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Upon the head of young Benvolio!

SAX. What, is he asleep or dead?

FAUST. He sleeps, my lord; but dreams not of his horns. EMP. This sport is excellent: we'll call and wake him.— What, ho, Benvolio!

BENV. A plague upon you! let me sleep a while.

EMP. I blame thee not to sleep much, having such a head of thine own.

SAX. Look up, Benvolio; 'tis the Emperor calls.

BENV. The Emperor! where ?-Oh, zounds, my head!

EMP. Nay, an thy horns hold, 'tis no matter for thy head, for that's armed sufficiently.

*

FAUST. Why, how now, Sir Knight? what, hanged by the horns! this is most horrible: fie, fie, pull in your head, for shame! let not all the world wonder at you.

BENV. Zounds, doctor, this is your villany!

FAUST. Oh, say not so, sir! the doctor has no skill,

No art, no cunning, to present these lords,

Or bring before this royal Emperor

The mighty monarch, warlike Alexander.
If Faustus do it, you are straight resolv'd,
In bold Acteon's shape, to turn a stag:-
And therefore, my lord, so please your majesty,
I'll raise a kennel of hounds shall hunt him so,
As all his footmanship shall scarce prevail
To keep his carcase from their bloody fangs.-
Ho, Belimoth, Argiron, Asteroth ¶ !

BENV. Hold, hold!-Zounds, he'll raise up a kennel of devils, I think, anon.-Good my lord, entreat for me.-'Sblood, I am never able to endure these torments.

EMP. Then, good Master Doctor,

Let me entreat you to remove his horns;

* is] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-Not in 4to 1616.

+ this is] So 4to 1624 (and rightly, as the next line proves).-2tos 1616, 1631,"is this."

As] So 4to 1616.-2to 1624" That."-2to 1631* And.”

....

Belimoth Asteroth] Old eds. here "Belimote (and "Belimot ") ..... Asterote" but see p. 135.

He has done penance now sufficiently.

FAUST. My gracious lord, not so much for injury done to me, as to delight your majesty with some mirth, hath Faustus justly requited this injurious knight; which being all I desire, I am content to remove his horns +.-Mephistophilis, transform him [MEPHISTOPHILIS removes the horns]:-and hereafter, sir, look you speak well of scholars.

BENV. Speak well of ye! 'sblood, an scholars be such cuckoldmakers, to clap horns of § honest men's heads o' this order, I'll ne'er trust smooth faces and small ruffs more.-But, an I be not revenged for this, would I might be turned to a gaping oyster, and drink nothing but salt water! [Aside, and then exit above.

EMP. Come, Faustus: while the Emperor lives,

In recompense of this thy high desert,

Thou shalt command the state of Germany,

And live belov'd of mighty Carolus.

[Exeunt.

Enter BENVOLIO, MARTINO, FREDERICK, and Soldiers.

MART. Nay, sweet Benvolio, let us sway || thy thoughts From this attempt against the conjurer ¶.

BENV. Away! you love me not, to urge me thus:

Shall I let slip so great an injury,

When every servile groom jests at my wrongs,

And in their rustic gambols proudly say,

"Benvolio's head was grac'd with horns to-day?"

Oh, may these eyelids never close again,

Till with my sword I have that ** conjurer slain!
If you will aid me in this enterprise,

Then draw your weapons and be resolute;
If not, depart: here will Benvolio die,

* has] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, "hath."
+ horns] So 4tos 1616, 1631.-2to 1624 "horne."
sir] So 4tos 1616, 1631.-Not in 4to 1624.

§ of] i. e. on.

|| sway] So 4tos 1616, 1631.-2to 1624 "stay."

¶ this attempt against the conjurer] See note, p. 61.

** that] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631," the.”

But Faustus' death shall quit my✶ infamy.

FRED. Nay, we will stay with thee, betide what may,
And kill that + doctor, if he come this way.

BENV. Then, gentle Frederick, hie thee to the grove,
And place our servants and our followers
Close in an ambush there behind the trees.
By this, I know the conjurer is near:
I saw him kneel, and kiss the Emperor's hand,
And take his leave, laden with rich rewards.
Then, soldiers, boldly § fight: if Faustus die,
Take you the wealth, leave us the victory.

