“ But Lucifer perceiving his thought, spake to him, my Faustus, how likest thou this crew of mine? Quoth Faustus, why came you not in another manner of shape? Lucifer replied, we cannot change our hellish form, we have shewed ourselves here, as we are there; yet can we blind men’s eyes in such sort, that when we will we repair unto them, as if we were men or Angels of light, although our dwelling be in darkness. ”

“ To whom Doctor Faustus answered: My loving neighbour, I pray you say your mind. Then began the old Patron to say: My good neighbour, you know in the beginning how that you have defied God, and all the host of heaven, and given your soul to the Devil, wherewith you have incurred God’s high displeasure, and are become from a Christian far worse than a heathen person: oh consider what you have done, it is not only the pleasure of the body, but the safety of the soul that you must have respect unto: of which if you be careless, then are you cast away, and shall remain in the anger of almighty God. ”

“ The Spirit replied, my Faustus, thou knowest that I was never against thy commandments as yet, but ready to serve and resolve thy questions, although I am not bound unto thee in such respects as concern the hurt of our Kingdom, yet was I always willing to answer thee, and so I am still: therefore my Faustus say on boldly, what is thy will and pleasure? At which words, the Spirit stole away the heart of Faustus, who spake in this sort, Mephostophiles, tell me how and after what sort God made the world, and all the creatures in them, and why man was made after the Image of God? ”

“ We have also with us in hell a ladder, reaching of an exceeding height, as though it would touch the heavens, on which the damned ascend to seek the blessing of God; but through their infidelity, when they are at the very highest degree, they fall down again into their former miseries, complaining of the heat of that unquenchable fire: yea sweet Faustus, so must thou understand of hell, the while thou art so desirous to know the secrets of our Kingdom. ”

“ Now thou Faustus, damned wretch, how happy wert thou if as an unreasonable beast thou mightest die without soul, so shouldst thou not feel any more doubts? But now the Devil will take thee away both body and soul, and set thee in an unspeakable place of darkness: for although others’ souls have rest and peace, yet I poor damned wretch must suffer all manner of filthy stench, pains, cold, hunger, thirst, heat, freezing, burning, hissing, gnashing, and all the wrath and curse of God, yea all the creatures that God hath created are enemies to me. ”

“ Even Marlowe’s Faustus promises himself merely treasure, delicacies and power from intercourse with the spirits; philosophy, medicine, law and theology are all inadequate for the man who longs to “raise the wind, or rend the clouds,” but when his league with hell has endowed him with supernatural powers, the only use he finds for them is to gratify his sensual desires or indulge in practical jokes. It cannot be said that Marlowe has realized in his tragedy the potentiality of the legend, though he seems to have had an inkling of it. ”

“ The Spirit answered: Faustus, thou shalt understand, that with us it is even as well a kingdom, as with you on earth: yea, we have our rulers and servants, as I my self am one, and we name our whole number the Legion: for although that Lucifer is thrust and fallen out of heaven through his pride and high mind, yet he hath notwithstanding a Legion of Devils at his commandment, that we call the Oriental Princes; for his power is great and infinite. ”

“ Saith Faustus, I will that thou teach me to transform myself in like sort as thou and the rest have done: then Lucifer put forth his Paw, and gave Faustus a book, saying hold, do what thou wilt, which he looking upon, straightways changed himself into a Hog, then into a Worm, then into a Dragon, and finding this for his purpose, it liked him well. Quoth he to Lucifer, and how cometh it that all these filthy forms are in the world? ”

“ Doctor Faustus having over-run fifteen years of his appointed time, he took upon him a journey, with full pretence to see the whole world: and calling his spirit Mephostophiles unto him, he said: thou knowest that thou art bound unto me upon conditions, to perform and fulfil my desire in all things, wherefore my pretence is to visit the whole face of the earth visible and invisible when it pleaseth me: wherefore, I enjoin and command thee to the same. ”

“ Therefore is hell called the everlasting pain, in which is neither hope nor mercy: So is it called utter darkness, in which we see neither the light of Sun, Moon, nor Star: and were our darkness like the darkness of the night, yet were there hope of mercy, but ours is perpetual darkness, clean exempt from the face of God. ”

