Luc. Do so, and we will highly gratify thee. Faustus, we are come from Hell to show thee some pastime: sit down, and thou shalt see all the Seven Deadly Sins1 appear in their proper shapes. Faust. That sight will be as pleasing unto me, As Paradise was to Adam the first day Of his creation. Luc. Talk not of paradise nor creation, but mark this show: talk of the Devil, and nothing else: come away! Enter the Seven Deadly Sins. 112 Now, Faustus, examine them of their several names and dispositions. Faust. What art thou-the first? Pride. I am Pride. I disdain to have any parents. I am like to Ovid's flea:2 I can creep into every corner of a wench; sometimes, like a perriwig, I sit upon her brow; or like a fan of feathers, I kiss her lips; indeed I do what do I not? But, fie, what a scent is here! I'll not speak another word, except the ground were perfumed, and covered with cloth of arras. Faust. What art thou-the second? 122 Covet. I am Covetousness, begotten of an old churl in an old leathern bag; and might I have my wish I would desire that this house and all the people in it were turned 1 At Dulwich College is preserved the "plat" of an extemporal play by Richard Tarlton on the subject of the Seven Deadly Sins. See Collier's Engl. Dram. Poetry, iii. 394 (ed. 1). 2 An allusion to the medieval Carmen de Pulice, formerly ascribed to Ovid. to gold, that I might lock you up in my good chest. O, my sweet gold! Faust. What art thou-the third? 129 Wrath. I am Wrath. I had neither father nor mother: I leapt out of a lion's mouth when I was scarce half an hour old; and ever since I have run up and down the world with this case1 of rapiers, wounding myself when I had nobody to fight withal. I was born in Hell; and look to it, for some of you shall be my father. Faust. What art thou-the fourth? Envy. I am Envy, begotten of a chimney-sweeper and an oyster-wife. I cannot read, and therefore wish all books were burnt. I am lean with seeing others eat. Ο that there would come a famine through all the world, that all might die, and I live alone! then thou should'st see how fat I would be. But must thou sit and I stand! Come down with a vengeance! 143 Faust. Away, envious rascal! What art thou-the fifth ? Glut. Who, I, sir? I am Gluttony. My parents are all dead, and the devil a penny they have left me, but a bare pension, and that is thirty meals a day and ten bevers 2-a small trifle to suffice nature. O, I come of a royal parentage! My grandfather was a Gammon of Bacon, my grandmother was a Hogshead of Claret-wine; 1 Pair of rapiers. Cf. Webster's White Devil (ed. 1857, p. 46) :— 'My lord hath left me yet two case of jewels Shall make me scorn your bounty." (The speaker, Flaminius, goes out and presently returns with case of pistols.") 2 Refreshment between meals. "two my godfathers were these, Peter Pickleherring, and Martin Martlemas-beef;1 O, but my godmother, she was a jolly gentlewoman, and well beloved in every good town and city; her name was Mistress Margery March-beer.2 Now, Faustus, thou hast heard all my progeny, wilt thou bid me to supper? 156 Faust. No, I'll see thee hanged: thou wilt eat up all my victuals. Glut. Then the Devil choke thee! Faust. Choke thyself, glutton! Who art thou-the sixth ? 161 Sloth. I am Sloth. I was begotten on a sunny bank, where I have lain ever since; and you have done me great injury to bring me from thence: let me be carried thither again by Gluttony and Lechery. I'll not speak another word for a king's ransom. Faust. What are you, Mistress Minx, the seventh and last? Lech. Who, I, sir? I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton better than an ell of fried stockfish; and the first letter of my name begins with L.3 171 1 "Martlemas was the customary time for hanging up provisions to dry, which had been salted for winter provision; as our ancestors lived chiefly upon salted meat in the spring, the winter-fed cattle not being fit for use."-Nares. The Feast of St. Martin falls on November 11th. 2 The March brewing was much esteemed. In Shirley's Captain Underwit a fencing-master's allowance is put at "twenty pipes of Bermudas [i.e. twenty pipefuls of tobacco] a day, six flagons of March beer, a quart of sack in a week,-for he scorns meat." (See my Old Plays, ii. 323.) 3 All the copies read "Lechery." The change was proposed by Collier. [Luc.] Away to Hell, to Hell! dost thou like this? Faust. O, this feeds my soul! Now, Faustus, how [Exeunt the Sins. Luc. Tut, Faustus, in Hell is all manner of delight. Faust. O might I see Hell, and return again, How happy were I then! Luc. Thou shalt; I will send for thee at midnight. In meantime take this book; peruse it throughly, And thou shalt turn thyself 2 into what shape thou wilt. 180 Faust. Great thanks, mighty Lucifer! This will I keep as chary as my life. Luc. Farewell, Faustus, and think on the Devil. Faust. Farewell, great Lucifer ! [Exeunt LUCIFER and BELZEBUB. Come, Mephistophilis.3 Enter CHORUS. Chorus. Learned Faustus, To know the secrets of Astronomy, Graven in the book of Jove's high firmament, 1 Ed. 1616 reads: [Exeunt the Sins. "Luc. Away to Hell, away! On, piper! 2 I should like to omit "thyself" for the metre's sake. 3 In ed. 1616 there follows a clownish scene between Robin and Dick. I ave printed it after the play in the Appendix. He now is gone to prove Cosmography, 1 In ed. 1616 the speech of the Chorus is expanded as follows :— Chor. Learned Faustus, To find the secrets of Astronomy Graven in the book of Jove's high firmament, [Exit. The additional lines seem worthy of Marlowe, and add considerably to the picturesqueness of the original.-In Henslowe's inventory of the property of the Admiral's men (Diary, p. 273) mention is made of "I dragon in Fostes." Perhaps (as Wagner suggests) Faustus alighted from his dragon-car at the beginning of the next scene. |