FRED. Come, soldiers, follow me unto the grove :
Who kills him shall have gold and endless love.

[Exit FREDERICK with SOLDIERS.
BENV. My head is lighter, than it was, by the horns;
But yet my heart's || more ponderous than my head,
And pants until I see that ¶ conjurer dead.

MART. Where shall we place ourselves, Benvolio?
BENV. Here will we stay to bide the first assault:
Oh, were that damnèd hell-hound but in place,
Thou soon shouldst see me quit my foul disgrace!

Re-enter FREderick.

FRED. Close, close! the conjurer is at hand, And all alone comes walking in his gown ;

Be ready, then, and strike the **

peasant down.

BENV. Mine be that honour, then. Now, sword, strike home! For horns he gave I'll have his head anon.

MART. See, see, he comes!

* my] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, "thy."

+ that] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, "the."
an] So 4to 1616.-Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.
§ boldly] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, "brauely."
heart's] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-2to 1616" heart."
¶ that] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, "the."
** the] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, “that.”

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BENV. Break may his heart with groans!-Dear Frederick, see, Thus will I end his griefs immediately.

MART. Strike with a willing hand.

[BENVOLIO strikes off FAUSTUS' head.

His head is off.

BENV. The devil's dead; the Furies now * may laugh. FRED. Was this that stern aspèct, that awful frown, Made the grim monarch of infernal spirits

Tremble and quake at his commanding charms?

MART. Was this that damned head, whose art+ conspir'd Benvolio's shame before the Emperor ?

BENV. Ay, that's the head, and there ‡ the body lies, Justly rewarded for his villanies.

FRED. Come, let's devise how we may add more shame
To the black scandal of his hated name.

BENV. First, on his head, in quittance of my wrongs,
I'll nail huge forkèd horns, and let them hang
Within the window where he yok'd me first,
That all the world may see my just revenge.

MART. What use shall we put his beard to?

BENV. We'll sell it to a chimney-sweeper: it will wear out ten birchen brooms, I warrant you.

FRED. What shall his § eyes do?

BENV. We'll pull || out his eyes; and they shall serve for buttons to his lips, to keep his tongue from catching cold.

MART. An excellent policy! and now, sirs, having divided him, what shall the body do? [FAUSTUS rises.

* now] So 4to 1616.-Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.

+ art] Old eds. "heart" (which, after all, may be right).
there] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-2to 1616" here."

§ his] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-Not in 4to 1616.

|| pull] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-2to 1616" put."

BENV. Zounds, the devil's alive again!

FRED. Give him his head, for God's sake.

FAUST. Nay, keep it: Faustus will have heads and hands,
Ay, call your hearts to recompense this deed.
Knew you not, traitors, I was limited

For four-and-twenty years to breathe on earth?
And, had you cut my body with your swords,
Or hew'd this flesh and bones as small as sand,
Yet in a minute had my spirit return'd,

And I had breath'd a man, made free from harm.
But wherefore do I dally my revenge ?—
Asteroth, Belimoth, Mephistophilis?

Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS, and other DEVILS.

Go, horse these traitors on your fiery backs,
And mount aloft with them as high as heaven:
Thence pitch them headlong to the lowest hell.
Yet, stay the world shall see their misery,
And hell shall after plague their treachery.
Go, Belimoth, and take this caitiff hence,
And hurl him in some lake of mud and dirt.
Take thou this other, drag him through the woods
Amongst the pricking thorns and sharpest briers;
Whilst, with my gentle Mephistophilis,

This traitor flies unto some steepy rock,

That, rolling down, may break the villain's bones,
As he intended to dismember me.

Fly hence; despatch my charge immediately.
FRED. Pity us, gentle Faustus! save our lives!
FAUST. Away!

FRED. He must needs go that the devil drives.

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[Exeunt MEPHISTOPHILIS and DEVILS with BENVOLIO, MARTINO, and FREDERICK.

* through] So 4tos 1616, 1624.-2to 1631" thorow."
+ Amongst] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631," Among."

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