_How Dr. Faustus made his Journey through the principal and most famous
Lands in the World._
Dr. Faustus having overrun fifteen years of his appointed time, he took
upon him a journey, with full intent to see the whole world, and calling
his spirit Mephistophiles unto him, he said, "Thou knowest that thou art
bound unto me upon conditions, to form and fulfil my desire in all
things, wherefore my intent is to visit the whole face of the earth,
visible and invisible, when it pleaseth me; therefore I command and
enjoin thee to the same." Whereupon Mephistophiles answered, "I am
ready, my lord, at thy command;" and forthwith the spirit changed
himself into the likeness of a flying horse, saying, "Faustus, sit up, I
am ready."
Dr. Faustus softly sate upon him, and forwards they went. Faustus came
through many a land and province, as Pannonia, Austria, Germany,
Bohemia, Silesia, Saxony, Messene, During, Frankland, Swaalband,
Byerland, Sayrir, Corinthia, Poland, Litaw, Lesland, Prussia, Denmark,
Muscovia, Tartaria, Turkey, Persia, Cathai, Alexandria, Barbaria, Ginny,
Porut, the Straights Maghellane, India, all about the frozen zone, and
Terra-incognita, Nova Hispaniola, the Isles of Tereza, Madera, St.
Michaels, the Canaries, and the Trenorirolcio into Spain, and Mainland,
Portugal, Italy, Campania, the Kingdom of Naples, the Isles of Sicilia,
Malta, Majorca, Minorca, to the Knights of the Rhodes, Candy or Crete,
Cypress, Corinth, Switzerland, France, Freezeland, Westphalia, Zealand,
Holland, Brabant, and all the seventeen provinces in Netherland,
England, Scotland, Ireland, and America, and Island, the Gut-Isles of
Scotland, the Orcades, Norway, the Bishopric of Bream; and so home
again.
All these kingdoms, and provinces, and countries he passed in twenty-five
days, in which time he saw nothing that delighted his mind; wherefore he
took little rest at home, and burning in desire to see more at large,
and to behold the secrets of each kingdom, he set forward again on his
journey on his swift horse Mephistophiles, and came to Trent, for that
he chiefly desired to see this town, and the monuments thereof, but
there he saw not any wonders, except two fair palaces that belonged unto
the bishop, and also a mighty large castle that was built with brick,
with three walls, and three great trenches, so strong that it was
impossible for any prince's power to win it; then he saw a church
wherein was buried Simon and the bishop of Popo. Their tombs are of most
sumptuous stone-marble, closed and joined together with great bars of
iron. From thence he departed to Paris, where he liked well the academy;
and what place or kingdom soever fell in his mind, the same he visited.
He came from Paris to Mentz, where the river of Maine falls into the
Rhine, notwithstanding he tarried not long there, but went into
Campania, in the kingdom of Neapoly, in which he saw an innumerable sort
of cloisters, nunneries, and churches, and great houses of stone, the
streets fair and large, and straight forth from one end of the town to
the other all alike, and all the pavement of the city was of brick, and
the more it rained in the town the fairer the streets were. There saw he
the tomb of Virgil, and the highway that he cut through the mighty hill
of stone in one night, the whole length of an English mile, where he saw
the number of galleys and argosies that lay there at the city head, the
windmill that stood in the water, the castle in the water, and the
houses above the water, where many galleys might ride most safely from
rain or wind; then he saw the castle on the hill over the town, and many
monuments therein, also the hill called Vesuvius, whereon groweth all
the Greekish wine and most pleasant sweet olives.
From thence he came to Venice, whereat he wondered not a little to see a
city so famously built standing in the sea, where through every street
the water came in such largeness that great ships and barques might pass
from one street to another, having yet a way on both sides the water
whereon men and horses might pass. He marvelled also how it was possible
so much victuals to be found in the town, and so good and cheap,
considering that for a whole league nothing grew near the same. He
wondered not a little at the fairness of St. Mark's Place, and the
sumptuous church standing thereon, called St. Mark; how all the pavement
was set with coloured stones, and all the rood or loft of the church
double gilded over.
