The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus (B Text)


Act: 4 Scene: 2
These gracious words, most royal Carolus,
Shall make poor Faustus to his utmost power,
Both love and serve the German Emperor,
And lay his life at holy Bruno's feet.
For proof whereof, if so your Grace be pleased,
The Doctor stands prepared, by power of art,
To cast his magic charms that shall pierce through
The ebon' gates of ever-burning hell,
And hail the stubborn Furies from their caves
To compass whatsoe'er your grace commands.
Your majesty shall see them presently.
Mephistophilis, away.
And with a solemn noise of trumpets sound,
Present before this royal Emperor,
Great Alexander and his beauteous paramour.
I'll make you feel something anon, if my art fail me not.
My Lord, I must forewarn your majesty
That when my spirits present the royal shapes
Of Alexander and his paramour,
Your grace demand no questions of the King,
But in dumb silence let them come and go.
And I'll play Diana, and send you the horns pre- sently.
My gracious lord, you do forget yourself;
These are but shadows, not substantial.
Your Majesty may boldly go and see.
Away, be gone. Exit Show.
See, see, my gracious lord, what strange beast is yon, that
thrusts his head out at window.
He sleeps, my lord, but dreams not of his horns.
Why, how now, sir Knight? What, hanged by the
horns? This most horrible! Fie, fie, pull in your head for shame;
let not all the world wonder at you.
O, say not so, sir. The Doctor has no skill,
No art, no cunning, to present these lords,
Or bring before this royal Emperor
The mighty monarch, warlike Alexander.
If Faustus do it, you are straight resolved
In bold Acteon's shape to turn a stag.
And therefore, my lord, so please your majesty,
I'll raise a kennel of hounds shall hunt him so
As all his footmanship shall scarce prevail
To keep his carcass from their bloody fangs.
Ho, Belimote, Argiron, Asterote.
My gracious Lord, not so much for injury done to
me, as to delight your majesty with some mirth hath Faustus
justly requited this injurious knight, which being all I de-
sire, I am content to remove his horns. Mephistophilis,
transform him, and hereafter, sir, look you speak well of
scholars.

Act: 4 Scene: 3
Oh!
Nay, keep it. Faustus will have heads and hands.
I call your hearts to recompense this deed.
Knew you not, traitors, I was limited
For four and twenty years to breathe on earth?
And had you cut my body with your swords,
Or hewed this flesh and bones as small as sand,
Yet in a minute had my spirit returned,
And I had breathed a man made free from harm.
But wherefore do I dally my revenge?
Asteroth, Belimoth, Mephistophilis,
Enter Mephistophilisand other Devils.
Go horse these traitors on your firey backs, Enter Meph. & other Deuils.
And mount aloft with them as high as heaven;
Thence pitch them headlong to the lowest hell.
Yet stay, the world shall see their misery,
And hell shall after plague their treachery.
Go, Belimothe and take this caitiff hence,
And hurl him in some lake of mud and dirt.
Take thou this other; drag him through the woods
Among'st the pricking thorns and sharpest briars,
Whil'st with my gentle Mephistophilis,
This traitor flies unto some steep rock,
That rolling down, may break the villain's bones,
As he intended to dismember me.
Fly hence, dispatch my charge immediately.
Away.
What's here? An ambush to betray my life!
Then, Faustus, try thy skill. Base peasants, stand.
For lo, these trees remove at my command,
And stand as bulwarks 'twixt yourselves and me,
To shield me from your hated treachery.
Yet to encounter this your weak attempt,
Behold an army comes incontinent.

Act: 4 Scene: 5
Friend, thou can'st not buy so good a horse for so
small a price. I have no great need to sell him, but if thou
lik'st him for ten dollars more, take him, because I see thou
hast a good mind to him.
Well, I will not stand with thee. Give me the mo-
ney. Now, sirrah, I must tell you that you may ride him o'er
hedge and ditch and spare him not, but do you hear? In any
case, ride him not into the water.
Yes, he will drink of all waters, but ride him not
into the water. O'er hedge and ditch, or where thou wilt, but
not into the water. Go bid the hostler deliver him unto you
and remember what I say.
What art thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to die?
Thy fatal time draws to a final end.
Despair doth drive distrust into my thoughts.
Confound these passions with a quiet sleep.
Tush, Christ did call the thief upon the cross;
Then rest thee, Faustus, quiet in conceit.
O, help, help, the villain hath murdered me!
Stop him, stop him, stop him! ha, ha, ha! Faus-
stus hath his leg again, and the Horse-courser a bundle of hay
for his forty dollars.
Enter Wagner.
How now, Wagner, what news with thee?
The Duke of Vanholt's an honourable gentle-
man, and one to whom I must be no niggard of my cunning;
Come away. Exeunt.

Act: 4 Scene: 7
I do think myself, my good lord, highly recom-
pensed, in that it pleaseth your grace to think but well of
that which Faustus hath performed. But, gracious lady, it
may be that you have taken no pleasure in those sights.
Therefore, I pray you tell me what is the thing you most de-
sire to have? Be it in the world, it shall be yours. I have heard
that great-bellied women do long for things are rare and
dainty.
This is but a small matter. Go, Mephostophilis, away.
Exit Mephistophilis.
Madam, I will do more than this for your content.
Enter Mephistophilis again with the grapes.
Here, now taste ye these. They should be good
For they come from a far country, I can tell you.
Please it, your grace, the year is divided into two
circles over the whole world, so that when it is winter with
us, in the contrary circle it is likewise summer with them,
as in India, Saba, and such countries that lie far east,
where they have fruit twice a year, from whence, by means
of a swift spirit that I have, I had these grapes brought as
you see.
I do beseech your grace let them come in.
They are good subject for a merriment.
I thank your grace. Enter theClown, Dick, Carter, and Horse-courser.
Why, how now, my goods friends?
'Faith you are too outrageous, but come near.
I have procured your pardons. Welcome all.
Nay, hark you, can you tell me where you are?
Be not so furious. Come, you shall have beer.
My lord, beseech you give me leave awhile.
I'll gage my credit; 'twill content your grace.
I humbly thank your grace. Then fetch some
beer.
My wooden leg? What dost thou mean by that?
No, faith. Not much upon a wooden leg.
Yes, I remember I sold one a horse.
Yes, I do very well remember that.
No, in good sooth.
I thank you, sir.
What's that?
Would'st thou make a colossus of me, that thou as-
kest me such questions?
Then I assure thee certainly they are.
But wherefore dost thou ask?
But I have it again now I am awake. Look you
here, sir.
O horrible! Had the Doctor three legs?