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she lived, had a wart or mole in her neck: how shall I know whether it be so or no?

Faust. Your highness may boldly go and see. Emp. Sure, these are no spirits, but the true substantial bodies of those two deceased princes. [Exeunt Spirits. Faust. Will't please your highness now to send for the knight that was so pleasant with me here of late?

Emp. One of you call him forth.

[Exit Attendant. Re-enter the Knight with a pair of horns on his head.

How now, sir knight! why, I had thought thou hadst been a bachelor; but now I see thou hast a wife, that not only gives thee horns, but makes thee wear them. Feel on thy head.

Knight. Thou damnèd wretch and execrable
dog,

Bred in the concave of some monstrous rock,
How dar'st thou thus abuse a gentleman?
Villain, I say, undo what thou hast done!

Faust. Oh, not so fast, sir! there's no haste: but, good, are you remembered how you crossed me in my conference with the Emperor? I think I have met with you for it.

Emp. Good Master Doctor, at my entreaty release him he hath done penance sufficient.

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Re-enter Horse-courser, all wet, crying. Horse-c. Alas! alas! Doctor Fustian, quoth a! -mass, Doctor Lopus 2 was never such a doctorhas given me a purgation, has purged me of forty dollars; I shall never see them more. But yet, like an ass as I was, I would not be ruled by him, for he bade me I should ride him into no water: now I, thinking my horse had had some rare quality that he would not have had me known of, I, like a venturous youth, rid him into the deep pond at the town's end. I was no sooner in the middle of the pond, but my horse vanished away, and I sat upon a bottle of hay, never so near drowning in my life. But I'll seek out my doctor, and have my forty dollars again, or I'll make it the dearest horse!-Oh, yonder is his snipper-snapper.-Do you hear? you heypass; 5 where's your master?

Faust. My gracious lord, not so much for the injury he offered me here in your presence, as to delight you with some mirth, hath Faustus worthily requited this injurious knight; which being all I desire, I am content to release him of his horns:-and, sir knight, hereafter speak well of scholars.-Mephistophilis, transform him straight. [Mephistophilis removes the horns.]-speak with him. Now, my good lord, having done my duty, I humbly take my leave.

Emp. Farewell, Master Doctor: yet, ere you go,
Expect from me a bounteous reward.

[Exeunt EMPEROR, Knight and Attendants.
Faust. Now, Mephistophilis, the restless course
That time doth run with calm and silent foot,
Shortening my days and thread of vital life,
Calls for the payment of my latest years:
Therefore, sweet Mephistophilis, let us
Make haste to Wertenberg,

Meph. What, will you go on horseback or on
foot?

Faust. Nay, till I'm past this fair and pleasant

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Horse-c. I have been all this day seeking one Master Fustian: mass, see where he is!-God save you, Master Doctor!

Faust. What, horse-courser! you are well met. Horse-c. Do you hear, sir? I have brought you forty dollars for your horse.

Faust. I cannot sell him so: if thou likest him for fifty, take him.

Horse-c. Alas, sir, I have no more!-I pray you speak for me.

Meph. I pray you, let him have him: he is an honest fellow, and he has a great charge, neither wife nor child.

Faust. Well, come, give me your money [HORSE-COURSER gives FAUSTUS the money]: my boy will deliver him to you. But I must tell you one thing before you have him; ride him not into the water, at any hand.

Meph. Why, sir, what would you? you cannot

Horse-c. But I will speak with him. Meph. Why, he's fast asleep: come some other time.

Horse-c. I'll speak with him now, or I'll break his glass-windows about his ears.

Meph. I tell thee, he has not slept this eight nights.

Horse-c. An he have not slept this eight weeks, I'll speak with him.

Meph. See, where he is, fast asleep.

Horse-c. Ay, this is he.-God save you, Master Doctor, Master Doctor, Master Doctor Fustian! forty dollars, forty dollars for a bottle of hay! Meph. Why, thou seest he hears thee not. Horse-c. So-ho, ho! so-ho, ho! [Holloas in his ear.] No; will you not wake? I'll make you wake ere I go. [Pulls FAUSTUS by the leg, and pulls it away.] Alas, I am undone! what shall I do?

Faust. Oh, my leg, my leg!-Help, Mephisto-
philis! call the officers.-My leg, my leg!
Meph. Come, villain, to the constable.
Horse-c. Oh Lord, sir, let me go, and I'll give
you forty dollars more!

Meph. Where be they?
Horse-c. I have none about me: come to my
ostry, and I'll give them you.
Meph. Be gone quickly.

1 conceit-thought.

[Horse-courser runs away.

2 Doctor Lopus-ie. Doctor Lopez, domestic physician to Queen Elizabeth, who was put to death for having received a bribe from the court of Spain to destroy her.DYCE.

3 known of-acquainted with.

