_How Faustus had a sight of Paradise_
After this, Doctor Faustus set forth again, visited these countries of
Spain, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland,
Muscovy, India, Cataia, Africa, Persia, and lastly into Barbaria
amongst the Blackamoors, and in all his wandering he was desirous
to visit the ancient monuments and mighty hills, amongst the rest
beholding the high hill called the Treno Riefe, was desirous to rest
upon it: from thence he went into the Isle of Brittany, wherein he was
greatly delighted to see the fair water and warm Baths, the divers
sorts of metal, with many precious stones, and divers other commodities
the which Faustus brought thence with him, he was also at the Orchades
behind Scotland, where he saw the tree that bringeth forth fruit,
that when it is ripe, openeth and falleth into the water, whereof
engendereth a certain kind of Fowl or Bird: these Islands are in number
twenty-three but ten of them are not habitable, the other thirteen
are inhabited: from hence, he went to the hill of Caucasus, which is
the highest in all that Tropic, it lieth near the borders of Scythia,
hereon Faustus stood and beheld many lands and Kingdoms. Faustus being
on such an high hill, thought to look over all the world and beyond,
for he meant to see Paradise, but he durst not commune with his Spirit
thereof: and being on the hill of Caucasus, he saw the whole land of
India and Scythia, and towards the East as he looked he saw a mighty
clear strike of fire coming from heaven upon the earth, even as it had
been one of the beams of the Sun, he saw in the valley four mighty
waters springing, one had his course towards India, the second towards
Egypt, the third and fourth towards Armenia. When he saw these, he
would needs know of his Spirit what waters they were, and from whence
they came. His Spirit gave him gently an answer, saying; it is Paradise
that lieth so far in the East, the garden that God himself hath planted
with all manner of pleasure, and the fiery stream that thou seest, is
the walls or defence of the garden, but that clear light that thou
seest so far off, is the Angel that hath the custody thereof, with a
fiery sword: and although that thou thinkest thyself to be hard by,
thou hast yet farther thither from hence, than thou hast ever been: the
water that thou seest divided in four parts, is the water that issueth
out of the Well in the middle of Paradise. The first is called Ganges
or Phison, the second, Gihon or Nilus, the third Tigris, and the fourth
Euphrates, also thou seest that he standeth under Libra and Aries right
up towards the Zenith, and upon this fiery wall standeth the Angel
Michael with his flaming sword to keep the tree of life the which he
hath in charge; but the Spirit said unto Faustus, neither thou, nor I,
nor any after us, yea all men whosoever are denied to visit it, or to
come any nearer than we be.