The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (best contemporary novels .TXT) đź“–
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Aprill, vntill that it came vnto the bridge; where (within a
while after) the powder wrought his effect, with such violence,
as the vessell, and all that was within it, and vpon it, flew in
pieces, carrying away a part of the Stocado and of the bridge.
The marquesse of Roubay Vicont of Gant, Gaspar of Robles lord of
Billy, and the Seignior of Torchies, brother vnto the Seignior
of Bours, with many others, were presently slaine; which were
torne in pieces, and dispersed abroad, both vpon the land and vpon
the water.” Grimeston’s GENERALL HISTORIE OF THE NETHERLANDS,
875, ed. 1609.
<30> only] Qy. “alone”? (This line is not in the later 4tos.)
<31> vile] Old ed. “vild”: but see note ||, p. 68.—(This line
is not in the later 4tos.)
VILE monster, born of some infernal hag”, and, a few lines after, To VILE and ignominious servitude fact is, our early writers (or rather transcribers), with their usual inconsistency of spelling, give now the one form, and now the other: compare the folio SHAKESPEARE, 1623, where we sometimes find “vild” and sometimes “VILE.”)><32> concise syllogisms] Old ed. “Consissylogismes.”
<33> cunning] i.e. knowing, skilful.
<34> Agrippa] i.e. Cornelius Agrippa.
<35> shadow] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “shadowes.”
<36> spirits] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “subiects.”
<37> Almain rutters] See note ďż˝, p. 43.
FAUSTUS we have,— “Like ALMAIN RUTTERS with their horsemen’s staves.”><38> have the] So two of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “in their.”
<39> From] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “For.”
<40> in] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<41> renowm’d] See note ||, p. 11.
RENOMME) occurs repeatedly afterwards in this play, according to the 8vo. It is occasionally found in writers posterior to Marlowe’s time. e.g. “Of Constantines great towne RENOUM’D in vaine.” Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling’s MONARCHICKE TRAGEDIES, ed. 1607.><42> Albertus’] i.e. Albertus Magnus.—The correction of I. M.
in Gent. Mag. for Jan. 1841.—All the 4tos “Albanus.”
<43> cunning] i.e. skill.
<44> Enter two SCHOLARS] Scene, perhaps, supposed to be before
Faustus’s house, as Wagner presently says, “My master is within
at dinner.”
<45> upon] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “vpon’t.”
<46> speak, would] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “speake, IT would.”
<47> my dear brethren] This repetition (not found in the later 4tos)
is perhaps an error of the original compositor.
<48> Enter FAUSTUS to conjure] The scene is supposed to be a grove;
see p. 81, last line of sec. col.
VALDES. Then haste thee to some solitary grove,”><49> anagrammatiz’d] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “and
Agramithist.”
<50> Th’ abbreviated] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “The breuiated.”
<51> erring] i.e. wandering.
<52> surgat Mephistophilis, quod tumeraris] The later 4tos have
“surgat Mephistophilis DRAGON, quod tumeraris.”—There is a
corruption here, which seems to defy emendation. For “quod
TUMERARIS,” Mr. J. Crossley, of Manchester, would read (rejecting
the word “Dragon”) “quod TU MANDARES” (the construction being
“quod tu mandares ut Mephistophilis appareat et surgat”): but the
“tu” does not agree with the preceding “vos.”—The Revd. J. Mitford
proposes “surgat Mephistophilis, per Dragon (or Dagon) quod NUMEN
EST AERIS.”
<53> dicatus] So two of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “dicatis.”
<54> Re-enter Mephistophilis, &c.] According to THE HISTORY OF
DR. FAUSTUS, on which this play is founded, Faustus raises
Mephistophilis in “a thicke wood neere to Wittenberg, called
in the German tongue Spisser Wolt….. Presently, not three
fathom above his head, fell a flame in manner of a lightning,
and changed itselfe into a globe….. Suddenly the globe opened,
and sprung up in the height of a man; so burning a time, in the
end it converted to the shape of a fiery man[?] This pleasant
beast ran about the circle a great while, and, lastly, appeared
in the manner of a Gray Fryer, asking Faustus what was his
request?” Sigs. A 2, A 3, ed. 1648. Again; “After Doctor Faustus
had made his promise to the devill, in the morning betimes he
called the spirit before him, and commanded him that he should
alwayes come to him like a fryer after the order of Saint Francis,
with a bell in his hand like Saint Anthony, and to ring it once
or twice before he appeared, that he might know of his certaine
coming.” Id. Sig. A 4.
<55> came hither] So two of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “came
NOW hither.”
<56> accidens] So two of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “accident.”
<57> Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it] Compare Milton,
Par. Lost, iv. 75;
“Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell.”<58> these] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “those.”
<59> Jove’s] See note �, p. 80.
<60> four and twenty] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “24.”
