_An Oration of Dr. Faustus to the Students._
"My trusty and well-beloved friends, the cause why I have invited you in
this place is this: forasmuch as you have known me these many years,
what manner of life I have lived; practising all manner of conjurations
and wicked exercises, the which I obtained through the help of the
devil, into whose devilish fellowship they have brought me; the which
use, the art, and practice, urged by the detestable provocation of my
flesh and my stiff-necked and rebellious will, with my filthy infernal
thoughts, the which were ever before me, pricking me forward so
earnestly that I must perforce have the consent of the devil to aid me
in my devices. And to the end I might the better bring my purpose to
pass, to have the devil's aid and furtherance, which I never have wanted
in my actions, I have promised unto him at the end, and accomplishment
of twenty-four years, both body and soul, to do therewith at his
pleasure.
"This dismal day, these twenty-four years are fully expired; for night
beginning, my hour-glass is at an end, the direful finishing whereof I
carefully expect; for out of all doubt, this night he will fetch me to
whom I have given myself in recompense of his service, body and soul,
and twice confirmed writings with my proper blood.
"Now have I called you, my well-beloved lords, friends and brethren,
before that fatal hour, to take my friendly farewell, to the end that my
departure may not hereafter be hidden from you, beseeching you herewith
(courteous loving lords and brethren) not to take in evil part anything
done by me, but with friendly commendations to salute all my friends and
companions wheresoever, desiring both you and them, if ever I have
trespassed against your minds in anything, that you would heartily
forgive me; and as for those lewd practices, the which these full
twenty-four years I have followed, you shall hereafter find them in
writing: and I beseech you let this my lamentable end, to the residue
of your lives, be a sufficient warning, that you have God always
before your eyes, praying unto him, that he will defend you from the
temptation of the devil, and all his false deceits, not falling
altogether from God, as I wretched and ungodly damned creature have
done; having denied and defied baptism, the sacrament of Christ's body,
God himself, and heavenly powers, and earthly men: yea, I have denied
such a God, that desireth not to have one lost. Neither let the evil
fellowship of wicked companions mislead you, as it hath done me: visit
earnestly and often the church; war and strive continually against the
devil, with a good and steadfast belief in God and Jesus Christ, and use
your vocation and holiness.
"Lastly, to knit my troubled oration, this is my friendly request, that
you would go to rest, and let nothing trouble you: also if you chance to
hear any noise or rumbling about the house, be not therewith afraid, for
there shall no evil happen unto you; also I pray you rise not out of
your beds; but above all things, I intreat you, if hereafter you find my
dead carcass, convey it unto the earth, for I die both a good and bad
Christian, though I know the devil will have my body, and that would I
willingly give him, so that he would leave my soul to quiet; wherefore I
pray you, that you would depart to bed, and so I wish you a quiet night,
which unto me, notwithstanding, shall be horrible and fearful."
This oration was made by Dr. Faustus, and that with a hearty and resolute
mind, to the end he might not discomfort them; but the students wondered
greatly thereat, that he was so blinded, for knavery, conjuration, and
such foolish things, to give his body and soul unto the devil, for they
loved him entirely, and never suspected any such thing, before he had
opened his mind unto them.
Wherefore one of them said unto him, "Ah! friend Faustus, what have you
done to conceal this matter so long from us? We would by the help of
good divines, and the grace of God, have brought you out of this net,
and have torn you out of the bondage and chains of Satan, whereas we
fear now it is too late, to the utter ruin both of body and soul."
Dr. Faustus answered, "I durst never do it, although often minded to
settle myself to godly people, to desire counsel and help; and once my
old neighbour counselled me, that I should follow his learning, and
leave all my conjurations: yet when I was minded to amend, and to follow
that good counsel, then came the devil, and would have had me away, as
this night he is like to do: and said, so soon as I turned again to God,
he would dispatch me altogether. Thus, even thus (good gentlemen and
dear friends) was I inthralled in that fanatical bond, all good desires
drowned, all piety vanished, all purposes of amendment truly exiled, by
the tyrannous oppression of my deadly enemy."
But when the students heard his words, they gave him counsel to do
nothing else but call upon God, desiring him, for the love of his sweet
Son Jesus Christ his sake, to have mercy upon him: teaching him this
form of prayer: "O God! be merciful unto me, poor and miserable sinner;
and enter not into judgment with me, for no flesh is able to stand
before thee; although, O Lord! I must leave my sinful body unto the
devil, being by him deluded, yet thou in mercy may preserve my soul."
