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And characters of signs, and erring* stars,
By which the spirits are enforc'd to rise:
Then fear not, Faustus, to be resolute,
And try the utmost, magic can perform.

(Thunder.)

Sint mihi Dii Acherontis propitii Valeat numen triplex Jehova, ignei, aerii, aquitani spiritus! saluete Orientis Princeps Belzebub, inferni ardentis monarcha et demigorgon, propitiamus vos, ut appareat `et surgat Mephostophilis Dragon, quod tumeraris ; per Jehovan, Gehennam et consecratam aquam, quam nunc spargo; signumque crucis quod nunc facio; et per rota nostra ipse nunc surgat nobis dictatis Mephostophilis.

Enter DEVIL.

I charge thee to return and change thy shape;
Thou art too ugly to attend on me.
Go, and return an old franciscan friar,
That holy shape becomes a devil best.

[Exit Devil.
I see there's virtue in my heavenly words;
Who would not be proficient in this art?
How pliant is this Mephostophilis;
Full of obedience and humility;

Such is the force of magic, and my spells.

Enter MEPHOSTOPHILIS.

Meph. Now, Faustus, what wouldst thou have me do?

*The edit. of 1616 reads evening." The edit. of 1663, "crying." The edit. of 1624, only, "erring stars," which I have preserved.

Faust. I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live,
To do whatever Faustus shall command;
Be it to make the moon drop from her sphere,
Or the ocean to o'erwhelm the world.

Meph. I am a servant to great Lucifer,
And may not follow thee without his leave;
No more than he commands, must we perform.
Faust. Did not he charge thee to appear to me?
Meph. No, I came hither of mine own accord.
Faust. Did not my conjuring raise thee? speak!
Meph. That was the cause, but yet per accidens;
For when we hear one racke the name of God,
Abjure the Scriptures and his Saviour Christ,
We fly in hope to get his glorious soul:
Nor will we come unless he use such means,
Whereby he is in danger to be damn'd.
Therefore the shortest cut for conjuring,
Is stoutly to abjure all godliness,
And pray devoutly to the Prince of Hell.
Faust. So Faustus hath already done, and
holds this principle,

There is no chief but only Belzebub;
To whom Faustus doth dedicate himself.
This word damnation terrifies not me,
For I confound hell in elysium;

My ghost be with the old philosophers.
But, leaving these vain trifles of men's souls,
Tell me, what is that Lucifer thy lord?

Meph. Arch regent and commander of all
spirits.

Faust. Was not that Lucifer an angel once?
Meph. Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lov'd of

God.

[Devils? Faust. How comes it then that he is Prince of

15

Meph. Oh! by aspiring pride and insolence, For which God threw him from the face of heav'n.

Faust. And what are you that live with Lucifer? Meph. Unhappy spirits that live with Lucifer, Conspir'd against our God with Lucifer, And are for ever damn'd with Lucifer.

Faust. Where are you damn'd?

Meph. In hell.

Faust. How comes it then that thou art out of hell?

Meph. Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it.
Thinkst thou that I that saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternal joys of heav'n,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,
In being depriv'd of everlasting bliss?
O Faustus! leave these frivolous demands,
Which strike a terror to my fainting heart.
Faust. What, is great Mephostophilis so pas-
sionate,

For being deprived of the joys of heav'n!
Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude,
And scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.
Go, bear these tidings to great Lucifer;
Seeing Faustus hath incur'd eternal death,
By desperate thoughts against Jove's deity,
Say he surrenders up to him his soul,
So he will spare him four and twenty years,
Letting him live in all voluptousness;
Having thee ever to attend on me;

To give me whatsoever I shall ask ;
To tell me whatsoever I demand;

To slay mine enemies, and to aid my friends;

And always be obedient to my will.

Go, and return to mighty Lucifer,

And meet me in my study at midnight,
And then resolve me of thy master's mind.
Meph. I will, Faustus.

[Exit.

Faust. Had I as many souls as there be stars, I'd give them all for Mephostophilis.

By him I'll be great emperor of the world,
And make a bridge through the moving air,
To pass the ocean with a band of men;
I'll join the hills that bind the Afric shore,
And make that country continent to Spain,
And both contributary to my crown.
The Emperor shall not live but by my leave,
Nor any potentate of Germany,

Now that I have obtain'd what I desir'd.

I'll live in speculation of this art,

Till Mephostophilis return again.

Enter WAGNER and the Clown.

Wag. Come hither, sirrah! boy!

[Exit.

Clown. Boy! Oh disgrace to my person! Zounds! boy in your face! you have seen many boys with beards, I am sure.

Wag. Hast thou no comings in ?

Clown. And goings out too, you may see, sir. Wag. Alas, poor slave! see how poverty jests in his nakedness. I know the villain's out of service, and so hungry, that I know he would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton, though it were blood raw.

Clown. Not so neither; I had need to have it well roasted, and good sauce to it, if I pay so dear, I can tell you.

Wag. Sirrah, wilt thou be my man, and wait

on me? and I will make thee go like qui mihi discipulus.

Clown. What, in verse?

Wag. No, slave, in beaten silk and stavesaker*. Clown. Stavesaker? that's good to kill vermin; then belike if I serve you I shall be lousy.

Wag. Why, so thou shalt be whether thou dost it or no for, sirrah, if thou dost not presently bind thyself to me for seven years, I'll turn all the lice about thee into familiars, and make them tear thee in pieces.

Clown. Nay, sir, you may spare yourself a labour, for they are as familiar with me as if they paid for their meat and drink, I can tell you.

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Wag. Well, sirrah, leave your jesting, and take these guilders.

Clown. Yes, marry, sir, and I thank you too. Wag. So now thou art to be at an hour's warning whensoever and wheresoever the devil shall fetch thee.

Clown. Here, take you guilders again, I'll none of 'em.

Wag. Not I, thou art pressed; prepare thyself, for I will presently raise up two devils to carry thee away. Banio! Belcher!

Clown. Belcher! and Belcher come here, I'll belch him; I am not afraid of a devil.

Enter two DEVILS.

Wag. How now, sir, will you serve me now?

* Stavesaker-Larkspur.

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