<61> resolve] i.e. satisfy, inform.
<62> thorough] So one of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “through.”
<63> country] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “land.”
<64> desir’d] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “desire.”
<65> Enter WAGNER, &c.] Scene, a street most probably.
<66> pickadevaunts] i.e. beards cut to a point.
<67> by’r lady] i.e. by our Lady.
<68> Qui mihi discipulus] The first words of W. Lily’s
AD DISCIPULOS CARMEN DE MORIBUS,—
“Qui mihi discipulus, puer, es, cupis atque doceri, Huc ades,” &c.<69> staves-acre] A species of larkspur.
<70> vermin] Which the seeds of staves-acre were used to destroy.
<71> familiars] i.e. attendant-demons.
<72> their] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “my.”
<73> slop] i.e. wide breeches.
<74> vile] Old ed. “vild.” See note || p. 68.
VILE monster, born of some infernal hag”, and, a few lines after, To VILE and ignominious servitude fact is, our early writers (or rather transcribers), with their usual inconsistency of spelling, give now the one form, and now the other: compare the folio SHAKESPEARE, 1623, where we sometimes find “vild” and sometimes “VILE.”)><75> vestigiis nostris] All the 4tos “vestigias nostras.”
<76> of] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<77> me] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<78> he lives] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “I liue.”
<79> why] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<80> Solamen miseris, &c.] An often-cited line of modern Latin
poetry: by whom it was written I know not.
<81> Why] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<82> torture] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “tortures.”
<83> Faustus] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<84> Bill] i.e. writing, deed.
<85> Here’s fire; come, Faustus, set it on] This would not
be intelligible without the assistance of THE HISTORY OF
DR. FAUSTUS, the sixth chapter of which is headed,—“How Doctor
Faustus set his blood in a saucer on warme ashes, and writ as
followeth.” Sig. B, ed. 1648.
<86> But what is this inscription, &c.] “He [Faustus] tooke
a small penknife and prickt a veine in his left hand; and for
certainty thereupon were seen on his hand these words written,
as if they had been written with blood, O HOMO, FUGE.”
THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Sig. B, ed. 1648.
<87> me] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “thee.”
<88> he desires] Not in any of the four 4tos. In the tract
just cited, the “3d Article” stands thus,—“That Mephostophiles
should bring him any thing, and doe for him whatsoever.” Sig. A 4,
ed. 1648. A later ed. adds “he desired.” Marlowe, no doubt,
followed some edition of the HISTORY in which these words,
or something equivalent to them, had been omitted by mistake.
(2to 1661, which I consider as of no authority, has “he
requireth.”)
<89> that, &c.] So all the 4tos, ungrammatically.
<90> these] See note ďż˝, p. 80.
<91> there] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<92> are] So two of the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “is.”
<93> fond] i.e. foolish.
<94> What! walking, disputing, &c.] The later 4tos have “What,
SLEEPING, EATING, walking, AND disputing!” But it is evident
that this speech is not given correctly in any of the old eds.
<95> let me have a wife, &c.] The ninth chapter of THE HISTORY
OF DR. FAUSTUS narrates “How Doctor Faustus would have married,
and how the Devill had almost killed him for it,” and concludes
as follows. “It is no jesting [said Mephistophilis] with us:
hold thou that which thou hast vowed, and we will peforme as we
have promised; and more shall that, thou shalt have thy hearts
desire of what woman soever thou wilt, be she alive or dead,
and so long as thou wilt thou shalt keep her by thee.—These
words pleased Faustus wonderfull well, and repented himself that
he was so foolish to wish himselfe married, that might have any
woman in the whole city brought him at his command; the which
he practised and persevered in a long time.” Sig. B 3, ed. 1648.
<96> me] Not in 4to 1604. (This line is wanting in the later 4tos.)
<97> no] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<98> Saba] i.e. Sabaea—the Queen of Sheba.
<99> iterating] i.e. reciting, repeating.
<100> And argue of divine astrology, &c.] In THE HISTORY OF
DR. FAUSTUS, there are several tedious pages on the subject;
but our dramatist, in the dialogue which follows, has no
particular obligations to them.
<101> erring] i.e. wandering.
<102> freshmen’s] “A Freshman, tiro, novitius.” Coles’s DICT.
Properly, a student during his first term at the university.
<103> resolve] i.e. satisfy, inform.
<104> Seek to save] Qy. “Seek THOU to save”? But see note ||,
18.
<105> Enter the SEVEN DEADLY SINS] In THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS,
Lucifer amuses Faustus, not by calling up the Seven Deadly Sins,
but by making various devils appear before him, “one after another,
in forme as they were in hell.” “First entered Beliall in forme
of a beare,” &c.—“after him came Beelzebub, in curled haire of
a horseflesh colour,” &c.—“then came Astaroth, in the forme of
a worme,” &c. &c.
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