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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus (B Text)

Act: 2 Scene: 1

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.

Contrition, prayer, repentance? What of these?

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.

Stay, Mephistophilis, and tell me,

What good will my soul do thy Lord?

Is that the reason why he tempts us thus?

Why, have you any pain that torture other?

I Mephistophilis, I'll give it him.

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.

Ay, so I do, but, Mephistophilis ,

My blood congeals, and I can write no more

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.

So, now the blood begins to clear again.

Now will I make an end immediately.

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.

What means this show? Speak, Mephistophilis.

But may I raise such spirits when I please?

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.

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.

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

First, I will question thee about hell:

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

Ay, so are all things else, but whereabouts?

I think hell's a fable.

Why, dost thou think that Faustus shall be damned?

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.

What sight is this?

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

Thanks, Mephistophilis, for this sweet book.

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

Enter Wagner solus.

Act: 2 Scene: 2

When I behold the heavens then I repent

And curse thee wicked Mephistophilis,

Because thou hast deprived me of those joys.

How prov'st thou that?

If heaven was made for man, 'twas made for me.

I will renounce this magic and repent.

Enter the two Angels.

Who buzzeth in mine ears I am a spirit?

Be I a devil, yet God may pity me.

Yea, God will pity me if I repent.

My heart is hardened; I cannot repent.

Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven.

Swords, poison, halters, and envenomed steel

Are laid before me to dispatch my self,

And long ere this, I should have done the deed,

Had not sweet pleasure conquered deep despair.

Have not I made blind Homer sing to me

Of Alexander's love, and OEnon's death?

And hath not he that built the walls of Thebes,

With ravishing sound of his melodious harp,

Made music with my Mephistophilis?

Why should I die then, or basely despair?

I am resolved; Faustus shall not repent.

Come, Mephistophilis, let us dispute again

And reason of divine Astrology.

Speak, are there many spheres above the Moon?

Are all celestial bodies but one globe,

As is the substance of this centric earth?

But have they all one motion, both situ et tempore?

These slender questions Wagner can decide:

Hath Mephistophilis no greater skill?

Who knows not the double motion of the planets?

That the first is finished in a natural day;

The second thus: Saturn in 30 years;

Jupiter in 12, Mars in 4, the Sun, Venus, and

Mercury in a year; the moon in twenty eight days.

These are freshmen's questions . But tell me, hath every

Sphere a dominion, or intelligentia?

How many heavens, or spheres, are there?

But is there not coelum igneum et cristallinum?

Resolve me then in this one question:

Why are not conjunctions, oppositions, aspects, eclipses,

all at one time, but in some years we have more, in some less?

Well, I am answered. Now tell me, who made the world?

Sweet Mephistophilis, tell me.

Villain, have not I bound thee to tell me anything?

Think, Faustus, upon God that made the world.

Ay, go, accursed spirit, to ugly hell.

'Tis thou hast damned distressed Faustus' soul. Is't not too late?

O, Christ my Savior, my Savior,

Help to save distressed Faustus' soul.

O, what art thou that look'st so terribly?

O, Faustus, they are come to fetch thy soul.

Nor will Faustus henceforth. Pardon him for this;

And Faustus vows never to look to heaven.

That sight will be as pleasant to me, as Paradise

was to Adam the first day of his creation.

That shall I soon. What art thou the first?

Thou art a proud knave indeed. What art thou

second?

And what art thou the third?

Out envious wretch. But what art thou the fourth?

And what art thou the fifth?

Not I.

Choke thyself glutton. What art thou the sixth?

And what are you Mistress Minkes, the seventh and last?

O, how this sight doth delight my soul.

O, might I see hell, and return again safe. How

happy were I then.

Thanks mighty Lucifer.

This will I keep as chary as my life.

Farewell, great Lucifer. Come, Mephistophilis

Exeunt omnes, several ways.