_How Doctor Faustus was carried through the air up to the heavens to
see the world, and how the Sky and Planets ruled: after the which he
wrote one letter to his friend of the same to Liptzig, how he went
about the world in eight days_
This letter was found by a freeman and Citizen of Wittenberg, written
with his own hand, and sent to his friend at Liptzig a Physician, named
John Victor, the contents of which were as followeth.
Amongst other things (my loving friend and brother) I remember yet the
former friendship had together, when we were schoolfellows and students
in the University at Wittenberg, whereas you first studied Physic,
Astronomy, Astrology, Geometry, and Cosmography; I to the contrary
(you know) studied Divinity: notwithstanding now in any of your own
studies I am seen (I am persuaded) further then your self: for sithence
I began I have never erred, for (might I speak it without affecting
my own praise) my Calendars and other practices have not only the
commendations of the common sort, but also of the chiefest Lords and
Nobles of this our Dutch Nation: because (which is chiefly to be noted)
I write and presaged of matters to come, which all accord and fall out
so right, as if they had been already seen before. And for that (my
beloved Victori) you write to know my voyage which I made into the
Heavens, the which (as you certify me you have had some suspicion of,
although you partly persuaded yourself, that it is a thing impossible)
no matter for that, it is as it is, and let it be as it will, once it
was done, in such manner as now according unto your request I give you
here to understand.
I being once laid on my bed, and could not sleep for thinking on my
Calendar and practice, I marvelled with myself how it were possible
that the Firmament should be known and so largely written of men,
or whether they write true or false, by their own opinions, or
supposition, or by due observations and true course of the heavens.
Behold, being in these my muses, suddenly I heard a great noise, in so
much that I thought my house would have been blown down, so that all my
doors and chests flew open, whereat I was not a little astonied, for
withal I heard a groaning voice which said, get up, the desire of thy
heart, mind, and thought shalt thou see: at the which I answered, what
my heart desireth, that would I fain see, and to make proof, if I shall
see I will away with thee. Why then (quoth he) look out at thy window,
there cometh a messenger for thee, that did I, and behold, there stood
a Waggon, with two Dragons before it to draw the same, and all the
Waggon was of a light burning fire, and for that the Moon shone, I was
the willinger at that time to depart: but the voice spake again, sit up
and let us away: I will, said I, go with thee, but upon this condition,
that I may ask after all things that I see, hear, or think on: the
voice answered, I am content for this time. Hereupon I got me into the
Waggon, so that the Dragons carried me upright into the air. The Waggon
had also four wheels the which rattled so, and made such a noise as if
we had been all this while running on the stones: and round about us
flew out flames of fire, and the higher that I came, the more the earth
seemed to be darkened, so that methought I came out of a dungeon, and
looking down from Heaven, behold, Mephostophiles my Spirit and servant
was behind me, and when he perceived that I saw him, he came and sat by
me, to whom I said, I pray thee Mephostophiles whither shall I go now?
Let not that trouble thy mind, said he, and yet they carried us higher
up. And now will I tell thee good friend and schoolfellow, what things
I have seen and proved; for on the Tuesday went I out, and on Tuesday
seven-nights following I came home again, that is, eight days, in
which time I slept not, no not one wink came in mine eyes, and we went
invisible of any man: and as the day began to appear, after our first
night’s journey, I said to my Spirit Mephostophiles, I pray thee how
far have we now ridden, I am sure thou knowest: for methinks that we
are ridden exceeding far, the World seemeth so little: Mephostophiles
answered me, my Faustus believe me, that from the place from whence
thou earnest, unto this place where we are now, is already forty-seven
leagues right in height, and as the day increased, I looked down upon
the World, there saw I many kingdoms and provinces, likewise the
whole world, Asia, Europa, and Africa, I had a sight of: and being so
high, quoth I to my Spirit, tell me now how these Kingdoms lie, and
what they are called, the which he denied not, saying, see this on
our left hand is Hungaria, this is also Prussia on our left hand, and
Poland, Muscovia, Tartascelesia,[25] Bohemia, Saxony;: and here on
our right hand, Spain, Portugal, France, England, and Scotland: then
right out before us lie the Kingdoms of Persia, India, Arabia, the
King of Alchar, and the great Cham: now are we come to Wittenberg, and
are right over the town of Weim in Austria, and ere long will we be
at Constantinople, Tripolie, and Jerusalem, and after will we pierce
the frozen Zone, and shortly touch the Horizon, and the Zenith of
Wittenberg. There looked I on the Ocean Sea, and beheld a great many
of ships and Galleys ready to the battle, one against another: and
thus I spent my journey, now cast I my eyes here, now there, toward
South, North, East, and West, I have been in one place where it rained
and hailed, and in another where the Sun shone excellent fair, and so
I think that I saw the most things in and about the world, with great
admiration that in one place it rained, and in another hail and snow,
on this side the Sun shone bright, some hills covered with snow never
consuming, others were so hot that grass and trees were burned and
consumed therewith. Then looked I up to the heavens, and behold, they
went so swift, that I thought they would have sprung in thousands.