Leaving this, he came to Padua, beholding the manner of their academy,
which is called the mother or nurse of Christendom; there heard he the
doctors, and saw most of the monuments of the town, entered his name in
the university of the German nation, and wrote himself Dr. Faustus, the
insatiable speculator. Then saw he the worthiest monument in the world
for a church, named St. Anthony's Cloister, which for the pinnacles
thereof and the contrivement of the church, hath not the like in
Christendom. The town is fenced about with three mighty walls of stone
and earth, betwixt the which runneth goodly ditches of water. Betwixt
every four-and-twenty hours passeth boats betwixt Padua and Venice with
passengers, as they do here betwixt London and Gravesend, and even so
far they differ in distance. Faustus beheld likewise the council-house
and castle, with no small wonder.
Well, forward he went to Rome, which lay, and doth yet lie, on the river
Tibris, the which divideth the city into two parts. Over the river are
four great stone bridges, and upon the one bridge, called Ponte St.
Angelo, is the Castle of St. Angelo, wherein are so many great cast
pieces as there are days in the year, and such pieces as will shoot
seven bullets off with one fire. To this castle cometh a privy vault
from the church and the palace of St. Peter, through the which the pope
(if any danger be) passeth from his palace to the castle for safeguard.
The city hath eleven gates, and a hill called Vaticinium, whereupon St.
Peter's church is built. In that church the holy fathers will hear no
confessions without the penitent bring money in his hand. Adjoining to
the church is the Campo Santo, the which Carolus Magnus built, where
every day thirteen pilgrims have their dinners served of the best; that
is to say, Christ and his twelve apostles. Hard by this he visited the
churchyard of St. Peter, where he saw that pyramid that Julius Caesar
brought forth of Africa; it stood in Faustus's time leaning against the
church-wall of St. Peter's; but Pope Sixtus hath erected it in the
middle of St. Peter's churchyard. It is fourteen fathom long, and at the
lower end five fathom four square, and so forth smaller upwards. On the
top is a crucifix of beaten gold, the stone standing on four lions of
brass. Then he visited the seven churches of Rome, that were St. Peter,
St. Paul, St. Sebastian, St. John Lateran, St. Laurence, St. Mary
Magdalen, and St. Mary Majora. Then went he without the town, where he
saw the conduits of water that run level through hill and dale, bringing
water into the town fifteen Italian miles off. Other mountains he saw,
too many to recite.
But amongst the rest he was desirous to see the pope's court, and his
manner of service at his table, wherefore he and his spirit made
themselves invisible, and came to the pope's court and privy-chamber,
where he was; there saw he many servants attending on his holiness, with
many a flattering sycophant carrying his meat; and there he marked
the pope, and the manner of his service, which he seeing to be so
unmeasurable and sumptuous: "Fie," quoth Faustus, "why had not the devil
made a pope of me?" Faustus saw there notwithstanding such as were like
to himself, proud, stout, wilful gluttons, drunkards, whoremongers,
breakers of wedlock, and followers of all manner of ungodly excess;
wherefore he said to his spirit, "I thought that I had been alone a hog
or pork of the devil's, but he must bear with me a little longer; for
these hogs of Rome are ready fatted, and fitted to make him roast meat;
the devil might do well to spit them all, and have them to the fire, and
let him summon the nuns to turn the spits; for as none must confess the
nun but the friar, so none should turn the roasting friar but the nun."
Thus continued Faustus three days in the pope's palace, and yet had no
lust to his meat, but stood still in the pope's chamber, and saw
everything whatsoever it was.
