_How Doctor Faustus fell in talk with his servant touching his
Testament, and the covenants thereof_
Now when this Will was made, Doctor Faustus called unto him his
servant, saying: I have thought upon thee in my Testament, for that
thou hast been a trusty servant unto me and a faithful, and hast not
opened my secrets: and yet further (said he) ask of me before I die
what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee. His servant rashly
answered, I pray you let me have your cunning. To which Doctor
Faustus answered, I have given thee all my books, upon this condition,
that thou wouldst not let them be common, but use them for thine own
pleasure, and study carefully in them. And dost thou also desire my
cunning? That mayest thou peradventure have, if thou love and peruse
my books well. Further (said Doctor Faustus) seeing that thou desirest
of me this request, I will resolve thee: my Spirit Mephostophiles his
time is out with me, and I have nought to command him as touching
thee, yet will I help thee to another, if thou like well thereof. And
within three days after he called his servant unto him, saying: art
thou resolved? wouldst thou verily have a Spirit? Then tell me in what
manner or form thou wouldst have him? To whom his servant answered,
that he would have him in the form of an Ape: whereupon presently
appeared a Spirit unto him in manner and form of an Ape, the which
leaped about the house. Then said Faustus, see, there hast thou thy
request, but yet he will not obey thee until I be dead, for when my
Spirit Mephostophiles shall fetch me away, then shall thy Spirit
be bound unto thee, if thou agree: and thy Spirit shalt thou name
Akercocke, for so is he called: but all this is upon condition that
thou publish my cunning, and my merry conceits, with all that I have
done (when I am dead) in an history: and if thou canst not remember
all, thy Spirit Akercocke will help thee: so shall the great acts that
I have done be manifested unto the world.