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

shippe the fourth of

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 �, 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 �, 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.