On a time the pope would have a feast prepared for the Cardinal of
Pavia, and for his first welcome the cardinal was bidden to dinner, and
as he sate at meat the pope would ever be blessing and crossing over his
mouth. Faustus would suffer it no longer, but up with his fist and smote
the pope on his face, and withal he laughed that the whole house might
hear him, yet none of them saw him, or knew where he was. The pope
persuaded his company that it was a damned soul, commanding mass
presently to be said for his delivery out of purgatory, which was done;
the pope sat still at meat, but when the latter mess came to the pope's
board, Dr. Faustus laid hands thereon, saying, "This is mine," and so he
took both dish and meat, and flew into the Capitol or Campadolia,
calling his spirit unto him, and said, "Come, let us be merry, for thou
must fetch me some wine, and the cup that the pope drinks out of; and
hereupon morte caval, we will make good cheer in spite of the pope and
all his fat abbey lubbers."
His spirit hearing this, departed towards the pope's chamber, where he
found them yet sitting, quaking; wherefore he took from before the pope
the fairest piece of plate, or drinking goblet, and a flagon of wine,
and brought it to Faustus.
But when the pope and the rest of his crew perceived they were robbed,
and knew not after what sort, they persuaded themselves that it was a
damned soul that before had vexed the pope so, and that smote him on the
face; wherefore he sent commandment through the whole city of Rome, that
they should say a mass in every church, and ring all the bells, for to
lay the walking spirit, and to curse him with bell, book, and candle,
that so invisibly had misused the pope's holiness, with the Cardinal of
Pavia, and the rest of their company.
But Faustus notwithstanding made good cheer with that which he had
beguiled the pope of, and in the midst of the order of St. Bernard's,
bare-footed friars, as they were going on procession through the
market-place, called Campo de Fiore, he let fall his plate, dish, and
cup, and withal for a farewell he made such a thunder-clap and storm of
rain, as though heaven and earth would have met together, and left Rome,
and came to Millain in Italy, near the Alps or borders of Switzerland,
where he praised much to his spirit the pleasures of the place, the city
being founded in so brave a plain, by the which ran most pleasant rivers
on every side of the same, having besides within the compass of a
circuit of seven miles, seven small seas: he saw also therein many fair
places, and goodly buildings, the duke's palace, and the mighty strong
castle, which is in a manner half the bigness of the town. Moreover, it
liked him well to see the hospital of St. Mary, with divers other
things: he did there nothing worthy of memory, but he departed back
again towards Bologna, and from thence to Florence, where he was well
pleased to see the pleasant walk of merchants, the goodly vaults of
the city, for that almost the whole city is vaulted, and the houses
themselves are built outwardly in such sort, that the people go under
them as under a vault: then he perused the sumptuous church in the
duke's castle, called Nostra Dama, our Lady's church, in which he saw
many monuments, as a marble door most huge to look upon; the gates of
the castle are bell-metal, wherein are graven the holy patriarchs, with
Christ and his twelve apostles, and divers other histories out of the
Old and New Testament.
Then went he to Siena, where he highly praised the church and hospital
of Sancta Maria Formosa, with the goodly buildings, and especially the
fairness and greatness of the city, and beautiful women: then came he to
Lyons in France, where he marked the situation of the city, which lay
between two hills, environed with two waters; one worthy monument
pleased him well, that was the great church, with the image therein; he
commended the city highly for the great resort that it had unto it of
strangers.
From thence he went to Cullen, which lieth upon the river of Rhine,
wherein he saw one of the ancientest monuments in the world, the which
was the tomb of the three kings that came by the angel of God, and their
knowledge they had in the stars, to worship Christ, which when Faustus
saw, he spake in this manner: "Ah! alas, good men! How have you erred,
and lost your way! You should have gone to Palestina, and Bethlehem in
Judea; how came you hither? Or belike after your death you were thrown
into Mare Mediterraneum, about Tripolis in Syria, and so you steered out
of the Straights of Gibralterra, in the ocean seas, and so into the Bay
of Portugal. And not finding any rest, you are driven along the coast of
Gallicia, Biscay and France, and into the narrow seas: then from thence
into Mare Germanicum, and taken up I think about the town of Dort in
Holland: you were brought to Cullen to be buried, or else (I think) you
came most easily with a whirlwind over the Alps, and being thrown into
the river of Rhine, it conveyed you to this place where you are kept a
monument." Then saw he the church of St. Ursula, where remains a
monument of the thousand virgins; it pleased him also to see the beauty
of the women.
