The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (chrome ebook reader .TXT) 📕

Clown.24 Wagner Sirrah boy, come hither. Clown How, boy! Swowns, boy! I hope you have seen many boys with such pickadevaunts25 as I have; boy, quotha! Wagner Tell me, sirrah, hast thou any comings in? Clown Ay, and goings out too. You may see else. Wagner Alas, poor slave! see how poverty jesteth in his nakedness! the villain is bare and out of service, and so hungry that I know he would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton, though ’twere blood-raw. Clown How! My soul to the Devil for a shoulder of mutton, though ’twere blood-raw! Not so, good friend. By’r lady, I had need have it well roasted and good sauce to it, if I pay so dear. Wagner Well, wilt thou serve us, and I’ll make thee go like Qui mihi discipulus?26 Clown How, in verse? Wagner No, sirrah; in beaten silk and stavesacre.27 Clown How, how, Knaves acre!28 I, I thought that was all the land his father left him. Do you hear? I would be sorry to rob you of your living. Wagner Sirrah, I say in stavesacre. Clown Oho! Oho! Stavesacre! Why, then belike if I were your man I should be full of vermin. Wagner So thou shalt, whether thou beest with me or no. But, sirrah, leave your jesting, and bind yourself presently unto me for seven years, or I’ll turn all the lice about thee into familiars, and they shall tear thee in pieces. Clown Do you hear, sir? You may save that labour: they are too familiar with me already: swowns! they are as bold with my flesh as if they had paid for their meat and drink. Wagner Well, do you hear, sirrah? Hold, take these guilders. Gives money. Clown Gridirons! what be they? Wagner Why, French crowns. Clown Mass, but for the name of French crowns, a man were as good have as many English counters. And what should I do with these? Wagner Why, now, sirrah, thou art at an hour’s warning, whensoever or wheresoever the Devil shall fetch thee. Clown No, no. Here, take your gridirons again. Wagner Truly I’ll none of them. Clown Truly but you shall. Wagner Bear witness I gave them him. Clown Bear witness I give them you again. Wagner Well, I will cause two devils presently to fetch thee away⁠—Baliol and Belcher! Clown Let your Baliol and your Belcher come here, and I’ll knock them, they were never so knocked since they were devils! Say I should kill one of them, what would folks say? “Do ye see yonder tall fellow in the round slop29⁠—he has killed the devil.” So I should be called Kill-devil all the parish over. Enter two Devils: the Clown runs up and down crying. Wagner Baliol and Belcher! Spirits, away! Exeunt Devils. Clown What, are they gone? A vengeance on them, they have vile long nails. There was a he-devil and a she-devil! I’ll tell you how you shall know them; all he-devils has horns, and all she-devils has clifts and cloven feet. Wagner Well, sirrah, follow me. Clown But, do you hear⁠—if I should serve you, would you teach me to raise up Banios and Belcheos? Wagner I will teach thee to turn thyself to anything, to a dog, or a cat, or a mouse, or a rat, or anything. Clown How! a Christian fellow to a dog, or a cat, a mouse, or a rat! No, no, sir. If you turn me into anything, let it be in the likeness of a little pretty frisking flea, that I may be here and there and everywhere: Oh, I’ll tickle the pretty wenches’ plackets; I’ll be amongst them, i’faith. Wagner Well, sirrah, come. Clown But, do you hear, Wagner? Wagner How! Baliol and Belcher! Clown O Lord! I pray, sir, let Banio and Belcher go sleep. Wagner Villain⁠—call me Master Wagner, and let thy left eye be diametarily fixed upon my right heel, with quasi vestigiis nostris insistere. Exit. Clown God forgive me, he speaks Dutch fustian. Well, I’ll follow him: I’ll serve him, that’s flat. Exit. Scene V Faustus discovered in his Study. Faustus

Now, Faustus, must
Thou needs be damned, and canst thou not be saved:
What boots it then to think of God or Heaven?
Away with such vain fancies, and despair:
Despair in God, and trust in Belzebub;
Now go not backward; no, Faustus, be resolute:
Why waver’st thou? O, something soundeth in mine ears
“Abjure this magic, turn to God again!”
Ay, and Faustus will turn to God again.
To God?⁠—he loves thee not⁠—
The god thou serv’st is thine own appetite,
Wherein is fixed the love of Belzebub;
To him I’ll build an altar and a church,
And offer lukewarm blood of newborn babes.

Enter Good Angel and Evil Angel. Good Angel

Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art.

Faustus

Contrition, prayer, repentance! What of them?

Good Angel

O, they are means to bring thee unto Heaven!

Evil Angel

Rather, illusions⁠—fruits of lunacy,
That make men foolish that do trust them most.

Good Angel

Sweet Faustus, think of Heaven, and heavenly things.

Evil Angel

No, Faustus, think of honour and of wealth.

Exeunt Angels. Faustus

Of wealth!
Why the signiory of Embden shall be mine.
When Mephistopheles shall stand by me,
What god can hurt thee? Faustus, thou art safe:
Cast no more doubts. Come, Mephistopheles,
And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer;⁠—
Is’t not midnight? Come, Mephistopheles;
Veni, veni, Mephistophile!

Enter Mephistopheles.

Now tell me, what says Lucifer thy lord?

Mephistopheles

That I shall wait on Faustus whilst he lives,
So he will buy my service with his soul.

Faustus

Already Faustus hath hazarded that for thee.

Mephistopheles

But, Faustus, thou must bequeath it solemnly,
And write a deed of gift with thine own blood,
For that security craves great Lucifer.
If thou deny it, I will back to hell.

Faustus

Stay, Mephistopheles! and tell me, what good
Will my soul do thy lord.

Mephistopheles

Enlarge his kingdom.

Faustus

Is that the reason why he tempts us thus?

Mephistopheles

Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.

Faustus

Why, have you any pain that torture30 others?

Mephistopheles

As great as have the human souls of men.
But tell