This they repeated to him, yet he could take no hold; but even as Cain,
he also said, that his sins were greater than God was able to forgive,
for all his thought was on the writing: he meant he had made it too
filthy in writing with his own blood.
The students and the others that were there, when they had prayed for
him, they wept, and so went forth. But Faustus tarried in the hall; and
when the gentlemen were laid in bed, none of them could sleep, for that
they attended to hear if they might be privy of his end.
It happened that between twelve and one o'clock of midnight, there blew
a mighty storm of wind against the house, as though it would have blown
the foundation thereof out of its place.
Hereupon the students began to fear, and go out of their beds, but they
would not stir out of the chamber, and the host of the house ran out of
doors, thinking the house would fall.
The students lay near unto the hall wherein Dr. Faustus lay, and they
heard a mighty noise and hissing, as if the hall had been full of snakes
and adders. With that the hall door flew open wherein Dr. Faustus was.
Then he began to cry for help, saying, "Murder, murder!" but it was with
a half voice, and very hollow. Shortly after they heard him no more.
But when it was day, the students, that had taken no rest that night,
arose and went into the hall in which they left Dr. Faustus, where
notwithstanding they found not Faustus, but all the hall sprinkled with
blood, the brains cleaving to the wall, for the devil had beaten him
from one wall against another. In one corner lay his eyes, in another
his teeth, a fearful and pitiful sight to behold.
Then began the students to wail and weep for him, and sought for his
body in many places. Lastly, they came into the yard, where they found
his body lying on the horse dung, most monstrously torn, and fearful to
behold, for his head and all his joints were dashed to pieces. The
forenamed students and masters that were at his death, obtained so much,
that they buried him in the village where he was so grievously
tormented.
After the which they turned to Wittenburg, and coming into the house of
Faustus they found the servant of Faustus very sad, unto whom they
opened all the matter, who took it exceedingly heavy. There they found
this history of Dr. Faustus noted, and of him written, as is before
declared, all save only his end, the which was after by the students
thereunto annexed. Farther, what his servant noted thereof was made in
another book. And you have heard he held by him, in his life, the spirit
of fair Helena, who had by him one son, the which he named Justus
Faustus: even the same day of his death they vanished away, both mother
and son. The house before was so dark that scarce anybody could abide
therein. The same night Dr. Faustus appeared unto his servant lively,
and showed unto him many secret things which he had done and hidden in
his lifetime. Likewise there were certain which saw Dr. Faustus look out
of the window by night as they passed by the house.
And thus ended the whole history of Dr. Faustus, his conjuration, and
other acts that he did in his life, out of which example every Christian
may learn, but chiefly the stiff-necked and high-minded, may thereby
learn to fear God, and to be careful of their vocation, and to be at
defiance with all devilish works, as God hath most precisely forbidden.
To the end we should not invite the devil as a guest, nor give him
place, as that wicked Faustus hath done, for here we have a wicked
example of his writing, promise, and end, that we may remember him, that
we may not go astray, but take God always before our eyes, to call alone
upon him, and to honour him all the days of our life, with heart and
hearty prayer, and with all our strength and soul to glorify his holy
name, defying the devil and all his works; to the end we may remain with
Christ in all endless joy. Amen, amen. That wish I to every Christian
heart, and God's name be glorified. Amen.
THE END.
FOOTNOTES
1: The names of four of these cities were--Ubeda, Abela, Baeza, and
Granada.
2: There is another ballad which represents Gayferos, now grown to be a
man, as coming in the disguise of a pilgrim to his mother's house, and
slaying his stepfather with his own hand. The Countess is only satisfied
as to his identity by the circumstance of _the finger_--
El dedo bien es aqueste, aqui lo vereys faltar
La condesa que esto oyera empezole de abracar.
3: Sansuena is the ancient name of Zaragoza.
4: The arms of Leon.
5: The arms of Castile.
6: The arms of France.
7: "Per ecclesias proclamare fecit." This may either mean that a notice
was fastened to the church door, or given out from the pulpit. The last
is most probable.
8: As these are probably the only verses on record of the devil's
composition (at least, so well authenticated), I transcribe them for the
information of the curious.
"Nexus ovem binam, per spinam traxit equinam;
Laesus surgit equus, pendet utrumque pecus.
Ad molendinum, pondus portabat equinum,
Dispergendo focum, se cremat atque locum.
Custodes aberant; singula damna ferant."
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Contemporary spellings have been retained even where inconsistent;
missing punctuation has been silently added. The following additional
changes have been made to the text:
let it brought before these Sees let it be brought before these Sees
Durenda Durendal
Thou till shouldst prop Thou still shouldst prop