Not far from Cullen lieth the town of Ach, where he saw the gorgeous
temple that the Emperor Carolus Quartus built of marble-stone for a
remembrance of him, to the end that all his successors should there be
crowned.
From Cullen and Ach he went to Geneva, a city in Savoy, lying near
Switzerland; it is a town of great traffic, the lord thereof is a
bishop, whose wine-cellar Faustus and his spirit visited for the love of
his good wine.
From thence he went to Strasburg, where he beheld the fairest temple that
ever he had seen in his life before, for on every side thereof he might
see through, even from the covering of the minster to the top of the
pinnacle, and it is named one of the wonders of the world; wherefore, he
demanded why it is called Strasburg? His spirit answered, "Because it
hath so many highways common to it on every side, for Stros in Dutch is
a Highway, and hereof came the name: yea," said Mephistophiles, "the
church that thou so wonderest at, hath more revenues belonging to it
than the twelve dukes of Silesia are worth, for there pertain unto this
church fifty-five towns, and four hundred and sixty-three villages,
besides many houses in the town."
From thence went Faustus to Basil, in Switzerland, where the river of
Rhine runneth through the town, parting the same as the river of Thames
doth London: in the town of Basil he saw many rich monuments, the town
walled with brick round about, without it goeth a great trench: no
church pleased him but the Jesuits' church, which was sumptuously
builded, and set full of alabaster pillars, where the spirit told
Faustus that before the city was founded, there used a Basiliscus, a
kind of serpent: this serpent killed as many men, women and children as
he took a sight of, but there was a knight that made himself a cover of
crystal, to come over his head and down to the ground, and being first
covered with a black cloth, over that he put the crystal, and so boldly
went to see the Basiliscus, and finding the place where she haunted, he
expected her coming even before the mouth of the cave, where standing a
while, the Basiliscus came forth, where when she saw her own venomous
shadow in the crystal, she split in a thousand pieces, wherefore the
knight was richly rewarded of the emperor, after the which the knight
founded this town upon the place where he had slain the serpent, and
gave it the name Basil, in remembrance of his deed.
From Basil, Faustus went to Costnitz in Sweitz, at the head of the
Rhine, where is a most sumptuous bridge that goeth over the Rhine, even
from the gates of the town to the other side of the stream; at the head
of the river of Rhine, is a small sea, called of the Switzers the Black
Sea, twenty thousand paces long, and fifty hundred paces broad. The town
Costnitz took the name of this; the emperor gave it a clown for
expounding of his riddle: wherefore the clown named the town Costnitz,
that is in English, "Cost me nothing."
From Costnitz he came to Ulm, where he saw the sumptuous town house
built by two-and-fifty of the ancient senators of the city; it took the
name Ulm, because the whole land thereabouts is full of Elms: but
Faustus minding to depart from thence, his spirit said unto him,
"Faustus, think of the town as you will; it hath three dukedoms
belonging to it, the which they have bought with ready money."
From Ulm he came unto Watzberg, the chiefest town in Frankland, wherein
the bishop altogether keepeth his court, through the which town passeth
the river Mayne, that runs into the Rhine; thereabouts groweth strong
and pleasant wine, the which Faustus well proved: the castle standeth on
a hill on the north side of the town, at the foot thereof runneth the
river. This town is full of beggarly friars, nuns, priests, and Jesuits;
for there are five sorts of begging friars, besides three cloisters of
nuns; at the foot of the castle stands a church, in the which there is
an altar, where are engraven all the four elements, and all the orders
and degrees in heaven, that any man of understanding whosoever, that
hath a light thereof, may say that it is the artificialist thing that
ever he beheld.
