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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus (B Text)

Act: 2 Scene: 1<<

Enter Faustus in his study.

Now, Faustus, must thou needs be damned?

Can'st thou not be saved?

What boots it then to think on God or heaven?

Away with such vain fancies and despair,

Despair in God and trust in Beelzebub,

Now go not backward, Faustus; be resolute.

Why wavers thou? O something soundeth in mine ear.

Abjure this magic, turn to God again.

Why he loves thee not. The God thou serv'st is thine owe appetite

Wherein is fixed the love of Beelzebub

To him, I'll build an altar and a church,

And offer lukewarm blood, of new-born babes.

Enter the two Angels.

Go forward, Faustus, in that famous art.

Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art.

Contrition, prayer, repentance? What of these?

O, they are means to bring thee unto heaven.

Rather, illusions, fruits of lunacy,

That make them foolish that do use them most.

Sweet Faustus, think of heaven and heavenly things.

No, Faustus, think of honour and of wealth.Exeunt Angels

Wealth? Why the signory of Embden shall be mine.

When Mephistophilis shall stand by me,

What power can hurt me? Faustus, thou art safe.

Cast no more doubts; Mephistophilis,

And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer

Is't not midnight? Come, Mephistophilis.

Veni veni Mephostophile. Enter Mephistophilis

Now tell me, what saith Lucifer, thy Lord?

That I shall wait on Faustus whilst he lives,

So he will buy my service with his soul.

Already Faustus hath hazarded that for thee.

But now thou must bequeath it solemnly,

And write a deed of gift with thine owe blood,

For that security craves Lucifer

If thou deny it I must back to hell.

Stay, Mephistophilis, and tell me,

What good will my soul do thy Lord?

Enlarge his Kingdom.

Is that the reason why he tempts us thus?

Solamen miseris, socios habuisse doloris.

Why, have you any pain that torture other?

As great as have the humane souls of men.

But tell me Faustus, shall I have thy soul?

And I will be thy slave and wait on thee,

And give thee more then thou hast wit to ask.

I Mephistophilis, I'll give it him.

Then Faustus stab thy arm courageously,

And bind thy soul, that at some certain day

Great Lucifer may claim it as his owe,

And then be thou as great as Lucifer

Lo Mephistophilis: for love of thee Faustus hath cut his arm,

And with his proper blood assures his soul to be great Lucifer's,

Chief Lord and Regent of perpetual night.

View here this blood that trickles from mine arm,

And let it be propitious for my wish.

But, Faustus,

Write it in manner of a deed of gift.

Ay, so I do, but, Mephistophilis ,

My blood congeals, and I can write no more

I'll fetch thee fire to dissolve it straight. Exit.

What might the staying of my blood portend?

Is it unwilling I should write this bill?

Why streams it not that I may write afresh?

Faustus gives to thee his soul: O there it stayed.

Why should'st thou not? Is not thy soul thine owe?

Then write again: Faustus gives to thee his soul.

Enter Mephistophilis, with the chafer of fire.

See, Faustus, here is fire; set it on.

So, now the blood begins to clear again.

Now will I make an end immediately.

What will not I do to obtain his soul?

Consummatum est: this bill is ended,

And Faustus hath bequeathed his soul to Lucifer

But what is this inscription on mine arm?

Homo fuge! Whither should I fly?

If unto heaven, he'll throw me down to hell.

My senses are deceived; here's nothing writ:

O yes, I see it plain, even here is writ

Homo fuge, yet shall not Faustus fly.

I'll fetch him somewhat to delight his mind.

Exit.

Enter Devils, giving crowns and rich apparel to Faustus. They dance and then depart. Enter Mephistophilis

What means this show? Speak, Mephistophilis.

Nothing, Faustus, but to delight thy mind,

And let thee see what magic can perform

But may I raise such spirits when I please?

Ay, Faustus, and do greater things than these.

Then, Mephistophilis, receive this scroll,

A deed of gift, of body and of soul.

But yet conditionally that thou perform

All covenants and articles between us both.

Faustus, I swear by hell and Lucifer

To effect all promises between us both.

Then hear me read it, Mephistophilis,

On these conditions following.

First, that Faustus may be a spirit in form and substance.

Secondly, that Mephistophilis shall be his servant, and be by

him commanded.

Thirdly, that Mephistophilis shall do for him and bring him

whatsoever.

Fourthly, that he shall be in his chamber or house invisible.

Lastly, that he shall appear to the said John Faustus at all

times in what shape and form soever he please.

I, John Faustus of Wittenberg, Doctor, by these presents, do

give both body and soul to Lucifer, Prince of the East, and

his minister Mephistophilis, and furthermore grant unto them

that four and twenty years being expired, and these articles

written being inviolate, full power to fetch or carry the

said John Faustus' body and soul, flesh, blood, into their ha-

bitation wheresoever.

By me John Faustus.

Speak, Faustus, do you deliver this as your deed?

Ay, take it, and the devil give thee good of it.

So, now Faustus, ask me what thou wilt.

First, I will question thee about hell:

Tell me, where is the place that men call hell?

Under the heavens.

Ay, so are all things else, but whereabouts?

Within the bowels of these elements,

Where we are tortured, and remain forever.

Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscribed

In one self place, but where we are is hell,

And where hell is there must we ever be.

And to be short, when all the world dissolves,

And every creature shall be purified,

All places shall be hell that is not heaven.

I think hell's a fable.

Ay, think so still, till experience change thy mind.

Why, dost thou think that Faustus shall be damned?

Ay, of necessity, for here's the scroll

In which thou hast given thy soul to Lucifer

Ay, and body too, but what of that?

Think'st thou that Faustus is so fond to imagine

That after this life there is any pain?

No, these are trifles, and mere old wives tales.

But I am an instance to prove the contrary,

For I tell thee I am damned and now in hell.

Nay, and this be hell, I'll willingly be damned.

What sleeping, eating, walking and disputing?

But leaving this, let me have a wife, the fairest maid in

Germany, for I am wanton and lascivious and cannot live

without a wife.

Well, Faustus, thou shalt have a wife.

He fetches in a woman devil.

What sight is this?

Now, Faustus, wilt thou have a wife?

Here's a hot whore indeed; no, I'll no wife.

Marriage is but a ceremonial toy,

And if thou lov'st me think no more of it.

I'll cull thee out the fairest courtesans,

And bring them every morning to thy bed.

She whom thine eye shall like, thy heart shall have,

Were she as chaste as was Penelope,

As wise as Saba, or as beautiful

As was bright Lucifer before his fall.

Here, take this book, and peruse it well.

The iterating of these lines brings gold;

The framing of this circle on the ground

Brings thunder, whirl-winds, storm and lightning.

Pronounce this thrice devoutly to thyself,

And men in harness shall appear to thee,

Ready to execute what thou command'st.

Thanks, Mephistophilis, for this sweet book.

This will I keep as chary as my life. Exeunt.

Enter Wagner solus.

Learned Faustus

To know the secrets of Astronomy

Graven in the book of Jove's high firmament,

Did mount himself to scale Olympus' top.

Being seated in a chariot burning bright,

Drawn by the strength of yokey dragons' necks,

He now is gone to prove cosmography,

And as I guess will first arrive at Rome,

To see the Pope and manner of his court,

And take some part of holy Peter's feast,

That to this day is highly solemnized.Exit Wagner.

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