_How Dr. Faustus showed the fair Helena unto the Students upon the
Sunday following._
The Sunday following came the students home to Dr. Faustus his own
house, and brought their meat and drink with them. Those men were right
welcome guests unto Faustus, wherefore they all fell to drinking of wine
smoothly; and being merry, they began some of them to talk of beauty of
women, and every one gave forth his verdict what he had seen, and what
he had heard. So one amongst the rest said, "I was never so desirous of
anything in this world as to have a sight (if it were possible) of fair
Helena of Greece, for whom the worthy town of Troy was destroyed and
razed down to the ground; therefore," saith he, "that in all men's
judgments she was more than commonly fair, because that when she was
stolen away from her husband there was for her recovery so great
bloodshed."
Dr. Faustus answered: "For that you are all my friends, and are so
desirous to see that stately pearl of Greece, fair Helena, the wife to
King Menelaus, and daughter of Tyndarus and Leda, sister to Castor and
Pollux, who was the fairest lady of all Greece, I will therefore bring
her into your presence personally, and in the same form and attire as
she used to go when she was in her chiefest flower and choicest prime
of youth. The like have I done for the Emperor Carolus Magnus; at his
desire I showed him Alexander the Great, and his paramour. But," said
Dr. Faustus, "I charge you all that upon your perils you speak not a
word, nor rise up from the table so long as she is in your presence."
And so he went out of the hall, returning presently again, after whom
immediately followed the fair and beautiful Helena, whose beauty was
such that the students were all amazed to see her, esteeming her rather
to be an heavenly than an earthly creature. This lady appeared before
them in a most rich gown of purple velvet, costly embroidered; her hair
hanging down loose, as fair as the beaten gold, and of such length that
it reached down to her hams; having most amorous coal-black eyes; a
sweet and pleasant round face, with lips as red as any cherry; her
cheeks of a rose colour, her mouth small; her neck white like a swan,
tall and slender of personage; in sum, there was no imperfect place in
her. She looked round about her with a rolling hawk's eye, a smiling and
wanton countenance, which near hand inflamed the hearts of all the
students, but that they persuaded themselves she was a spirit, which
made them lightly pass away such fancies; and thus fair Helena and
Faustus went out again one with another.
But the students, at Faustus entering in the hall again, requested him
to let them see her again the next day, for that they will bring with
them a painter to take a counterfeit, which he denied, affirming that he
could not always raise up his spirit, but only at certain times. "Yet,"
said he, "I will give unto you her counterfeit, which shall be as good
to you as if yourself should see the drawing thereof;" which they
received according to his promise, but soon after lost it again. The
students departed from Faustus to their several lodgings, but none of
them could sleep that night for thinking of the beauty of fair Helena;
therefore a man may see how the devil blindeth and inflameth the heart
oftentimes, that men fall in love with harlots, from which their minds
can afterwards be hardly removed.