From thence he went to Norenberg, whither as he went by the way his
spirit informed him that the town was named of Claudius Tiberius, the
son of Nero the Tyrant. In the town are two famous cathedral churches,
one called St. Sabelt, the other St. Laurence; in which church stands
all the relics of Carolus Magnus, that is to say, his cloak, his hose,
his doublet, his sword and crown, the sceptre and apple. It hath a very
glorious gilded conduit in the market-place of St. Laurence; in which
conduit is the spear that thrust our Saviour into the side, and a piece
of the holy cross; the wall is called the fair wall of Norenberg, and
five hundred and twenty-eight streets, a hundred and sixty wells, four
great and two small clocks, six great gates, two small doors, eight
stone bridges, twelve small hills, ten fair market-places, thirteen
common hot-houses, ten churches; within the town are twenty wheels of
water-mills, it hath a hundred and thirty-eight tall ships, two mighty
town walls of hewed stone and earth, with very deep trenches: the walls
have a hundred and eighty towers about them, and four fair platforms,
ten apothecaries, ten doctors of the common law, fourteen doctors of
physic.
From Norenberg he went to Auspurg, where at the break of the day he
demanded of his spirit whereupon the town took his name. "This town,"
quoth he, "hath had many names; when it was first built, it was called
Vindelica; secondly, it was called Zizaria, the iron-bridge; lastly, by
the Emperor Octavus Augustus, it was called Augusta, and by the
corruption of language, the Germans had named it Auspurg."
Now, for because that Faustus had been there before, he departed
(without seeing their monuments) to Ravensberg, where his spirit
certified him that the city had seven names: the first Diperia, the
second Quadratis, the third Heaspolis, the fourth Reginipolis, the fifth
Imbripolis, the sixth Ratisbona, the last is Ravensberg. The situation
of this city pleased Faustus well, also the strong and sumptuous
building; by the walls thereof runneth the river Danubius, in Dutch
called Danow, into which not far from the compass of the city falleth
near hand threescore other small rivers and fresh waters. Faustus also
liked the sumptuous stone bridge over the same water, with the church
standing thereon, the which was founded Anno 1115, the name whereof is
called St. Remedian; in the town Faustus went into the cellar of an
inn-holder, and let out all the beer and wine that was in the cellar.
After which feat, he returned into Mentz in Bavaria, a right princely
town: the town appeared as if it were new, with great streets therein,
both of breadth and length from Mentz to Salisburg, where the bishop is
always resident: here saw he all the commodities that were possible to
be seen, for at the hill he saw the form of a bell made in crystal, a
huge thing to look upon, that every year groweth bigger and bigger, by
reason of the freezing cold.
From thence he went to Vienna in Austria; the town is of great
antiquity, that it is not possible to find the like. "In this town,"
said the spirit, "is more wine than water, for all under the town are
wells, which are filled every year with wine, and all the water that
they have runneth by this town; this is the river Danubius."
From thence he went into Prage, the chief city of Bohemia; this is
divided into three parts, that is old Prage, little Prage, and new
Prage. Little Prage is the place where the emperor's court is placed;
upon an exceeding high mountain there is a castle, where are two fair
churches; in the one he found a monument which might well have been a
mirror for himself, and that was the sepulchre of a notable conjurer,
which by his magic had so enchanted his sepulchre that whosoever set foot
thereon, should be sure never to die in their beds. From this castle he
came and went down over the bridge; this bridge has twenty-four arches,
and in the middle of the bridge stands a very fair monument, being a
cross builded of stone, and most artificially carved. From thence he
went into the old Prage, the which is separated from the new Prage, with
an exceeding deep ditch, and round about enclosed with a wall of brick;
unto this is adjoining the Jews' town, wherein are thirteen thousand
men, women, and children, all Jews; there he viewed the college and the
gardens, where all manner of savage beasts are kept; and from thence he
fetched a compass round about the three towns, whereat he wondered
greatly to see so mighty a city stand all within the walls.