4

snipper-snapper-one who snip-snaps, or speaks snap

pishly.

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hey-pass-juggler; this being a favourite conjuring 6 ostry-hostelry, inn, lodging.

1 Horse-courser-probably horse-scourser, i.e. horse- phrase. dealer. From old Eng. scorse, to exchange.

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Enter the DUKE OF VANHOLT, the DUCHESS, and FAUSTUS.

Duke. Believe me, Master Doctor, this merriment hath much pleased me.

Faust. My gracious lord, I am glad it contents you so well. But it may be, madam, you take no delight in this./I have heard that great-bellied women do long for some dainties or other: what is it, madam? tell me, and you shall have it

Duchess. Thanks, good Master Doctorand, for I see your courteous intent to pleasure me, I will not hide from you the thing my heart desires; and,/were it now summer, as it is January and the dead time of the winter, I would desire no better meat than a dish of ripe

grapes.

Faust. Alas, madam, that's nothing!-Mephistophilis, be gone. [Exit MEPHISTOPHILIS.] Were it a greater thing than this, so it would content you, you should have it.

Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS with grapes. Here they be, madam: will't please you taste on

them?

Duke. Believe me, Master Doctor, this makes me wonder above the rest, that being in the dead time of winter and in the month of January, how you should come by these grapes.

Faust. If it like your grace, the year is divided into two circles over the whole world, that, when it is here winter with us, in the contrary circle it is summer with them, as in India, Saba, and farther countries in the east; and by means of a swift spirit that I have, I had them brought hither, as you see.-How do you like them, madam? be they good?

Duchess. Believe me, Master Doctor, they be the best grapes that e'er I tasted in my life before.

Faust. I am glad they content you so, madam. Duke. Come, madam, let us in, where you must well reward this learned man for the great kindness he hath showed to you.

Duchess. And so I will, my lord; and, whilst I live, rest beholding3 for this courtesy. Faust. I humbly thank your grace. Duke. Come, Master Doctor, follow us, and receive your reward.

Enter WAGNER.

[Exeunt.

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Enter FAUSTUS with two or three Scholars, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

First Schol. Master Doctor Faustus, since our conference about fair ladies, which was the beautifulest in all the world, we have determined with ourselves that Helen of Greece was the

admirablest lady that ever lived; therefore, Master Doctor, if you will do us that favour, as to let us see that peerless dame of Greece, whom all the world admires for majesty, we should think ourselves much beholden unto you.

Faust. Gentlemen,

For that I know your friendship is unfeign'd,
And Faustus' custom is not to deny

The just requests of those that wish him well,
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherways for pomp and majesty
Than when Sir Paris cross'd the seas with her,
And brought the spoils to rich Dardania.
Be silent, then, for danger is in words.
[Music sounds, and HELEN passeth over the stage.
Sec. Schol. Too simple is my wit to tell her
praise,

Whom all the world admires for majesty.
Third Schol. No marvel though the angry
Greeks pursu'd

With ten years' war the rape of such a queen,
Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.
First Schol. Since we have seen the pride of
Nature's works,

And only paragon of excellence, Let us depart; and for this glorious deed Happy and blest be Faustus evermore. Faust. Gentlemen, farewell: the same I wish to you. [Exeunt Scholars.

Enter an Old Man.

Old Man. Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail

To guide thy steps unto the way of life,
By which sweet path thou may'st attain the goal
That shall conduct thee to celestial rest!
Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with
tears,

Tears falling from repentant heaviness
Of thy most vile and loathsome filthiness,
The stench whereof corrupts the inward soul
With such flagitious crimes of heinous sin
As no commiseration may expel,

But mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt.
Faust. Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what
hast thou done?

Damn'd art thou, Faustus, damn'd; despair and die!

Hell calls for right, and with a roaring voice Says, 'Faustus, come; thine hour is almost come;'

And Faustus now will come to do thee right.
[MEPHISTOPHILIS gives him a dagger.
Old Man. Ah, stay, good Faustus, stay thy
desperate steps!

I see an angel hovers o'er thy head,
And, with a vial full of precious grace,
Offers to pour the same unto thy soul:
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.

Faust. Ah, my sweet friend, I feel
Thy words to comfort my distressed soul!
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

Old Man. I go, sweet Faustus; but with heavy
cheer,1

Fearing the ruin of thy hopeless soul.

[Exit.

Faust. Accursed Faustus, where is mercy now?

1 cheer-look, countenance; old Fr. chiere, countenance.

I do repent; and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my

breast:

What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

Meph. Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord:
Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh.

Faust. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

Meph. Do it then, quickly, with unfeigned
heart,

Lest greater danger do attend thy drift.

Faust. Torment, sweet friend, that base and
crooked age,1

That durst dissuade me from my Lucifer,
With greatest torments that our hell affords.
Meph. His faith is great; I cannot touch his
soul;

But what I may afflict his body with
I will attempt, which is but little worth.

