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

to their great amusement, had beheld the poor

knight in this condition, Faustus removed the horns. When Faustus,

having taken leave of the emperor, was a league and a half from

the city, he was attacked in a wood by the knight and some of his

companions: they were in armour, and mounted on fair palfreys;

but the doctor quickly overcame them by turning all the bushes

into horsemen, and “so charmed them, that every one, knight and

other, for the space of a whole moneth, did weare a paire of

goates hornes on their browes, and every palfry a paire of oxe

hornes on his head; and this was their penance appointed by

Faustus.” A second attempt of the knight to revenge himself on

Faustus proved equally unsuccessful. Sigs. G 2, I 3, ed. 1648.

<139> FAUSTUS. Now Mephistophilis, &c.] Here the scene is supposed

to be changed to the “fair and pleasant green” which Faustus

presently mentions.

<140> Horse-courser] i.e. Horse-dealer.—We are now to suppose the

scene to be near the home of Faustus, and presently that it is the

interior of his house, for he falls asleep in his chair.—“How

Doctor Faustus deceived a Horse-courser” is related in a short

chapter (the 34th) of THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS: “After this

manner he served a horse-courser at a faire called Pheiffering,” &c.

<141> for forty] Qy. “for TWICE forty DOLLARS”?

<142> into] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “vnto.”

<143> Doctor Lopus] i.e. Doctor Lopez, domestic physician

to Queen Elizabeth, who was put to death for having received

a bribe from the court of Spain to destroy her. He is frequently

mentioned in our early dramas: see my note on Middleton’s WORKS,

iv. 384.

<144> know of] The old ed. has “KNOWNE of”; which perhaps is right,

meaning—acquainted with.

<145> hey-pass] Equivalent to—juggler.

<146> ostry] i.e. inn,—lodging.

<147> cunning] i.e. skill.

<148> [Exeunt.

Enter the DUKE OF VANHOLT, the DUCHESS, and FAUSTUS] Old ed.; “Exeunt. Enter to them the DUKE, the DUTCHESS, the DUKE speakes.”

In the later 4tos a scene intervenes between the “Exeunt” of

Faustus, Mephistophilis, and Wagner, and the entrance of the Duke

of Vanholt, &c.—We are to suppose that Faustus is now at the court

of the Duke of Vanholt: this is plain, not only from the later 4tos,

—in which Wagner tells Faustus that the Duke “hath sent some of

his men to attend him, with provision fit for his journey,”—but

from THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, the subjoined portion of which

is closely followed in the present scene. “Chap. xxxix. HOW DOCTOR

FAUSTUS PLAYED A MERRY JEST WITH THE DUKE OF ANHOLT IN HIS COURT.

Doctor Faustus on a time went to the Duke of Anholt, who welcommed

him very courteously; this was the moneth of January; where sitting

at the table, he perceived the dutchess to be with child; and

forbearing himselfe untill the meat was taken from the table,

and that they brought in the banqueting dishes [i.e. the dessert],

Doctor Faustus said to the dutchesse, Gratious lady, I have alwayes

heard that great-bellied women doe alwayes long for some dainties;

I beseech therefore your grace, hide not your minde from me, but

tell me what you desire to eat. She answered him, Doctor Faustus,

now truly I will not hide from you what my heart doth most desire;

namely, that, if it were now harvest, I would eat my bellyfull of

grapes and other dainty fruit. Doctor Faustus answered hereupon,

Gracious lady, this is a small thing for me to doe, for I can doe

more than this. Wherefore he tooke a plate, and set open one of

the casements of the window, holding it forth; where incontinent

he had his dish full of all manner of fruit, as red and white

grapes, peares, and apples, the which came from out of strange

countries: all these he presented the dutchesse, saying, Madam,

I pray you vouchsafe to taste of this dainty fruit, the which

came from a farre countrey, for there the summer is not yet ended.

The dutchesse thanked Faustus highly, and she fell to her fruit

with full appetite. The Duke of Anholt notwithstanding could not

withhold to ask Faustus with what reason there were such young

fruit to be had at that time of the yeare. Doctor Faustus told

him, May it please your grace to understand that the year is

divided into two circles of the whole world, that when with us it

is winter, in the contrary circle it is notwithstanding summer;

for in India and Saba there falleth or setteth the sunne, so that

it is so warm that they have twice a yeare fruit; and, gracious

lord, I have a swift spirit, the which can in the twinkling of

an eye fulfill my desire in any thing; wherefore I sent him into

those countries, who hath brought this fruit as you see: whereat

the duke was in great admiration.”

<149> Saba] i.e. Sabaea.

<150> beholding] i.e. beholden.

<151> Enter WAGNER] Scene, a room in the house of Faustus.

<152> he hath given to me all his goods] Compare chap. lvi. of

THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS,—“How Doctor Faustus made his will,

in which he named his servant Wagner to be his heire.”