Likewise it was so clear and so hot, that I could not long gaze into
it, it so dimmed my sight: and had not my Spirit Mephostophiles covered
me as it were with a shadowing cloud, I had been burnt with the extreme
heat thereof, for the Sky the which we behold here when we look up from
the earth, is so fast and thick as a wall, clear and shining bright as
a Crystal, in the which is placed the Sun, which casteth forth his rays
or beams over the universal world, to the uttermost confines of the
earth. But we think that the Sun is very little: no, it is altogether
as big as the world. Indeed the body substantial is but little in
compass, but the rays or stream that it casteth forth, by reason of the
thing wherein it is placed, maketh him to extend and shew himself over
the whole world: and we think that the Sun runneth his course, and that
the heavens stand still: no, it is the heavens that move his course,
and the Sun abideth perpetually in his place, he is permanent, and
fixed in his place, and although we see him beginning to ascend in the
Orient or East, at the highest in the Meridian or South, setting in the
Occident or West, yet is he at the lowest in Septentrio or North, and
yet he moveth not. It is the axle of the heavens that moveth the whole
firmament, being a Chaos or confused thing, and for that proof, I will
shew thee this example, like as thou seest a bubble made of water and
soap blown forth of a quill, is in form of a confused mass or Chaos,
and being in this form, is moved at pleasure of the wind, which runneth
round about that Chaos, and moveth him also round: even so is the whole
firmament or Chaos, wherein are placed the sun, and the rest of the
Planets turned and carried at the pleasure of the Spirit of God, which
is wind. Yea Christian Reader, to the glory of God, and for the profit
of thy soul, I will open unto thee the divine opinion touching the
ruling of this confused Chaos, far more than any rude German Author,
being possessed with the Devil, was able to utter; and to prove some
of my sentence before to be true, look into Genesis unto the works of
God, at the creation of the world, there shalt thou find, that the
Spirit of God moved upon the waters before heaven and earth were made.
Mark how he made it, and how by his word every element took his place:
these were not his works, but his words; for all the words he used
before, he concluded afterwards in one work, which was in making man:
mark reader with patience for thy soul’s health, see into all that was
done by the word and work of God, light and darkness was, the firmament
stood, and their great ☉ and little light ☽ in it: the moist waters
were in one place, the earth was dry, and every element brought forth
according to the word of God: now followeth his works he made man like
his own image, how? out of the earth? The earth will shape no image
without water, there was one of the elements. But all this while where
was wind? all elements were at the word of God, man was made, and in a
form by the work of God, yet moved not that work, before God breathed
the Spirit of life into his nostrils, and made him a living soul, here
was the first wind and Spirit of God out of his own mouth, which we
have likewise from the same seed which was only planted by God in Adam,
which wind, breath, or spirit, when he had received, he was living and
moving on earth, for it was ordained of God for his habitation, but the
heavens are the habitation of the Lord: and like as I shewed before
of the bubble or confused Chaos made of water and soap, through the
wind and breath of man is turned round, and carried with every wind;
even so the firmament wherein the Sun and the rest of the Planets are
fixed, moved, turned, and carried with the wind, breath, or Spirit of
God, for the heavens and firmament are movable as the Chaos, but the
Sun is fixed in the firmament. And farther my good schoolfellow, I was
thus nigh the heavens, where methought every Planet was but as half
the earth, and under the firmament ruled the Spirits in the air, and
as I came down I looked upon the world and the heavens, and methought
that the earth was enclosed in comparison within the firmament, as the
yolk of an egg within the white, and methought that the whole length
of the earth was not a span long, and the water was as if it had been
twice as broad and long as the earth, even thus at the eight days end
came I home again, and fell asleep, and so I continued sleeping three
days and three nights together: and the first hour that I waked, I fell
fresh again to my Calendar, and have made them in right ample manner
as you know, and to satisfy your request, for that you writ unto me,
I have in consideration of our old friendship had at the University
of Wittenberg, declared unto you my heavenly voyage, wishing no worse
unto you, than unto myself, that is, that your mind were as mine in all
respects. Dixi.
Doctor Faustus the Astrologian.
[Footnote 25: Probably a corruption of Tartary and Silesia.]