Faust. One thing, good servant, let me crave
of thee,

To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-
That I might have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen which I saw of late
Whose sweet embracings may extinguish clean
Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my
vow,

And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer/

Meph. Faustus this, or what else thou shalt desire,

Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN.

Enter FAUSTUS, with Scholars.
Faust. Ah, gentlemen!

First Schol. What ails Faustus?

Faust. Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee, then had I lived still; but now I die eternally! Look, comes he not? comes he not?

Sec. Schol. What means Faustus?

Third Schol. Belike he is grown into some sickness by being over-solitary.

First Schol. If it be so, we'll have physicians to cure him.-'Tis but a surfeit; never fear, man. Faust. A surfeit of deadly sin, that hath damned both body and soul.

Sec. Schol. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven; remember God's mercies are infinite.

Faust. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. Ah, gentlemen, hear me with patience, and tremble not at my speeches! Though my heart pants and quivers to remember that I have been a student here these thirty years, oh, would I had never seen Wertenberg, never read book! and what wonders I have done, all Germany can witness, yea, all the world; for which Faustus hath lost both Germany and the world, yea, heaven itself,-heaven, the seat of God, the throne of the blessed, the kingdom of joy, and must remain in hell for ever, hell, ah, hell, for ever! Sweet friends, what shall become of Faustus, being in hell for ever?

Third Schol. Yet, Faustus, call on God.
Faust. On God, whom Faustus hath abjured!
On God, whom Faustus hath blasphemed! Ah,
my God, I would weep! but the devil draws in

Faust. Was this the face that launch'd a thou- my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears! sand ships,

And burnt the topless towers of Ilum
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.-

[Kisses her

Her lips suck forth my soul see, where it flies!-
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.

I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wertenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumèd crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms;
And none but thou shalt be my paramour!

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yea, life and soul! Oh, he stays my tongue! I would lift up my hands; but see, they hold them, they hold them!

All. Who, Faustus?

Ah,

Faust. Lucifer and Mephistophilis. gentlemen, I gave them my soul for my cunning!!

All. God forbid!

Faust. God forbade it, indeed; but Faustus hath done it for vain pleasure of twenty-four years hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood: the date is expired; the time will come, and he will fetch me.

First Schol. Why did not Faustus tell us of this before, that divines might have prayed for thee?

Faust. Oft have I thought to have done so; but the devil threatened to tear me in pieces if I named God, to fetch both body and soul if I once gave ear to divinity: and now 'tis too late. Gentlemen, away, lest you perish with me.

Sec. Schol. Oh, what shall we do to save Faustus?

Faust. Talk not of me, but save yourselves, and depart.

Third Schol. God will strengthen me; I will stay with Faustus.

First Schol. Tempt not God, sweet friend; but let us into the next room, and there pray for him.

Faust. Ay, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever ye hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.

Sec. Schol. Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee.

Faust. Gentlemen, farewell: if I live till

1 cunning-knowledge, skill.

I'll visit you; if not, Faustus is gone But mine must live still to be plagu'd in hell. Curs'd be the parents that engender'd me! No, Faustus, curse thyself, curse Lucifer

austus, farewell.

reunt Scholars.-The clock strikes eleven. That hath depriv'd thee of the joys of heaven. Ah, Faustus,

This may

st thou but one bare hour to live, En thou must be damn'd perpetually! still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven, cease, and midnight never come; Nature's eye, rise, rise again, and make etual day; or let this hour be but ear, a month, a week, a natural day, at Faustus may repent and save his soul! lente, lente currite, noctis equi!!

The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,

The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd!

Oh, I'll leap up to my God!-Who pulls me down?

See, see, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!

One drop would save my soul, half a drop: ah, my Christ!

Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ!
Yet will I call on Him: Oh, spare me, Lucifer!-
Where is it now? 'tis gone: and see, where God
Stretcheth out his arm, and bends his ireful brows!
Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me,
And hide me from the heavy wrath of God!
No, no!

Then will headlong run into the earth:
Earth, gape: Oh, no, it will not harbour me!
You stars that reign'd at my nativity,
Whose influence hath allotted death and hell,
Now draw up Faustus, like a foggy mist,
Into the entrails of yon labouring cloud,
That, when you vomit forth into the air,
My limbs may issue from your smoky mouths,
So that my soul may but ascend to heaven!
The clock strikes the half-hour.
Ah, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon.
O God,

If Thou wilt not have mercy on my soul,
Yet for Christ's sake, whose blood hath ransom'd

me,

Impose some end to my incessant pain;
Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years,
A hundred thousand, and at last be sav'd!
Oh, no end is limited to damned souls!
Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul?
Or why is this immortal that thou hast?
Ah, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true,
This soul should fly from me, and I be chang'd
Unto some brutish beast! all beasts are happy,
For, when they die,

Their souls are soon dissolv'd in elements;

10 gently, gently run, steeds of night!'

