FAUSTUS. Now that the gloomy shadow of the night,
Longing to view Orion's drizzling look,
Leaps from th' antartic world unto the sky,
And dims the welkin with her [28] pitchy breath,
Faustus, begin thine incantations,
And try if devils will obey thy hest,
Seeing thou hast pray'd and sacrific'd to them.
Within this circle is Jehovah's name,
Forward and backward anagrammatiz'd,
Th' abbreviated names of holy saints,
Figures of every adjunct to the heavens,
And characters of signs and erring [29] stars,
By which the spirits are enforc'd to rise:
Then fear not, Faustus, to be resolute,
And try the utmost magic can perform.
[Thunder.]
Sint mihi dii Acherontis propitii! Valeat numen triplex Jehovoe!
Ignei, aerii, aquatani spiritus, salvete! Orientis princeps
Belzebub, inferni ardentis monarcha, et Demogorgon, propitiamus
vos, ut appareat et surgat Mephistophilis Dragon, quod tumeraris: [30]
per Jehovam, Gehennam, et consecratam aquam quam nunc spargo,
signumque crucis quod nunc facio, et per vota nostra, ipse nunc
surgat nobis dicatus [31] Mephistophilis!
Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS.
I charge thee to return, and change thy shape;
Thou art too ugly to attend on me:
Go, and return an old Franciscan friar;
That holy shape becomes a devil best.
[Exit MEPHISTOPHILIS.]
I see there's virtue in my heavenly words.
Who would not be proficient in this art?
How pliant is this Mephistophilis,
Full of obedience and humility!
Such is the force of magic and my spells.
Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS like a Franciscan friar.
MEPHIST. Now, Faustus, what wouldst thou have me do?
FAUSTUS. I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live,
To do whatever Faustus shall command,
Be it to make the moon drop from her sphere,
Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.
MEPHIST. I am a servant to great Lucifer,
And may not follow thee without his leave:
No more than he commands must we perform.
FAUSTUS. Did not he charge thee to appear to me?
MEPHIST. No, I came hither [32] of mine own accord.
FAUSTUS. Did not my conjuring speeches [33] raise thee? speak!
MEPHIST. That was the cause, but yet per accidens; [34]
For, when we hear one rack the name of God,
Abjure the Scriptures and his Saviour Christ,
We fly, in hope to get his glorious soul;
Nor will we come, unless he use such means
Whereby he is in danger to be damn'd.
Therefore the shortest cut for conjuring
Is stoutly to abjure all godliness,
And pray devoutly to the prince of hell.
FAUSTUS. So Faustus hath
Already done; and holds this principle,
There is no chief but only Belzebub;
To whom Faustus doth dedicate himself.
This word "damnation" terrifies not me,
For I confound hell in Elysium:
My ghost be with the old philosophers!
But, leaving these vain trifles of men's souls,
Tell me what is that Lucifer thy lord?
MEPHIST. Arch-regent and commander of all spirits.
FAUSTUS. Was not that Lucifer an angel once?
MEPHIST. Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lov'd of God.
FAUSTUS. How comes it, then, that he is prince of devils?
MEPHIST. O, by aspiring pride and insolence;
For which God threw him from the face of heaven.
FAUSTUS. And what are you that live with Lucifer?
MEPHIST. Unhappy spirits that fell [35] with Lucifer,
Conspir'd against our God with Lucifer,
And are for ever damn'd with Lucifer.
FAUSTUS. Where are you damn'd?
MEPHIST. In hell.
FAUSTUS. How comes it, then, that thou art out of hell?
MEPHIST. Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it:
Think'st thou that I, that saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,
In being depriv'd of everlasting bliss?
O, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands,
Which strike [36] a terror to my fainting soul!
FAUSTUS. What, is great Mephistophilis so passionate
For being deprived of the joys of heaven?
Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude,
And scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.
Go bear these tidings to great Lucifer:
Seeing Faustus hath incurr'd eternal death
By desperate thoughts against Jove's deity,
Say, he surrenders up to him his soul,
So he will spare him four and twenty years,
Letting him live in all voluptuousness;
Having thee ever to attend on me,
To give me whatsoever I shall ask,
To tell me whatsoever I demand,
To slay mine enemies, and to aid my friends,
And always be obedient to my will.
Go, and return to mighty Lucifer,
And meet me in my study at midnight,
And then resolve me of thy master's mind.
MEPHIST. I will, Faustus.
[Exit.]
FAUSTUS. Had I as many souls as there be stars,
I'd give them all for Mephistophilis.
By him I'll be great emperor of the world,
And make a bridge thorough [37] the moving air,
To pass the ocean with a band of men;
I'll join the hills that bind the Afric shore,
And make that country continent to Spain,
And both contributary to my crown:
The Emperor shall not live but by my leave,
Nor any potentate of Germany.
Now that I have obtain'd what I desir'd,
I'll live in speculation of this art,
Till Mephistophilis return again.
[Exit.]
Enter WAGNER and CLOWN.
WAGNER. Come hither, sirrah boy.
CLOWN. Boy! O, disgrace to my person! zounds, boy in your face!