“ Faustus, I have heard much of thee, that thou art excellent in the black Art, and none like thee in mine Empire, for men say that thou hast a familiar Spirit with thee and that thou canst do what thou list: it is therefore (saith the Emperor) my request of thee that thou let me see a proof of thine experience, and I vow unto thee by the honour of mine Imperial Crown, none evil shall happen unto thee for so doing. Hereupon Doctor Faustus answered his Majesty, that upon those conditions he was ready in anything that he could, to do his Highness’ commandment in what service he would appoint him. ”

“ Ah thou perpetual damned wretch, now art thou thrown into the everlasting fiery lake that never shall be quenched, there must I dwell in all manner of wailing, sorrow, misery, pain, torment, grief, howling, sighing, sobbing, blubbering, running of eyes, stinking at nose, gnashing of teeth, fear to the ears, horror to the conscience, and shaking both of hand and foot. Ah that I could carry the heavens on my shoulders, so that there were time at last to quit me of this everlasting damnation! ”

“ How Doctor Faustus was asked a question concerning the Stars that fall from Heaven
Doctor Faustus being demanded the cause why the Stars fell from heaven, he answered: that is but our opinion; for if one Star fall, it is the great judgment of God upon us, as a forewarning of some great thing to come: for when we think that a Star falleth, it is but as a spark that issueth from a candle or a flame of fire, for if it were a substantial thing, we should not so soon lose the sight of them as we do. ”

“ 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. ”

“ And as for affections in Spirits, certainly there is none, but I am none, feel me my good Wagner, behold flesh, blood, and bones, and Spirits have neither flesh, blood, nor bones. Believe me I shall teach thee the nature and essence of Devils, I will teach thee that which neither thou canst desire of me or think Extra captum humanum. Then my good Boy Wagner come to me, and use me not as a [Pg 232] Spirit whose body is nothing but a Spirit, and as Logicians say Substantia incorporea, and I will open unto thee the secrets of the World, and Hell, and else whatsoever in the works of Nature. ”

“ The Prince of this world is upon earth and under heaven. Well, let us come again to his Conjuration where we left him at his fiery Globe: Faustus vexed at the Spirit’s so long tarrying, used his Charms with full purpose not to depart before he had his intent, and crying on Mephostophiles the Spirit; suddenly the Globe opened and sprang up in 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 manner of a gray Friar, asking Faustus what was his request. ”

“ Therefore sweet Faustus, think with what unquiet life, anger, strife, and debate thou shalt live in when thou takest a wife: therefore change thy mind.
[Pg 82]
Doctor Faustus was with these speeches in despair: and as all that have forsaken the Lord, can build upon no good foundation: so this wretched Faustus having forsook the rock, fell in despair with himself, fearing if he should motion Matrimony any more, that the Devil would tear him in pieces. For this time (quoth he to Mephostophiles) I am not minded to marry. Then you do well, answered his Spirit. ”

“ And being come home, he laid him very pensive on his bed, bethinking himself of the words of the good old man, and in a manner began to repent that he had given his Soul to the Devil, intending to deny all that he had promised unto Lucifer. Continuing in these cogitations, suddenly his Spirit appeared unto him clapping him upon the head, and wrung it as though he would have pulled the head from the shoulders, saying unto him, Thou knowest Faustus, that thou hast given thyself body and soul unto my Lord Lucifer, and hast vowed thyself an enemy unto God and unto all men ”

“ Nothing: for if on the earth they would not be Tyrants, and self-willed, rich with covetousness; proud with pomp, gluttons, drunkards, whoremongers, backbiters, robbers, murderers, blasphemers, and such-like, then were there some hope to be looked for: therefore my Faustus, as thou comest to hell with these qualities, thou must say with Cain, My sins are greater than can be forgiven, go hang thyself with Judas: and lastly, be content to suffer torments with Dives. ”

