_How Doctor Faustus desired to see hell, and of the manner how he was
used therein_
Doctor Faustus bethinking how his time went away, and how he had
spent eight years thereof, he meant to spend the rest to his better
contentment, intending quite to forget any such motions as might
offend the Devil any more: wherefore on a time he called his Spirit
Mephostophiles, and said unto him, bring thou hither unto me thy Lord
Lucifer, or Belial: he brought him (notwithstanding) one that was
called Beelzebub, the which asked Faustus his pleasure. Quoth Faustus,
I would know of thee if I may see hell and take a view thereof? That
thou shalt (said the Devil) and at midnight I will fetch thee. Well,
night being come, Doctor Faustus awaited very diligently for the coming
of the Devil to fetch him, and thinking that he carried all too long,
he went to the window, where he pulled open a casement, and looking
into the Element, he saw a cloud in the North more black, dark, and
obscure, than all the rest of the Sky, from whence the wind blew most
horrible right into Faustus his chamber, filled the whole house with
smoke, that Faustus was almost smothered: hereat fell an exceeding
thunder-clap, and withal came a great rugged black Bear, all curled,
and upon his back a chair of beaten gold, and spake to Faustus, saying,
sit up and away with me: and Doctor Faustus that had so long abode the
smoke, wished rather to be in hell than there, got on the Devil, and
so they went together. But mark how the Devil blinded him, and made him
believe that he carried him into hell, for he carried him into the air,
where Faustus fell into a sound sleep, as if he had sat in a warm water
or bath: at last they came to a place which burneth continually with
flashing flames of fire and brimstone, whereout issued an exceeding
mighty clap of thunder, with so horrible a noise, that Faustus awaked,
but the Devil went forth on his way and carried Faustus thereinto,
yet notwithstanding, howsoever it burnt, Doctor Faustus felt no more
heat, than as it were the glimpse of the Sun in May: there heard he
all manner of music to welcome him, but saw none playing on them; it
pleased him well, but he durst not ask, for he was forbidden it before.
To meet the Devil and the guest that came with him, came three other
ugly Devils, the which ran back again before the Bear to make them
way, against whom there came running an exceeding great Hart, which
would have thrust Faustus out of his chair, but being defended by the
other three Devils, the Hart was put to the repulse: thence going on
their way Faustus looked, and behold there was nothing but Snakes, and
all manner of venomous beasts about him, which were exceeding great,
unto the which Snakes came many Storks, and swallowed up all the whole
multitude of Snakes, that they left not one: which when Faustus saw,
he marvelled greatly: but proceeding further on their hellish voyage,
there came forth of a hollow cliff an exceeding great flying Bull, the
which with such a force hit Faustus his chair with his head and horns,
that he turned Faustus and his Bear over and over, so that the Bear
vanished away, whereat Faustus began to cry: oh, woe is me that ever I
came here: for he thought there to have been beguiled of the Devil, and
to make his end before his time appointed or conditioned of the Devil:
but shortly came unto him a monstrous Ape, bidding Faustus be of good
cheer, and said, get upon me; all the fire in hell seemed to Faustus to
have been put out, whereupon followed a monstrous thick fog, that he
saw nothing, but shortly it seemed to him to wax clear, where he saw
two great Dragons fastened to a waggon, into the which the Ape ascended
and set Faustus therein; forth flew the Dragons into an exceeding dark
cloud, where Faustus saw neither Dragon nor Chariot wherein he sat,
and such were the cries of tormented souls, with mighty thunder-claps
and flashing lightnings about his ears, that poor Faustus shook for
fear. Upon this came they to a water, stinking and filthy, thick like
mud, into the which ran the Dragons, sinking under with waggon and all;
but Faustus felt no water but as it were a small mist, saving that the
waves beat so sore upon him, that he saw nothing under and over him
but only water, in the which he lost his Dragons, Ape, and waggon;
and sinking yet deeper and deeper, he came at last as it were upon an
high Rock, where the waters parted and left him thereon: but when the
water was gone, it seemed to him he should there have ended his life,
for he saw no way but death: the Rock was as high from the bottom as
Heaven is from the earth: there sat he, seeing nor hearing any man,
and looked ever upon the Rock; at length he saw a little hole, out of
the which issued fire; thought he, how shall I now do? I am forsaken
of the Devils, and they that brought me hither, here must I either
fall to the bottom, or burn in the fire, or sit still in despair: with
that in his madness he gave a leap into the fiery hole, saying: hold
you infernal Hags, take here this sacrifice as my last end; the which
I justly have deserved: upon this he was entered, and finding himself
as yet unburned or touched of the fire, he was the better appayed,[24]
but there was so great a noise as he never heard the like before, it
passed all the thunder that ever he had heard; and coming down further
to the bottom of the Rock, he saw a fire, wherein were many worthy
and noble personages, as Emperors, Kings, Dukes, and Lords, and many
thousands more of tormented souls, at the edge of which fire ran a
most pleasant, clear, and cool water to behold, into the which many
tormented souls sprang out of the fire to cool themselves; but being
so freezing cold, they were constrained to return again into the fire,
and thus wearied themselves and spent their endless torments out of
one labyrinth into another, one while in heat, another while in cold:
but Faustus standing thus all this while gazing on them were thus
tormented, he saw one leaping out of the fire and screeching horribly,
whom he thought to have known, wherefore he would fain have spoken unto
him, but remembering that he was forbidden, he refrained speaking.
Then this Devil that brought him in, came to him again in likeness of
a Bear, with the chair on his back, and bade him sit up, for it was
time to depart: so Faustus got up, and the Devil carried him out into
the air, where he had so sweet music that he fell asleep by the way.
His boy Christopher being all this while at home, and missing his
master so long, thought his master would have tarried and dwelt with
the Devil for ever: but whilst his boy was in these cogitations, his
master came home, for the Devil brought him home fast asleep as he sat
in his chair, and so he threw him on his bed, where (being thus left
of the Devil) he lay until day. When he awaked, he was amazed, like a
man that had been in a dark dungeon; musing with himself if it were
true or false that he had seen hell, or whether he was blinded or not:
but he rather persuaded himself that he had been there than otherwise,
because he had seen such wonderful things: wherefore he most carefully
took pen and ink, and wrote those things in order as he had seen: the
which writing was afterwards found by his boy in his study; which
afterwards was published to the whole city of Wittenberg in open print,
for example to all Christians.
[Illustration]
[Footnote 24: i.e. pleased.]