<153> HELEN passeth over the stage] In THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR

FAUSTUS we have the following description of Helen. “This lady

appeared before them in a most rich gowne of purple velvet, costly

imbrodered; her haire hanged downe loose, as faire as the beaten

gold, and of such length that it reached downe to her hammes;

having most amorous cole-black eyes, a sweet and pleasant round

face, with lips as red as a cherry; her cheekes of a rose colour,

her mouth small, her neck white like a swan; tall and slender of

personage; in summe, there was no imperfect place in her: she

looked round about with a rolling hawkes eye, a smiling and

wanton countenance, which neere-hand inflamed the hearts of all

the students; but that they perswaded themselves she was a spirit,

which made them lightly passe away such fancies.” Sig. H 4, ed. 1648.

<154> Enter an OLD MAN] See chap. xlviii of THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR

FAUSTUS,—“How an old man, the neighbour of Faustus, sought to

perswade him to amend his evil life and to fall into repentance,”

—according to which history, the Old Man’s exhortation is delivered

at his own house, whither he had invited Faustus to supper.

<155> vild] 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.”)>

<156> sin] Old ed. “sinnes” (This is not in the later 4tos).

<157> almost] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.

<158> now] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.

<159> MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly, &c.] After this speech,

most probably, there ought to be a stage-direction, “FAUSTUS

STABS HIS ARM, AND WRITES ON A PAPER WITH HIS BLOOD. Compare

THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, chap. xlix,—“How Doctor Faustus

wrote the second time with his owne blood, and gave it to the

Devill.”

<160> One thing, good servant, &c.] “To the end that this miserable

Faustus might fill the lust of his flesh and live in all manner

of voluptuous pleasure, it came in his mind, after he had slept

his first sleepe, and in the 23 year past of his time, that he

had a great desire to lye with faire Helena of Greece, especially

her whom he had seen and shewed unto the students at Wittenberg:

wherefore he called unto his spirit Mephostophiles, commanding him

to bring to him the faire Helena; which he also did. Whereupon he

fell in love with her, and made her his common concubine and

bed-fellow; for she was so beautifull and delightfull a peece,

that he could not be one houre from her, if he should therefore

have suffered death, she had so stoln away his heart: and, to

his seeming, in time she was with childe, whom Faustus named

Justus Faustus. The childe told Doctor Faustus many things which

were don in forraign countrys; but in the end, when Faustus lost

his life, the mother and the childe vanished away both together.”

THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, Sig. I 4, ed. 1648.

<161> Those] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “These.”

<162> Faustus, this] Qy. “This, Faustus”?

<163> topless] i.e. not exceeded in height by any.

<164> is] So the later 4tos.—2to 1604 “be.”

<165> shalt] So all the 4tos; and so I believe Marlowe wrote,

though the grammar requires “shall.”

<166> Enter the OLD MAN] Scene, a room in the Old Man’s house.

—In THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS the Old Man makes himself very

merry with the attempts of the evil powers to hurt him. “About

two dayes after that he had exhorted Faustus, as the poore man

lay in his bed, suddenly there was a mighty rumbling in the

chamber, the which he was never wont to heare, and he heard as

it had beene the groaning of a sow, which lasted long: whereupon

the good old man began to jest and mocke, and said, Oh, what a

barbarian cry is this? Oh faire bird, what foul musicke is this?

A[h], faire angell, that could not tarry two dayes in his place!

beginnest thou now to runne into a poore mans house, where thou

hast no power, and wert not able to keepe thy owne two dayes?

With these and such like words the spirit departed,” &c.

Sig. I 2, ed. 1648.

<167> Enter Faustus, &c.] Scene, a room in the house of Faustus.

<168> cunning] i.e. knowledge, skill.

<169> Why did not Faustus tell us of this before, &c.] “Wherefore

one of them said unto him, Ah, friend Faustus, what have you done

to conceale this matter so long from us? We would, by the helpe

of good divines and the grace of God, have brought you out of this

net, and have torne you out of the bondage and chaines of Satan;

whereas now we feare it is too late, to the utter ruine both of

your body and soule. Doctor Faustus answered, I durst never doe

it, although I often minded to settle my life [myself?] to godly

people to desire counsell and helpe; and once mine old neighbour

counselled me that I should follow his learning and leave all my

conjurations: yet, when I was minded to amend and to follow that

good mans counsell, then came the Devill and would have had me

away, as this night he is like to doe, and said, so soone as I

turned againe to God, he would dispatch me altogether.” THE

HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, Sig. K 3, ed. 1648.

<170> save] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.

<171> and what noise soever ye hear, &c.] “Lastly, to knit up

my troubled oration, this is my friendly request, that you would

go to rest, and let nothing trouble you; also, if you chance heare