And why man was made after the image
of God?"
The spirit hearing this, answered Faustus: "Thou knowest that all this
is in vain for thee to ask. I know that thou art sorry for what thou
hast done, but it availeth thee not; for I will tear thee in a thousand
pieces if thou change not thy opinions." And hereat he vanished away.
Whereat Faustus, all sorrowful that he had put forth such a question,
fell to weeping and to howling bitterly, not for his sins towards God,
but that the devil was departed from him so suddenly in such a rage. And
being in this perplexity, he was suddenly taken with such extreme cold,
as if he would have frozen in the place where he sat, in which the
greatest devil in hell appeared unto him, with certain of his hideous
and infernal company, in most ugly shapes, that it was impossible to
think upon; and traversing the chamber round about where Faustus sat,
Faustus thought to himself, "Now are they come for me, though my time
be not come, and that because I have asked such questions of my servant
Mephistophiles." At whose cogitations the chiefest devil, which was the
lord unto whom he gave his soul, that was Lucifer, spake in this sort:
"Faustus, I have seen thy thoughts, which are not as thou hast vowed
unto me, by the virtue of this letter [and showed him the obligation
which he had written with his own blood]; wherefore I am come to visit
thee, and to show thee some of our hellish pastimes, in hope that will
draw and confirm thy mind a little more steadfast unto us."
"Content," quoth Faustus: "go to, let me see what pastime you can make."
At which words the great devil in his likeness sate him down by Faustus,
commanding the rest of his devils to appear in the form as if they were
in hell. First entered Belial, in form of a bear, with curled black hair
to the ground, his ears standing upright; within his ears were as red as
blood, out of which issued flames of fire; his teeth were at least a
foot long, and as white as snow, with a tail three ells long at the
least, having two wings, one behind each arm; and thus one after another
they appeared to Faustus in form as they were in hell. Lucifer himself
sate in a manner of a man all hairy, but of brown colour like a
squirrel, curled, and his tail curling upwards on his back as the
squirrels use. I think he could crack nuts too like a squirrel. After
him came Belzebub in curled hair of a horse-flesh colour, his head like
the head of a bull, with a mighty pair of horns, and two long ears down
to the ground, and two wings on his back, with two pricking things like
horns; out of his wings issued flames of fire; his tail was like a
cow's. Then came Astaroth in the form of a worm, going upright on his
tail, and had no feet, but a tail like a glow-worm; under his chops grew
two short hands, and his back was coal black; his belly thick in the
middle, yellow, like gold, having many bristles on his back like a
hedgehog. After him came Cannagosta, being white and grey mixed,
exceeding curled and hairy; he had a head like the head of an ass, and a
tail like a cat, and claws like an ox, lacking nothing of an ell broad.
Then came Anobis: this devil had a head like a dog, white and black
hair; in shape like a hog, saving that he had but two feet--one under
his throat, the other at his tail; he was four ells long, with hanging
ears like a blood-hound. After him came Dithican: he was a short thief,
in form of a large bird, with shining feathers, and four feet; his neck
was green, and body red, and his feet black. The last was called
Brachus, with very short feet, like a hedgehog, yellow and green; the
upper side of his body was brown, and the belly like blue flames of
fire, the tail red like the tail of a monkey. The rest of the devils
were in form of unreasonable beasts, as swine, harts, bears, wolves,
apes, buffes, goats, antelopes, elephants, dragons, horses, asses,
lions, cats, snakes, toads, and all manner of ugly odious serpents and
worms; yet came in such sort that every one at his entry into the hall
made their reverence unto Lucifer, and so took their places, standing in
order as they came until they had filled the whole hall, wherewith
suddenly fell a most horrible thunder-clap, that the house shook as if
it would have fallen unto the ground; upon which every monster had a
muck-fork in his hand, holding them towards Faustus as though they would
have run a tilt at him; which, when Faustus perceived, he thought upon
the words of Mephistophiles, when he told him how the souls in hell were
tormented, being cast from devil to devil upon muck-forks, he thought
verily to have been tormented there by them in like sort.
But Lucifer perceiving his thought, spake to him, "My Faustus, how
likest thou this crew of mine?"
Quoth Faustus, "Why came you not in another manner of shape?"
Lucifer replied: "We cannot change our hellish form, we have showed
ourselves here as we are there; yet can we blind men's eyes in such
sort, that when we will, we appear unto them as if we were men or angels
of light, although our dwelling be in darkness."
Then said Faustus, "I like not so many of you together."
Whereupon Lucifer commanded them to depart, except seven of the
principal; forthwith they presently vanished, which Faustus perceiving,
he was somewhat better comforted, and spake to Lucifer, "Where is my
servant Mephistophiles? let me see if he can do the like."
Whereupon came a fierce dragon flying, and spitting fire round about the
house, and coming towards Lucifer, made reverence, and then changed
himself to the form of a friar, saying, "Faustus, what wilt thou?"
Faustus said, "I will that thou teach me to transform myself in like
sort, as thou and the rest have done."
Then Lucifer put forth his paw and gave Faustus a book, saying, "Hold,
do what thou wilt."
Which he looking upon, straightways changed himself into a hog, then
into a worm, then into a dragon, and finding thus for his purpose it
liked him well.
Quoth he to Lucifer, "And how cometh it that so many filthy forms are in
the world?"
Lucifer answered, "They are ordained of God, as plagues unto men, and so
shalt thou be plagued," quoth he; whereupon came scorpions, wasps,
emets, bees, and gnats, which fell to stinging and biting him, and all
the whole house was filled with a most horrible stinking fog, insomuch
that Faustus saw nothing, but still was tormented; wherefore he cried
for help, saying, "Mephistophiles, my faithful servant, where art thou?
Help, help, I pray thee."
Hereat the spirit answered nothing, but Lucifer himself said, "Ho, ho,
ho, Faustus, how likest thou the creation of the world?"
And incontinent it was clear again, and the devils and all the filthy
cattle were vanished, only Faustus was left alone, seeing nothing, but
hearing the sweetest music that ever he heard before; at which he was so
ravished with delight, that he forgot his fears he was in before, and it
repented him that he had seen no more of their pastime.