“ Is this the reverence with which the Fiends infernal use to entertain such guests? O ye Spirits of Hell, and ye even now revived Emperors of great Limbus, from whence have you drawn this extraordinary humanity, is it to scorn poor Faustus or to mock Wagner that you shew such reverence to a vile object, what then would they do to Wagner who is worthy to have a fitter servant than their King? ”

“ 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. ”

“ Sirs, it is not unknown unto you how dear I have always accounted of my Master, whose condition is as far from that it was as mine from yours, for which I have more often lamented his departure than mine own misery, being once every way a man, so thoroughly instructed with the weapons of all Sciences, that in all the world hardly his peer could be found, so that your victory over such a man is more to be wailed than over many a thousand such as I am. ”

“ See here the witness of the truth, Wagner take it, look how fresh it is, it is not that which comes from a Spirit, it is blood both in nature and colour, and if this be not enough to make thee believe that which I do tell thee, it boots not, there is not any truth at all. ”

“ Kingdoms, the which I and those that follow me (I fear) shall never be able to attain unto: wherefore, Faustus, my hearty desire is that thou wouldst vouchsafe to let me see that Alexander, and his Paramour, the which was praised to be so fair, and I pray thee shew me them in such sort that I may see their personages, shape, gesture, and apparel, as they used in their lifetime, and that here before my face; to the end that I may say I have my long desire fulfilled, and to praise thee to be a famous man in thine art and experience. ”

“ Wherefore I considering with myself thus much, and often for his cause that he may not only be Faustus, but also a living man and dweller upon the earth, to enjoy not only those graces which through his great deserts he had lost, but also according to his infinite knowledge, multiply them through God’s favours again and again abundantly. ”

“ The like praise won he with his Calendars, and Almanacs making, for when he presaged upon any change, Operation, or alteration of the weather, or Elements; as wind, rain, fogs, snow, hail, moist, dry, warm, cold, thunder, lightning: it fell so duly out, as if an Angel of heaven had forewarned it. He did not like the unskilful Astronomers of our time, that set in Winter cold, moist, airy, frosty; and in the Dog-days, hot, dry, thunder, fire, and such-like: but he set in all his works, day and hour, when, where, and how it should happen. ”

“ It is certain that Lessing intended to reject the obsolete orthodox view that Faust must necessarily pay for his sins by an eternity of damnation. The Catholic theologians had permitted sorcerers to be saved by repentance, but the spirit of the Reformation demanded that Faust forfeit his soul, and from this inevitable doom there was no appeal. The age of Enlightenment, on the other hand, looked upon the intellect as supreme, and it was obviously absurd that Faust’s attempt to solve an intellectual problem should lead to the loss of his soul. ”

“ Moreover, Faustus and his boy went in sumptuous apparel, the which Mephostophiles stole from the Mercers at Norenberg, Auspurg, Franckeford, and Liptzig: for it was hard for them to find a lock to keep out such a thief. All their maintenance was but stolen and borrowed ware: and thus they lived an odious life in the sight of God, though as yet the world were unacquainted with their wickedness. It must be so, for their fruits be none other: as Christ saith through John, where he calls the Devil a thief, and a murderer: and that found Faustus, for he stole him away both body and soul. ”

“ But when he had opened the matter unto Doctor Faustus, he asked counsel of his Spirit Mephostophiles, the which told him what to do. Hereupon Doctor Faustus went home to the Gentleman, and bade him be of good cheer, for he should have his desire, for he would help him to that he wished for, and that this Gentlewoman should love none other but him only: wherefore Doctor Faustus so changed the mind of the Damsel by a practice he wrought, that she would do no other thing but think on him, whom before she had hated, neither cared she for any man but him alone. ”

“ Therefore know Faustus, that the damned have neither end nor time appointed in the which they may hope to be released, for if there were any such hope, that they but by throwing one drop of water out of the Sea in a day, until it were all dry: or if there were an heap of sand as high as from the earth to the heavens, that a bird carrying away but one corn in a day, at the end of this so long labour; that yet they might hope at the last, God would have mercy on them, they would be comforted: but now there is no hope that God once thinks upon them, or that their howlings shall never be heard ”