From Prage he flew into the air, and bethought himself what he
might do, or which way to take; so looked round about, and behold he
espied a passing fair city, which lay not far from Prage, about some
four-and-twenty miles, and that was Bressaw in Silesia, in which when he
was entered, it seemed to him that he had been in Paradise, so neat and
clean were the streets, and so sumptuous were their buildings. In the
city he saw not many wonders, except the brazen Virgin that standeth
on a bridge over the water, and under which standeth a mill like a
paper-mill, which Virgin is made to do execution upon those disobedient
town-born children that be so wild that their parents cannot bridle
them; which, when any such are found with some heinous offence, turning
to the shame of their parents and kindred, they are brought to kiss the
Virgin, which openeth her arms. The person then to be executed kisseth
her, then doth she close her arms together with such violence, that she
crusheth out the breath of the party, breaketh his bulk, and so he
dieth; but being dead she openeth her arms again, and letteth the party
fall into the mill, where he is stamped into small morsels, which the
water carrieth away, so that no part is found again.
From Bressaw he went toward Cracovia, in the kingdom of Polionia, where
he beheld the academy, the which pleased him wonderful well. In the city
the king most commonly holdeth his court at a castle, in which castle
are many famous monuments; there is a most sumptuous church in the same,
in which standeth a silver altar gilded and set with rich stones, and
over it is a covenance full of all manner of silver ornaments belonging
to mass. In the church hangeth the jaw-bones of a huge dragon, that kept
the rock before the castle was edified thereon: it is full of all manner
of munition, and hath always victuals for three years to serve three
thousand men; through the town runneth a river, called the Vessnal or
Wessel, where over is a fair wooden bridge; this water divideth the
town and Gasmere; in this Gasmere dwell the Jews, being a small walled
town by themselves, to the number of twenty-five thousand men, women and
children; within one mile of the town there is a salt mine, where they
found stones of pure salt, one thousand pound, two thousand pound, or
more in weight, and that in great quantity: this salt is as black as the
Newcastle coal when it comes out of the mines, but being beaten to
powder, it is as white as snow. The like they have four miles from
thence at a town called Buckma.
From thence Faustus went to Sandentz, the Captain thereof was called Don
Spicket Jordan. In this town are many monuments, as the tomb and
sepulchre of Christ, in as ample a manner as that is at Jerusalem, at
the proper costs of a gentleman that went thrice a year to Jerusalem
from that place and returned again. Not far from that town is a new town
wherein is a nunnery of the order of St. Dioclesian, into which order
may none come except they be gentlewomen, and well formed, and fair to
look upon, which pleased Faustus well; but having a will to travel
further, and to see more wonders, mounting up towards the east, over
many lands and provinces, as in Hungaria, Transilvania, Shede, Ingatz,
Sardinia, and so into Constantinople, where the Turkish emperor kept his
court.
This city was surnamed by Constantine, the founder thereof, being
builded of very fair stone. In the same the Great Turk hath three fair
palaces: the walls are strong, the pinnacles are very huge, and the
streets very large. But this liked not Faustus that one man should have
as many wives as he would. The sea runneth hard by the city; the wall
hath eleven gates. Faustus abode there a certain time to see the manner
of the Turkish emperor's service at his table, where he saw his royal
service to be such that he thought if all the Christian princes should
banquet together, and every one adorn the feast to the utmost, that
they were not able to compare with the Turk and his table, and the rest
of his country service. Wherefore it so affrighted Faustus that he vowed
to be revenged on him, for his pomp, he thought, was more fit for
himself; wherefore as the Turk sate at meat Faustus showed them a little
apish play, for round about the privy-chamber he sent forth flashing
flames of fire, insomuch that the whole company forsook their meat and
fled, except only the Great Turk himself; him Faustus charmed in such
sort that he could neither rise nor fall, neither could any man pull him
up. With this was the hall so light as if the sun had shined in the
house. Then came Faustus in form of a pope to the Great Turk, saying,
"All hail, emperor, now art thou honoured, that I so worthily appear
unto thee as thy Mahomet was wont to do." Hereupon he vanished, and
forthwith it thundered that the whole palace shook. The Turk greatly
marvelled what this should be that so vexed him, and was persuaded by
the chiefest counsellors that it was Mahomet, his prophet, which had so
appeared unto them; whereupon the Turk commanded them to fall down on
their knees and to give him thanks for doing them so great honour as to
show himself unto them. But the next day Faustus went into the castle
where he kept his wives and concubines, in which castle might no man,
upon the pain of death, come, except those that were appointed by the
Great Turk to do him service, and they were all eunuchs, which when
Faustus perceived, he said to his spirit Mephistophiles, "How likest
thou this sport? Are not these fair ladies greatly to be pitied that
thus consume their youth at the pleasure of one only man?"
