_Another disputation betwixt Doctor Faustus and his Spirit, of the
power of the Devil, and of his envy to mankind_
After Doctor Faustus had a while pondered and sorrowed with himself
of his wretched estate, he called again Mephostophiles unto him,
commanding him to tell him the judgment, rule, power, attempts,
tyranny and temptation of the Devil, and why he was moved to such kind
of living: whereupon the Spirit answered, this question that thou
demandest of me, will turn thee to no small discontentment: therefore
thou shouldst not have desired me of such matters, for it toucheth the
secrets of our Kingdom, although I cannot deny to resolve thy request.
Therefore know thou Faustus, that so soon as my Lord Lucifer fell from
heaven, he became a mortal enemy both to God and man, and hath used
(as now he doth) all manner of tyranny to the destruction of man, as
is manifest by divers examples, one falling suddenly dead, another
hangs himself, another drowns himself, others stab themselves, others
unfaithfully despair, and so come to utter confusion: the first man
Adam that was made perfect to the similitude of God, was by my Lord his
policy, the whole decay of man: yea, Faustus, in him was the beginning
and first tyranny of my Lord Lucifer used to man: the like did he
with Cain, the same with the children of Israel, when they worshipped
strange Gods, and fell to whoredom with strange women: the like with
Saul: so did he by the seven husbands of her that after was the wife
of Tobias: likewise Dagon our fellow brought to destruction thirty
thousand men, whereupon the Ark of God was stolen: and Belial made
David to number his men, whereupon were slain sixty thousand, also he
deceived King Solomon that worshipped the Gods of the heathen: and
there are such Spirits innumerable that can come by men and tempt them,
drive them to sin, weaken their belief: for we rule the hearts of Kings
and Princes, stirring them up to war and bloodshed; and to this intent
do we spread ourselves throughout all the world, as the utter enemies
of God, and his Son Christ, yea and all those that worship them: and
that thou knowest by thyself Faustus, how we have dealt with thee. To
this answered Faustus, why then thou didst also beguile me. Yea (quoth
Mephostophiles) why should not we help thee forwards: for so soon as we
saw thy heart, how thou didst despise thy degree taken in Divinity, and
didst study to search and know the secrets of our Kingdom; even then
did we enter into thee, giving thee divers foul and filthy cogitations,
pricking thee forward in thine intent, and persuading thee that thou
couldst never attain to thy desire, until thou hast the help of some
Devil: and when thou wast delighted with this, then took we root in
thee; and so firmly, that thou gavest thyself unto us, both body and
soul the which thou (Faustus) canst not deny. Hereat answered Faustus,
Thou sayest true Mephostophiles, I cannot deny it: Ah, woe is me
miserable Faustus; how have I been deceived? had not I desired to know
so much, I had not been in this case: for having studied the lives of
the holy Saints and Prophets, and thereby thought myself to understand
sufficient in heavenly matters, I thought myself not worthy to be
called Doctor Faustus, if I should not also know the secrets of hell,
and be associated with the furious Fiend thereof; now therefore must
I be rewarded accordingly. Which speeches being uttered, Faustus went
very sorrowfully away from Mephostophiles.