Greece, whom all the world admires for majesty, we should think ourselves much beholding unto you.

FAUST. Gentlemen,

For that I know your friendship is unfeign'd,

It is not Faustus' custom to deny

The just request of those that wish him well:
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherwise for pomp or 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.

MEPHISTOPHILIS brings in HELEN; she passeth over the stage.

SEC. SCHOL. Was this fair Helen, whose admired worth Made Greece with ten years' war § afflict poor Troy?

THIRD SCHOL. Too simple is my wit || to tell her worth, Whom all the world admires for majesty.

FIRST SCHOL. Now we have seen the pride of Nature's work, We'll take our leaves: and, for this blessed sight,

Happy and blest be Faustus evermore !

FAUST. Gentlemen, farewell: the same wish I to you.

Enter an OLD MAN.

[Exeunt SCHOLARS.

OLD MAN. Oh, gentle Faustus, leave this damned art,

This magic, that will charm thy soul to hell,

And quite bereave thee of salvation!

Though thou hast now offended like a man,
Do not persever in it like a devil :
Yet, yet thou hast an amiable soul,

If sin by custom grow not into nature;

Then, Faustus, will repentance come too late ;
Then thou art banish'd from the sight of heaven:

No mortal can express the pains of hell.

§ war] Old eds. "warres."

||wit] So 4tos 1616, 1624.-2to 1631 "will,"

It may be, this my exhortation

Seems harsh and all unpleasant: let it not;
For, gentle son, I speak it not in wrath,

Or envy of thee*, but in tender love,
And pity of thy future misery;

And so have hope that this my kind rebuke,

Checking thy body, may amend thy soul.

FAUST. Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what hast thou

done?

Hell claims his 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. Oh, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!

I see an angel hover o'er thy head,

And, with a vial full of precious grace,

Offers to pour the same into thy soul:
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.
FAUST. Oh, friend, I feel

Thy words to comfort my distressed soul!
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

OLD MAN. Faustus, I leave thee; but with grief of heart, Fearing the enemy of thy hapless soul.

[Exit.

FAUST. Accursed Faustus, wretch, what hast thou done?

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 piece-meal tear thy flesh.
FAUST. I do repent I e'er offended him.

Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm

The former vow I made to Lucifer.

*Or envy of thee] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631, " Or of enuie to thee."

MEPH. Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart,

Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.

FAUST. Torment, sweet friend, that base and aged man, That durst dissuade me from thy 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 may have unto my paramour

That heavenly Helen which I saw of late,

Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean §

Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,

And keep my oath || I made to Lucifer.

MEPH. This, or what else my Faustus shall desire,

Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN, passing over the stage between two Cupids.

FAUST. Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?—

Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.-
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 Wittenberg 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.

[Kisses her.

*Meph.] This and the next prefix are omitted in the old eds.

+ torments] So 4tos 1624, 1631 (and so 4to 1604).-2to 1616" torment." I may afflict] So 4to 1616.-2to 1624 " I afflict."-2to 1631 "I can afflict."

$ clean] So 4to 1604.-The later 4tos "clear."

oath] So 4to 1604.--The later 4tos "vow."

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!

[Exeunt.

Thunder. Enter LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

Luc. Thus from infernal Dis do we ascend

To view the subjects of our monarchy,

Those souls which sin seals the black sons of hell;

'Mong which, as chief, Faustus, we come to thee,
Bringing with us lasting damnation

To wait upon thy soul: the time is come
Which makes it forfeit.

MEPH. And, this gloomy night,

Here, in this room, will wretched Faustus be.
BELZ. And here we'll stay,

To mark him how he doth demean himself.

MEPH. How should he but in desperate lunacy? Fond worldling, now his heart-blood dries with grief; His conscience kills it; and his + labouring brain Begets a world of idle fantasies

To over-reach the devil; but all in vain;

His store of pleasures must be sauc'd with pain.
He and his servant Wagner are at hand;

Both come from drawing Faustus' latest will.
See, where they come !

Enter FAUSTUS and WAGNER.

FAUST. Say, Wagner,-thou hast perus'd my will,—

How dost thou like it?

WAG. Sir, so wondrous well,

|| evening] So 4to 1604.-The later 4tos "euenings."

* azur'd] So 4to 1624 (a reading which I prefer only because it is also

that of 4to 1604.)-2tos 1616, 1631, 66 azure."

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

As in all humble duty I do yield

My life and lasting service for your love.
FAUST. Gramercy ||, Wagner.

Enter SCHOLARS.

Welcome, gentlemen. [Exit WAGNER.

FIRST SCHOL. Now, worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are

chang'd.

FAUST. Oh, gentlemen!

SEC. SCHOL. What ails Faustus?

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

FIRST SCHOL. Oh, my dear Faustus, what imports this fear? SEC. SCHOL. Is all our pleasure turn'd to melancholy? THIRD SCHOL. He is not well with being over-solitary.

SEC. SCHOL. If it be so, we'll have physicians,

And Faustus shall be cur'd.

THIRD SCHOL. 'Tis but a surfeit, sir*; fear nothing.

FAUST. A surfeit of deadly + sin, that hath damned both body and soul.

SEC. SCHOL. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven, and remember mercy is infinite.

FAUST. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. Oh, gentlemen, hear met with patience, and tremble not at my speeches! Though my heart pant and quiver to remember that I have been a student here these thirty years, oh, would I had never seen Wittenberg, 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,

Gramercy] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-2to 1616" Gramercies."

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

+ of deadly] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631," of a deadly."
me] So 4tos 1624, 1631.-Not in 4to 1616.

§ never] So 4to 1616.-2tos 1624, 1631,"nere."