"Why," quoth the spirit, "mayst not thou instead of the emperor embrace
these fair ladies? Do what thy heart desireth herein, and I will aid
thee, and what thou wishest thou shalt have it performed."
Wherefore Faustus (being before this counsel apt enough to put such
matters in practice) caused a great fog to be round about the castle,
both within and without, and he himself appeared amongst the ladies in
all points as they used to paint Mahomet; at which sight the ladies fell
on their knees and worshipped him. Then Faustus took the fairest by the
hand, and when he had delighted himself sufficiently with her, he put
her away, and made his spirit bring him another; and so he passed away
six days, all which time the fog was so thick and so stinking that they
within the house thought that they had been in hell for the time, and
they without wondered thereat, in such sort that they went to their
prayers, calling on their God Mahomet, and worshipping of the image;
where the sixth day Faustus exalted himself into the air like a pope, in
the sight of the Great Turk and all his people, and he had no sooner
departed the castle but the fog vanished away. Whence presently the Turk
went to his wives and concubines, demanding of them if they knew the
cause why the castle was beset with a mist so long. They said it was the
God Mahomet himself that had caused it, and how he was in the castle
personally six days. The Turk, hearing this, fell down upon his knees
and gave Mahomet thanks, desiring him to forgive him for being offended
with his visiting his castle and wives these six days.
From thence Faustus went to Alker, the which before times was called
Chairam, or Memphis. In this city the Egyptian Soldan holdeth his court;
from thence the river Nilus hath his head and spring. It is the greatest
fresh water river that is in the whole world, and always when the sun is
in Cancer it overfloweth the whole land of Egypt.
Then he returned again towards the north-east, and to the town of Osen
and Sebasa in Hungaria. This Osen is the closest city in Hungaria, and
standing in a fertile soil, wherein groweth most excellent wine; and not
far from the tower there is a well called Zipzan, the water whereof
changeth iron into copper. There are mines of gold and silver and all
manner of metal. We Germans call this town Osen, but in the Hungarian
speech it is Start. In the town standeth a very fair castle, and very
well fortified.
From thence he went to Austria, and so through Silesia into Saxony,
unto the towns of Magdeburg, and Lipzig, and Lubeck. Magdeburg is a
bishopric. In this city is one of the pitchers wherein Christ changed
the water into wine in Cana in Galilee. At Lipzig nothing pleased
Faustus so well as the great vessel in the castle made of wood, the
which is bound about with twenty-four iron hoops, and every hoop weighed
two hundred pound weight. You must go upon a ladder thirty steps high
before you can look into it. He saw also the new churchyard where it was
walled, and standeth upon a fair plain. The yard is two hundred paces
long, and round about the side of the wall are good places, separated
one from each other to see sepulchres in, which in the middle of the
yard standeth very sumptuous; therein standeth a pulpit of white work
and gold.
From thence he went to Lubeck and Jamberg, where he made no abode, but
away again to Erford in Duriten, where he visited the Frescold; and from
Erford he went home to Wittenburg, when he had seen and visited many a
strange place, being from home one year and a half, in which time he
wrought more wonders than are here declared.