[The clock strikes twelve. Oh, it strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air, Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell!

[Thunder and lightning. Oh soul, be chang'd into little water-drops, And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!

Enter Devils.

My God, my God, look not so fierce on me!
Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while!
Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer!
I'll burn my books!-Ah, Mephistophilis

[Exeunt Devils with FAUSTUS. Enter Scholars.1

First Schol. Come, gentlemen, let us go visit
Faustus,

For such a dreadful night was never seen;
Since first the world's creation did begin,
Such fearful shrieks and cries were never heard:
Pray heaven the doctor have escap'd the danger.
Sec. Schol. Oh help us, heaven! see, here are
Faustus' limbs,

All torn asunder by the hand of death!

Third Schol. The devils whom Faustus serv'd have torn him thus;

For, 'twixt the hours of twelve and one, methought

I heard him shriek and call aloud for help;
At which self time the house seem'd all on fire
With dreadful horror of these damnèd fiends.
Sec. Schol. Well, gentlemen, though Faustus'
end be such

As every Christian heart laments to think on,
Yet, for he was a scholar once admir'd
For wondrous knowledge in our German schools,
We'll give his mangled limbs due burial;
And all the students clothed in mourning black,
Shall wait upon his heavy funeral.

Enter Chorus.

Chor. Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,

And burned is Apollo's laurel-bough,
That sometime grew within this learned man.
Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall,
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise,
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits
To practise more than heavenly power permits.
[Exit.

Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus.2

1 This scene is not in the early edition.

2 The hour ends the day; the author ends his work.

BEN JONSON.

[BENJAMIN, or as he himself and his friends were frequently in the habit of abbreviating his name, Ben Jonson, was born in Westminster in the early part of the year 1574. His grandfather belonged to Annandale in Scotland, and subsequently settled in Carlisle. His father was a clergyman, and died before Ben was born; his mother, shortly after her son's birth, marrying a bricklayer. Ben was sent by his stepfather to a private school near St. Martin's in-the-Fields, and subsequently to Westminster School, where he had the celebrated Camden for his teacher, whom he ever afterwards revered, and whom he thus addresses in one of his epigrams:

'Camden, most reverend head, to whom I owe

All that I am in arts, and all I know.'

Malone says that Ben went straight from school to Cambridge University; but this statement appears to have little authority. If he was at college at all, it was only for a few weeks. He was forced, probably from the poverty of his parents, to enter upon his father's occupation, to which, however, he had such an antipathy that he ran off and enlisted as a soldier, and was sent to serve in Flanders. Here he behaved himself with great bravery; but probably did not stay longer than one campaign, either disliking the service or despairing of promotion. Shortly after his return home, prompted both by inclination and necessity, he adopted the profession of an actor, making his debut at a low theatre in Clerkenwell. In this profession he appears to have completely failed. A quarrel with another actor led to a duel, in which Ben killed his antagonist, he himself being severely wounded; he was committed to prison on a charge of murder, but was shortly released without trial. While in prison he was visited by a Roman Catholic priest, who induced him to renounce the Protestant faith and become a Roman Catholic. He, however, returned to the bosom of the English Church in 1606. Shortly after his release from prison, probably not later than 1594, he married a woman who appears to have made Ben a good, patient, and faithful wife. Having renounced the stage as an actor, he now began to support himself as a writer of plays, his earliest known piece, Every Man in his Humour, appearing in 1596. The scene was laid in Italy, but in 1598 it was reproduced at the Globe Theatre with the scene changed to England; Shakespeare, whose friendship with Jonson commenced about this time, is said to have supported one of the characters in this play. In 1599 appeared his Every Man out of his Humour, the representation of which was honoured by the presence of Queen Elizabeth, who patronized the new poet, and ever afterwards he was a man of mark and likelihood.' Afterwards appeared Cynthia's Revels, and, in 1600, The Poetaster, in which he satirized two of his brother dramatists, Marston and Dekker. The latter replied with some spirit in his Satiromastix. Since the comic muse had proved so ominous' to him, he resolved to try tragedy, and in 1603 appeared his Sejanus. Shortly after the accession of King James to the English throne appeared a comedy, Eastward Hoe, written conjunctly by Jonson, Chapman, and Marston, in which there were some passages reflecting on the Scottish nation. Chapman and Marston were sent to prison, and Jonson voluntarily accompanied them; but they were soon released without being tried, although there had been some talk of their getting their ears and noses slit. On Jonson's release, his mother, it is said, produced a paper of poison, which, she declared, had the mutilation and disgrace taken place, she intended to have given to her son in his drink; and, to show that she was no churl,' says her son, she designed to have drunk first herself.' Jonson's three great, undoubtedly his best comedies,

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