The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📖

Faustus can repent.

EVIL ANGEL. If thou repent, devils shall tear thee in pieces.

GOOD ANGEL. Repent, and they shall never raze thy skin.

[Exeunt ANGELS.]

FAUSTUS. Ah, Christ, my Saviour,

Seek to save<104> distressed Faustus’ soul!

Enter LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

LUCIFER. Christ cannot save thy soul, for he is just:

There’s none but I have interest in the same.

FAUSTUS. O, who art thou that look’st so terrible?

LUCIFER. I am Lucifer,

And this is my companion-prince in hell.

FAUSTUS. O, Faustus, they are come to fetch away thy soul!

LUCIFER. We come to tell thee thou dost injure us;

Thou talk’st of Christ, contrary to thy promise:

Thou shouldst not think of God: think of the devil,

And of his dam too.

FAUSTUS. Nor will I henceforth: pardon me in this,

And Faustus vows never to look to heaven,

Never to name God, or to pray to him,

To burn his Scriptures, slay his ministers,

And make my spirits pull his churches down.

LUCIFER. Do so, and we will highly gratify thee. Faustus, we are

come from hell to shew thee some pastime: sit down, and thou

shalt see all the Seven Deadly Sins appear in their proper shapes.

FAUSTUS. That sight will be as pleasing unto me,

As Paradise was to Adam, the first day

Of his creation.

LUCIFER. Talk not of Paradise nor creation; but mark this show:

talk of the devil, and nothing else.—Come away!

Enter the SEVEN DEADLY SINS.<105>

Now, Faustus, examine them of their several names and dispositions.

FAUSTUS. What art thou, the first?

PRIDE. I am Pride. I disdain to have any parents. I am like to

Ovid’s flea; I can creep into every corner of a wench; sometimes,

like a perriwig, I sit upon her brow; or, like a fan of feathers,

I kiss her lips; indeed, I do—what do I not? But, fie, what a

scent is here! I’ll not speak another word, except the ground

were perfumed, and covered with cloth of arras.

FAUSTUS. What art thou, the second?

COVETOUSNESS. I am Covetousness, begotten of an old churl, in an

old leathern bag: and, might I have my wish, I would desire that

this house and all the people in it were turned to gold, that I

might lock you up in my good chest: O, my sweet gold!

FAUSTUS. What art thou, the third?

WRATH. I am Wrath. I had neither father nor mother: I leapt out

of a lion’s mouth when I was scarce half-an-hour old; and ever

since I have run up and down the world with this case<106>

of rapiers, wounding myself when I had nobody to fight withal.

I was born in hell; and look to it, for some of you shall be

my father.

FAUSTUS. What art thou, the fourth?

ENVY. I am Envy, begotten of a chimney-sweeper and an oyster-wife.

I cannot read, and therefore wish all books were burnt. I am lean

with seeing others eat. O, that there would come a famine through

all the world, that all might die, and I live alone! then thou

shouldst see how fat I would be. But must thou sit, and I stand?

come down, with a vengeance!

FAUSTUS. Away, envious rascal!—What art thou, the fifth?

GLUTTONY. Who I, sir? I am Gluttony. My parents are all dead,

and the devil a penny they have left me, but a bare pension, and

that is thirty meals a-day and ten bevers,<107>—a small trifle

to suffice nature. O, I come of a royal parentage! my grandfather

was a Gammon of Bacon, my grandmother a Hogshead of Claret-wine;

my godfathers were these, Peter Pickle-herring and Martin

Martlemas-beef; O, but my godmother, she was a jolly gentlewoman,

and well-beloved in every good town and city; her name was Mistress

Margery March-beer. Now, Faustus, thou hast heard all my progeny;

wilt thou bid me to supper?

FAUSTUS. No, I’ll see thee hanged: thou wilt eat up all my victuals.

GLUTTONY. Then the devil choke thee!

FAUSTUS. Choke thyself, glutton!—What art thou, the sixth?

SLOTH. I am Sloth. I was begotten on a sunny bank, where I have

lain ever since; and you have done me great injury to bring me

from thence: let me be carried thither again by Gluttony and

Lechery. I’ll not speak another word for a king’s ransom.

FAUSTUS. What are you, Mistress Minx, the seventh and last?

LECHERY. Who I, sir? I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton

better than an ell of fried stock-fish; and the first letter

of my name begins with L.<108>

FAUSTUS. Away, to hell, to hell!<109>

[Exeunt the SINS.]

LUCIFER. Now, Faustus, how dost thou like this?

FAUSTUS. O, this feeds my soul!

LUCIFER. Tut, Faustus, in hell is all manner of delight.

FAUSTUS. O, might I see hell, and return again,

How happy were I then!

LUCIFER. Thou shalt; I will send for thee at midnight.<110>

In meantime take this book; peruse it throughly,

And thou shalt turn thyself into what shape thou wilt.

FAUSTUS. Great thanks, mighty Lucifer!

This will I keep as chary as my life.

LUCIFER. Farewell, Faustus, and think on the devil.

FAUSTUS. Farewell, great Lucifer.

[Exeunt LUCIFER and BELZEBUB.]

Come, Mephistophilis.

[Exeunt.] Enter CHORUS.<111>

CHORUS. Learned Faustus,

To know the secrets of astronomy<112>

Graven in the book of Jove’s high firmament,

Did mount himself to scale Olympus’ top,

Being seated in a chariot burning bright,

Drawn by the strength of yoky dragons’ necks.

He now is gone to prove cosmography,

And, as I guess, will first arrive at Rome,

To see the Pope and manner of his court,

And take some part of holy Peter’s feast,

That to this day is highly solemniz’d.

