The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus - Christopher Marlowe (suggested reading .TXT) 📗

During this exhibition, “Lucifer himselfe sate

in manner of a man all hairy, but of browne colour, like a

squirrell, curled, and his tayle turning upward on his backe as

the squirrels use: I think he could crack nuts too like a

squirrell.” Sig. D, ed. 1648.

<106> case] i.e. couple.

<107> bevers] i.e. refreshments between meals.

<108> L.] All the 4tos “Lechery.”—Here I have made the alteration

recommended by Mr. Collier in his Preface to COLERIDGE’S SEVEN

LECTURES ON SHAKESPEARE AND MILTON, p. cviii.

<109> Away, to hell, to hell] In 4to 1604, these words stand

on a line by themselves, without a prefix. (In the later 4tos,

the corresponding passage is as follows;

“------ begins with Lechery. LUCIFER. Away to hell, away! On, piper! [Exeunt the SINS. FAUSTUS. O, how this sight doth delight my soul!” &c.)

<110> I will send for thee at midnight] In THE HISTORY OF DR.

FAUSTUS, we have a particular account of Faustus’s visit

to the infernal regions, Sig. D 2, ed. 1648.

<111> Enter CHORUS] Old ed. “Enter WAGNER solus.” That these

lines belong to the Chorus would be evident enough, even if we

had no assistance here from the later 4tos.—The parts of Wagner

and of the Chorus were most probably played by the same actor:

and hence the error.

<112> Learned Faustus,

To know the secrets of astronomy, &c.] See the 21st chapter

of THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS,—“How Doctor Faustus was carried

through the ayre up to the heavens, to see the whole world,

and how the sky and planets ruled,” &c.

<113> Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS] Scene, the Pope’s

privy-chamber.

<114> Trier] i.e. Treves or Triers.

<115> From Paris next, &c.] This description is from THE HISTORY

OF DR. FAUSTUS; “He came from Paris to Mentz, where the river

of Maine falls into the Rhine: notwithstanding he tarried not

long there, but went into Campania, in the kingdome of Neapol,

in which he saw an innumerable sort of cloysters, nunries, and

churches, and great houses of stone, the streets faire and large,

and straight forth from one end of the towne to the other as a

line; and all the pavement of the city was of bricke, and the

more it rained into the towne, the fairer the streets were:

there saw he the tombe of Virgill, and the highway that he cu

through the mighty hill of stone in one night, the whole length

of an English mile,” &c. Sig. E 2, ed. 1648.

<116> The way he cut, &c.] During the middle ages Virgil was

regarded as a great magician, and much was written concerning

his exploits in that capacity. The LYFE OF VIRGILIUS, however,

(see Thoms’s EARLY PROSE ROMANCES, vol. ii.,) makes no mention

of the feat in question. But Petrarch speaks of it as follows.

“Non longe a Puteolis Falernus collis attollitur, famoso palmite

nobilis. Inter Falernum et mare mons est saxeus, hominum manibus

confossus, quod vulgus insulsum a Virgilio magicis cantaminibus

factum putant: ita clarorum fama hominum, non veris contenta

laudibus, saepe etiam fabulis viam facit. De quo cum me olim

Robertus regno clarus, sed praeclarus ingenio ac literis, quid

sentirem, multis astantibus, percunctatus esset, humanitate fretus

regia, qua non reges modo sed homines vicit, jocans nusquam me

legisse magicarium fuisse Virgilium respondi: quod ille severissimae

nutu frontis approbans, non illic magici sed ferri vestigia

confessus est. Sunt autem fauces excavati montis angustae sed

longissimae atque atrae: tenebrosa inter horrifica semper nox:

publicum iter in medio, mirum et religioni proximum, belli quoque

immolatum temporibus, sic vero populi vox est, et nullis unquam

latrociniis attentatum, patet: Criptam Neapolitanam dicunt, cujus

et in epistolis ad Lucilium Seneca mentionem fecit. Sub finem fusci

tramitis, ubi primo videri coelum incipit, in aggere edito, ipsius

Virgilii busta visuntur, pervetusti operis, unde haec forsan ab

illo perforati montis fluxit opinio.” ITINERARIUM SYRIACUM,—OPP.

560, ed. Bas.

<117> From thence to Venice, Padua, and the rest,

In one of which a sumptuous temple stands, &c.] So the

later 4tos.—2to 1604 “In MIDST of which,” &c.—THE HISTORY

OF DR. FAUSTUS shews WHAT “sumptuous temple” is meant: “From

thence he came to Venice. ...He wondred not a little at the

fairenesse of S. Marks Place, and the sumptuous church standing

thereon, called S. Marke, how all the pavement was set with

coloured stones, and all the rood or loft of the church double

gilded over.” Sig. E 2, ed. 1648.

<118> Just through the midst, &c.] This and the next line are

not in 4to 1604. I have inserted them from the later 4tos, as

being absolutely necessary for the sense.

<119> Ponte] All the 4tos “Ponto.”

<120> of] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.

<121> Then charm me, that I, &c.] A corrupted passage.—Compare

THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Sig. E 3, ed. 1648; where, however,

the Cardinal, whom the Pope entertains, is called the Cardinal

of PAVIA.

<122> Sonnet] Variously written, SENNET, SIGNET, SIGNATE, &c.—A

particular set of notes on the trumpet, or cornet, different from

a flourish. See Nares’s GLOSS. in V. SENNET.