You have seen many boys with beards, I am sure.
WAGNER. Sirrah, [38] hast thou no comings in?
CLOWN. Yes, and goings out too, you may see, sir.
WAGNER. Alas, poor slave! see how poverty jests in his nakedness!
I know the villain's out of service, and so hungry, that I know
he would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton,
though it were blood-raw.
CLOWN. Not so neither: I had need to have it well roasted, and
good sauce to it, if I pay so dear, I can tell you.
WAGNER. Sirrah, wilt thou be my man, and wait on me, and I will
make thee go like Qui mihi discipulus?
CLOWN. What, in verse?
WAGNER. No, slave; in beaten silk and staves-acre.
CLOWN. Staves-acre! that's good to kill vermin: then, belike,
if I serve you, I shall be lousy.
WAGNER. Why, so thou shalt be, whether thou dost it or no; for,
sirrah, if thou dost not presently bind thyself to me for seven
years, I'll turn all the lice about thee into familiars, and make
them tear thee in pieces.
CLOWN. Nay, sir, you may save [39] yourself a labour, for they
are as familiar with me as if they paid for their meat and drink,
I can tell you.
WAGNER. Well, sirrah, leave your jesting, and take these guilders.
[Gives money.]
CLOWN. Yes, marry, sir; and I thank you too.
WAGNER. So, now thou art to be at an hour's warning, whensoever
and wheresoever the devil shall fetch thee.
CLOWN. Here, take your guilders again; [40] I'll none of 'em.
WAGNER. Not I; thou art pressed: prepare thyself, or [41] I will
presently raise up two devils to carry thee away.--Banio! Belcher!
CLOWN. Belcher! an Belcher come here, I'll belch him: I am not
afraid of a devil.
Enter two DEVILS.
WAGNER. How now, sir! will you serve me now?
CLOWN. Ay, good Wagner; take away the devil[s], then.
WAGNER. Spirits, away!
[Exeunt DEVILS.]
Now, sirrah, follow me.
CLOWN. I will, sir: but hark you, master; will you teach me this
conjuring occupation?
WAGNER. Ay, sirrah, I'll teach thee to turn thyself to a dog,
or a cat, or a mouse, or a rat, or any thing.
CLOWN. A dog, or a cat, or a mouse, or a rat!
O, brave, Wagner!
WAGNER. Villain, call me Master Wagner, and see that you walk
attentively, and let your right eye be always diametrally fixed
upon my left heel, that thou mayst quasi vestigiis nostris [42]
insistere.
CLOWN. Well, sir, I warrant you.
[Exeunt.]
FAUSTUS discovered in his study.
FAUSTUS. Now, Faustus,
Must thou needs be damn'd, canst thou not be sav'd.
What boots it, then, to think on God or heaven?
Away with such vain fancies, and despair;
Despair in God, and trust in Belzebub:
Now, go not backward, [43] Faustus; be resolute:
Why [44] waver'st thou? O, something soundeth in mine ear,
"Abjure this magic, turn to God again!"
Why, he loves thee not;
The god thou serv'st is thine own appetite,
Wherein is fix'd the love of Belzebub:
To him I'll build an altar and a church,
And offer lukewarm blood of new-born babes.
Enter GOOD ANGEL and EVIL ANGEL.
EVIL ANGEL. Go forward, Faustus, in that famous [45] art.
GOOD ANGEL. Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art.
FAUSTUS. Contrition, prayer, repentance--what of [46] these?
GOOD ANGEL. O, they are means to bring thee unto heaven!
EVIL ANGEL. Rather illusions, fruits of lunacy,
That make men [47] foolish that do use them most.
GOOD ANGEL. Sweet Faustus, think of heaven and heavenly things.
EVIL ANGEL. No, Faustus; think of honour and of wealth.
[Exeunt ANGELS.]
FAUSTUS. Wealth!
Why, the signiory of Embden shall be mine.
When Mephistophilis shall stand by me,
What power can hurt me? Faustus, thou art safe:
Cast no more doubts.--Mephistophilis, come,
And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer;--
Is't not midnight?--come Mephistophilis,
And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer;--
Is't not midnight?--come Mephistophilis,
Veni, veni, Mephistophile! [48]
Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS.
Now tell me what saith Lucifer, thy lord?
MEPHIST. That I shall wait on Faustus whilst he lives,
So he will buy my service with his soul.
FAUSTUS. Already Faustus hath hazarded that for thee.
MEPHIST. But now thou must bequeath it solemnly,
And write a deed of gift with thine own blood;
For that security craves Lucifer.
If thou deny it, I must back to hell.
FAUSTUS. Stay, Mephistophilis, and tell me, what good will my
soul do thy lord?
MEPHIST. Enlarge his kingdom.
FAUSTUS. Is that the reason why he tempts us thus?
MEPHIST. Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.
FAUSTUS. Why, have you any pain that torture others?
MEPHIST. As great as have the human souls of men.
But, tell me, Faustus, shall I have thy soul?
And I will be thy slave, and wait on thee,
And give thee more than thou hast wit to ask.