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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus (B Text)

Act: 1 Scene: 3

Mephistophilis

Now, Faustus, what would'st thou have me do?

Mephistophilis

I am a servant to great Lucifer,

And may not follow thee without his leave.

No more than he commands must we perform.

Mephistophilis

No, I came now hither of mine owe accord.

Mephistophilis

That was the cause, but yet per accidens;

For when we hear one rack the name of God,

Abjure the scriptures, and his Savior Christ,

We fly in hope to get his glorious soul;

Nor will we come, unless he use such means

Whereby he is in danger to be damned.

Therefore the shortest cut for conjuring

Is stoutly to abjure all godliness

And pray devoutly to the Prince of Hell.

Mephistophilis

Arch-regent and commander of all spirits.

Mephistophilis

Yes, Faustus, and most dearly loved of God.

Mephistophilis

O, by aspiring pride and insolence,

For which God threw him from the face of heaven.

Mephistophilis

Unhappy spirits that live with Lucifer,

Conspired against our God with Lucifer,

And are for ever damned with Lucifer.

Mephistophilis

In hell.

Mephistophilis

Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.

Think'st thou that I that saw the face of God

And tasted the eternal joys of heaven

Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,

In being deprived of everlasting bliss?

O, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands,

Which strike a terror to my fainting soul.

Mephistophilis

I will, Faustus. Exit.

Act: 2 Scene: 1

Mephistophilis

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.

Mephistophilis

Enlarge his Kingdom.

Mephistophilis

Solamen miseris, socios habuisse doloris.

Mephistophilis

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.

Mephistophilis

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

Mephistophilis

But, Faustus,

Write it in manner of a deed of gift.

Mephistophilis

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

Mephistophilis

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

Mephistophilis

What will not I do to obtain his soul?

Mephistophilis

I'll fetch him somewhat to delight his mind.

Mephistophilis

Nothing, Faustus, but to delight thy mind,

And let thee see what magic can perform

Mephistophilis

Ay, Faustus, and do greater things than these.

Mephistophilis

Faustus, I swear by hell and Lucifer

To effect all promises between us both.

Mephistophilis

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

Mephistophilis

So, now Faustus, ask me what thou wilt.

Mephistophilis

Under the heavens.

Mephistophilis

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.

Mephistophilis

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

Mephistophilis

Ay, of necessity, for here's the scroll

In which thou hast given thy soul to Lucifer

Mephistophilis

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.

Mephistophilis

But I am an instance to prove the contrary,

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

Mephistophilis

Well, Faustus, thou shalt have a wife.

Mephistophilis

Now, Faustus, wilt thou have a wife?

Mephistophilis

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.

Act: 2 Scene: 2

Mephistophilis

'Twas thine owe seeking Faustus, thank thyself.

But think'st thou heaven is such a glorious thing?

I tell thee, Faustus, it is not half so fair

As thou, or any man that breath on earth.

Mephistophilis

'Twas made for man; then he's more excellent.

Mephistophilis

As are the elements, such are the heavens,

Even from the moon unto the empirial orb,

Mutually folded in each others spheres,

And jointly move upon one axle-tree,

Whose termine is termed the world's wide pole.

Nor are the names of Saturn, Mars, or Jupiter,

Fained, but are evening stars.

Mephistophilis

All move from east to west in four and

twenty hours upon the poles of the world, but differ in

their motions upon the poles of the zodiac.

Mephistophilis

Ay.

Mephistophilis

Nine, the seven planets, the firmament, and the

empyreal heaven.

Mephistophilis

No, Faustus, they be but fables.

Mephistophilis

Per inaequalem motum, respectu totius.

Mephistophilis

I will not.

Mephistophilis

Move me not, Faustus.

Mephistophilis

Ay, that is not against our kingdom.

This is. Thou art damned; think thou of hell.

Mephistophilis

Remember this Exit.

Act: 3 Scene: 1

Mephistophilis

I have my Faustus, and for proof thereof,

This is the goodly palace of the Pope,

And cause we are no common guests,

I choose his privy chamber for our use.

Mephistophilis

All's one, for we'll be bold with his venison.