<123> Enter ROBIN, &c.] Scene, near an inn.

<124> ippocras] Or HIPPOCRAS,—a medicated drink composed of wine

(usually red) with spices and sugar. It is generally supposed to

have been so called from HIPPOCRATES (contracted by our earliest

writers to HIPPOCRAS); perhaps because it was strained,—the woollen

bag used by apothecaries to strain syrups and decoctions for

clarification being termed HIPPOCRATES’ SLEEVE.

<125> tabern] i.e. tavern.

<126> [Exeunt.

Enter ROBIN and RALPH, &c.] A scene is evidently wanting

after the Exeunt of Robin and Ralph.

<127> purchase] i.e. booty—gain, acquisition.

<128> Drawer] There is an inconsistency here: the Vintner

cannot properly be addressed as “Drawer.” The later 4tos are

also inconsistent in the corresponding passage: Dick says, “THE

VINTNER’S BOY follows us at the hard heels,” and immediately

the “VINTNER” enters.

<129> tone] i.e. the one.

<130>MEPHIST. Monarch of hell, &c.] Old ed. thus:—

“MEPHIST. Vanish vilaines, th’ one like an Ape, an other like a Beare, the third an Asse, for doing this enterprise. Monarch of hell, vnder whose blacke suruey,” &c.

What follows, shews that the words which I have omitted ought

to have no place in the text; nor is there any thing equivalent

to them in the corresponding passage of the play as given in

the later 4tos.

<131> Enter EMPEROR, &c.] Scene—An apartment in the Emperor’s

Palace. According to THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, the Emperor

“was personally, with the rest of the nobles and gentlemen, at

the towne of Inzbrack, where he kept his court.” Sig. G, ed. 1648.

<132> Master Doctor Faustus, &c] The greater part of this scene

is closely borrowed from the history just cited: e.g. “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 doe what thou list;

it is therefore (said the Emperor) my request of thee, that thou

let me see a proofe of thy experience: and I vow unto thee, by

the honour of my emperiall crowne, none evill shall happen unto

thee for so doing,” &c. Ibid.

<133> won] May be right: but qy. “done”?

<134> As we that do succeed, &c.] A corrupted passage (not found

in the later 4tos).

<135> The bright, &c.] See note ||, p. 18.

<136> But, if it like your grace, it is not in my ability, &c.]

“D. Faustus answered, My most excellent lord, I am ready to

accomplish your request in all things, so farre forth as I and

my spirit are able to performe: yet your majesty shall know that

their dead bodies are not able substantially to be brought before

you; but such spirits as have seene Alexander and his Paramour

alive shall appeare unto you, in manner and form as they both

lived in their most flourishing time; and herewith I hope to

please your Imperiall Majesty. Then Faustus went a little aside

to speake to his spirit; but he returned againe presently, saying,

Now, if it please your Majesty, you shall see them; yet, upon this

condition, that you demand no question of them, nor speake unto

them; which the Emperor agreed unto. Wherewith Doctor Faustus opened

the privy-chamber doore, where presently entered the great and mighty

emperor Alexander Magnus, in all things to looke upon as if he

had beene alive; in proportion, a strong set thicke man, of a

middle stature, blacke haire, and that both thicke and curled,

head and beard, red cheekes, and a broad face, with eyes like

a basiliske; he had a compleat harnesse [i.e. suit of armour]

burnished and graven, exceeding rich to look upon: and so,

passing towards the Emperor Carolus, he made low and reverend

courtesie: whereat the Emperour Carolus would have stood up to

receive and greet him with the like reverence; but Faustus tooke

hold on him, and would not permit him to doe it. Shortly after,

Alexander made humble reverence, and went out againe; and comming

to the doore, his paramour met him. She comming in made the Emperour

likewise reverence: she was cloathed in blew velvet, wrought and

imbroidered with pearls and gold; she was also excellent faire,

like milke and blood mixed, tall and slender, with a face round

as an apple. And thus passed [she] certaine times up and downe

the house; which the Emperor marking, said to himselfe, Now have

I seene two persons which my heart hath long wished to behold;

and sure it cannot otherwise be (said he to himselfe) but that

the spirits have changed themselves into these formes, and have

but deceived me, calling to minde the woman that raised the prophet

Samuel: and for that the Emperor would be the more satisfied in

the matter, he said, I have often heard that behind, in her neck,

she had a great wart or wen; wherefore he tooke Faustus by the

hand without any words, and went to see if it were also to be

seene on her or not; but she, perceiving that he came to her,

bowed downe her neck, when he saw a great wart; and hereupon she

vanished, leaving the Emperor and the rest well contented.”

THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Sig. G, ed. 1648.

<137> both] Old ed. “best.”

<138> Mephistophilis, transform him straight] According to THE

HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, the knight was not present during Faustus’s

“conference” with the Emperor; nor did he offer the doctor any

insult by doubting his skill in magic. We are there told that

Faustus happening to see the knight asleep, “leaning out of a

window of the great hall,” fixed a huge pair of hart’s horns on

his head; “and, as the knight awaked, thinking to pull in his head,

he hit his hornes against the glasse, that the panes thereof flew

about his eares: thinke here how this good gentleman was vexed,

for he could neither get backward nor forward.” After the emperor

and the courtiers,