_How Dr. Faustus had sight of Paradise._
After this Dr. Faustus set forth again to visit the countries of Spain,
Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Muscovy,
India, Cataia, Africa, Persia, and lastly, into Barbaria, amongst the
Black Moors; and in all his wandering he was desirous to visit the
ancient monuments and mighty hills, amongst the rest, beholding the high
hill called Theno Reise, was desirous to rest upon it. From thence he
went into the Isle of Britain, wherein he was greatly delighted to see
the fair water and warm baths, the divers sorts of metal, with many
precious stones and divers other commodities, the which Faustus brought
thence with him. He was also at the Orcades behind Scotland, where he
saw the tree that bringeth forth fruit, that when it is ripe, openeth
and falleth in the water, wherein engendereth a certain kind of fowl and
birds. These islands are in number twenty-three, but ten of them are not
habitable, the other thirteen were inhabited.
From thence he went to the hill Caucasus, which is the highest in all
that tropic: it lieth near the borders of Scythia. Hereon Faustus stood
and beheld many lands and kingdoms. Faustus, being on such a high hill,
thought to look over all the world, and beyond, for he went to Paradise,
but he durst not commune with his spirit thereof; and being on the hill
Caucasus, he saw the whole land of India and Scythia, and as he looked
towards the east, he saw a mighty clear streak of fire coming from
heaven upon earth, even as if it had been one of the beams of the sun.
He saw in the water four mighty waters springing, one had his course
towards India, the second towards Egypt, the third and fourth towards
Armenia. When he saw these he would needs know of his spirit what waters
they were, and from whence they came?
His spirit gave him gently an answer, saying, "It is Paradise that lieth
so far in the east, the garden that God himself hath planted with all
manner of pleasure; and the fiery streams which thou seest is the wall
or fence of the garden; but the clear light which thou seest afar of,
that is the angel that hath the custody thereof with a fiery sword; and
although thou thinkest thyself to be hard by, thou are yet further
thither from hence than thou hast ever been. The water that thou seest
divided in four parts, is the water that issueth out of the well in the
middle of Paradise. The first is called Ganges or Pison, the second
Gihon, the third Tygris, and the fourth Euphrates; also thou seest that
he standeth under Libra and Aries, right towards the Zenith; and upon
this fiery wall standeth the angel Michael with his flaming sword, to
keep the tree of life, which he hath in charge. But," the spirit said
to Faustus, "neither thou, nor I, nor any after us, yea, all men
whatsoever, are denied to visit, or come any nearer than we be."