But now, my Faustus, that thou may'st perceive,

What Rome contains for to delight thine eyes.

Know that this city stands upon seven hills,

That underprop the ground-work of the same.

Just through the midst runs flowing Tiber's stream

With winding banks that cut it in two parts

Over the which two stately Bridges lean,

That make safe passage, to each part of Rome.

Upon the Bridge called Ponto Angelo,

Erected is a castle passing strong,

Where thou shalt see such store of ordinance,

As that the double cannons forged of brass,

Do watch the number of the days contained,

Within the compass of one complete year.

Beside the gates and high pyramids,

That Julius Caesar brought from Africa.

Mephistophilis

Nay stay, my Faustus; I know you'd see the Pope

And take some part of holy Peter's feast,

The which this day with high solemnity,

This day is held through Rome and Italy,

In honour of the Pope's triumphant victory.

Mephistophilis

'Tis well said, Faustus. Come, then, stand by me

And thou shalt see them come immediately.

Mephistophilis

Let it be so, my Faustus, but first stay

And view their triumphs as they pass this way.

And then devise what best contents thy mind,

By coming in thine art to cross the Pope,

Or dash the pride of this solemnity,

To make his monks and abbots stand like apes,

And point like antiques at his triple crown:

To beat the beads about the friars' pates,

Or clap huge horns, upon the cardinals' heads,

Or any villainy thou can'st devise,

And I'll perform it, Faustus. Hark, they come:

This day shall make thee be admired in Rome.

Mephistophilis

Faustus, I go.

Mephistophilis

Now tell me, Faustus, are we not fitted well?

Mephistophilis

So, so, was never devil thus blessed before.

Act: 3 Scene: 2

Mephistophilis

Now, Faustus, come prepare thyself for mirth;

The sleepy cardinals are hard at hand,

To censure Bruno that is posted hence,

And on a proud paced steed, as swift as thought

Flies o'er the Alps to fruitful Germany,

There to salute the woeful Emperor.

Mephistophilis

Faustus, thou shalt. Then kneel down presently.

So , Faustus, now for all their holiness,

Do what thou wilt; thou shalt not be discerned.

Mephistophilis

Faustus, no more. See where the cardinals come.

Enter Pope and all the Lords. Enter the Cardinals with a book.

Me.

Now, Faustus, what will you do now, for I can tell you

you'll be cursed with bell, book, and candle?

Act: 3 Scene: 3

Mephistophilis

You princely legions of infernal rule,

How am I vexed by these villains charms?

From Constantinople have they brought me now,

Only for pleasure of these damned slaves.

Mephistophilis

To purge the rashness of this cursed deed,

First, be thou turned to this ugly shape,

For apish deeds transformed to an ape.

Mephistophilis

And so thou shalt: be thou transformed to a dog, and

carry him upon thy back. Away, be gone.

Mephistophilis

Now with the flames of ever-burning fire,

I'll wing myself and forth-with fly amain

Unto my Faustus to the great Turk's court. Exit.

Act: 4 Scene: 2

Mephistophilis

Faustus, I will.

Act: 4 Scene: 7

All

O horrible! Had the Doctor three legs?

Act: 5 Scene: 1

Mephistophilis

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.

Mephistophilis

This, or what else my Faustus shall desire,

Shall be performed in twinkling of an eye.

Enter Helen again, passing over between two cupids.

Act: 5 Scene: 2

Mephistophilis

And this gloomy night,

Here in this room will wretched Faustus be.

Mephistophilis

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 overreach the devil, but all in vain.

His store of pleasures must be sauced 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.

Mephistophilis

I Faustus, now thou hast no hope of heaven,

Therefore despair; think only upon hell,

For that must be thy mansion there to dwell.

Mephistophilis

I do confess it Faustus, and rejoice

Twas I that when thou were't i'the way to heaven,

Damned up thy passage; when thou took'st the book,

To view the scriptures, then I turned the leaves

And led thine eye.

What weep'st thou? 'Tis too late; despair. Farewell.

Fools that will laugh on earth most weep in hell. Exit.