[Exit.] Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS.<113>

FAUSTUS. Having now, my good Mephistophilis,

Pass’d with delight the stately town of Trier,<114>

Environ’d round with airy mountain-tops,

With walls of flint, and deep-entrenched lakes,

Not to be won by any conquering prince;

From Paris next,<115> coasting the realm of France,

We saw the river Maine fall into Rhine,

Whose banks are set with groves of fruitful vines;

Then up to Naples, rich Campania,

Whose buildings fair and gorgeous to the eye,

The streets straight forth, and pav’d with finest brick,

Quarter the town in four equivalents:

There saw we learned Maro’s golden tomb,

The way he cut,<116> an English mile in length,

Thorough a rock of stone, in one night’s space;

From thence to Venice, Padua, and the rest,

In one of which a sumptuous temple stands,<117>

That threats the stars with her aspiring top.

Thus hitherto hath Faustus spent his time:

But tell me now what resting-place is this?

Hast thou, as erst I did command,

Conducted me within the walls of Rome?

MEPHIST. Faustus, I have; and, because we will not be unprovided,

I have taken up his Holiness’ privy-chamber for our use.

FAUSTUS. I hope his Holiness will bid us welcome.

MEPHIST.

Tut, ‘tis no matter; man; we’ll be bold with his good cheer.

And now, my Faustus, that thou mayst perceive

What Rome containeth to delight thee with,

Know that this city stands upon seven hills

That underprop the groundwork of the same:

Just through the midst<118> runs flowing Tiber’s stream

With winding banks that cut it in two parts;

Over the which four stately bridges lean,

That make safe passage to each part of Rome:

Upon the bridge call’d Ponte<119> Angelo

Erected is a castle passing strong,

Within whose walls such store of ordnance are,

And double cannons fram’d of carved brass,

As match the days within one complete year;

Besides the gates, and high pyramides,

Which Julius Caesar brought from Africa.

FAUSTUS. Now, by the kingdoms of infernal rule,

Of Styx, of<120> Acheron, and the fiery lake

Of ever-burning Phlegethon, I swear

That I do long to see the monuments

And situation of bright-splendent Rome:

Come, therefore, let’s away.

MEPHIST. Nay, Faustus, stay: I know you’d fain see the Pope,

And take some part of holy Peter’s feast,

Where thou shalt see a troop of bald-pate friars,

Whose summum bonum is in belly-cheer.

FAUSTUS. Well, I’m content to compass then some sport,

And by their folly make us merriment.

Then charm me, that I<121>

May be invisible, to do what I please,

Unseen of any whilst I stay in Rome.

[Mephistophilis charms him.]

MEPHIST. So, Faustus; now

Do what thou wilt, thou shalt not be discern’d.

Sound a Sonnet.<122> Enter the POPE and the CARDINAL OF LORRAIN to the banquet, with FRIARS attending.

POPE. My Lord of Lorrain, will’t please you draw near?

FAUSTUS. Fall to, and the devil choke you, an you spare!

POPE. How now! who’s that which spake?—Friars, look about.

FIRST FRIAR. Here’s nobody, if it like your Holiness.

POPE. My lord, here is a dainty dish was sent me from the Bishop

of Milan.

FAUSTUS. I thank you, sir.

[Snatches the dish.]

POPE. How now! who’s that which snatched the meat from me? will

no man look?—My lord, this dish was sent me from the Cardinal

of Florence.

FAUSTUS. You say true; I’ll ha’t.

[Snatches the dish.]

POPE. What, again!—My lord, I’ll drink to your grace.

FAUSTUS. I’ll pledge your grace.

[Snatches the cup.]

C. OF LOR. My lord, it may be some ghost, newly crept out of

Purgatory, come to beg a pardon of your Holiness.

POPE. It may be so.—Friars, prepare a dirge to lay the fury

of this ghost.—Once again, my lord, fall to.

[The POPE crosses himself.]

FAUSTUS. What, are you crossing of yourself?

Well, use that trick no more, I would advise you.

[The POPE crosses himself again.]

Well, there’s the second time. Aware the third;

I give you fair warning.

[The POPE crosses himself again, and FAUSTUS hits him a box of the ear; and they all run away.]

Come on, Mephistophilis; what shall we do?

MEPHIST. Nay, I know not: we shall be cursed with bell, book,

and candle.

FAUSTUS. How! bell, book, and candle,—candle, book, and bell,—

Forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell!

Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray,

Because it is Saint Peter’s holiday.

Re-enter all the FRIARS to sing the Dirge.

FIRST FRIAR.

Come, brethren, let’s about our business with good devotion.

They sing.

CURSED BE HE THAT STOLE AWAY HIS HOLINESS’ MEAT FROM THE

TABLE! maledicat Dominus!

CURSED BE HE THAT STRUCK HIS HOLINESS A BLOW ON THE FACE!

maledicat Dominus!

CURSED BE HE THAT TOOK FRIAR SANDELO A BLOW ON THE PATE!

maledicat Dominus!

CURSED BE HE THAT DISTURBETH OUR HOLY DIRGE! maledicat

Dominus!

CURSED BE HE THAT TOOK AWAY HIS HOLINESS’ WINE! maledicat

Dominus? <'?' sic>

Et omnes Sancti! Amen! [MEPHISTOPHILIS and FAUSTUS beat the FRIARS, and fling fire-works among them; and so exeunt.] Enter CHORUS.

CHORUS. When Faustus had with pleasure ta’en the view

Of rarest things, and royal courts of kings,

He stay’d his course, and so returned home;

Where such as bear his absence but with grief,

I mean his friends and near’st companions,

Did gratulate his safety with kind words,

And in their conference of what befell,

Touching his journey through the world and air,

They put forth