The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus/Scene 18

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Thunder and lightning: Enter Divels with coverd
dishes; Mephostophilis leads them into
Faustus study: then Enter
Wagner.


Wag.
I think my master meanes to die shortly, he has made his will, and given me his wealth, his house, his goods, & store

of golden plate, besides two thousand Duckets ready coind: I wonder what he meanes, if death were nye, he would not frolike thus: he's now at supper with the schollers, where ther's such belly-cheere as Wagner in his life never saw the like: and see where they come, belike the feast is ended.

Exit.

Enter Faustus, Mephostophilis, and two or three
Schollers.


1. Sch.
M. Doctor Faustus, since our conference about faire Ladies, which was the beautifullest in all the world, wee have determined with our selves that Helen of Greece was the admirablest Lady that ever liv'd: therefore M. Doctor, if you will do us so much favour as to let us see that peerlesse dame of Greece, whom all the world admires for Majesty, we should thinke our selves much beholding unto you.

Faust.
Gentlemen, for that I know your friendship is unfaign'd,
It is not Faustus custome to deny
The just request of those that wish him well:
You shall behold that peerlesse dame of Greece,
No otherwise for pompe or Majesty,
Than when Sir Paris crost the Seas with her,
And brought the spoiles to rich Dardania,
Be silent then, for danger is in words.

Musicke sound. Mephosto. brings in Hellen, she passeth
over the stage
.


2.
Was this faire Hellen whose admired worth,
Made Greece with ten yeares Warres afflict poore Troy?

3.
Too simple is my wit to tell her worth,
Whom all the world admires for Majesty.

1.
Now we have seene the pride of Nature's worke,
Wee'll take our leaves, and for this blessed sight,
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore.

Exeunt Schollers.
Faust.

Gentlemen farewell: the same wish I to you.

Enter an old Man.

Old man.

O gentle Faustus leave this damned Art,
This Magicke that will charme thy soule to hell,
And quite bereave thee of salvation.
Though thou hast now offended like a man,
Do not persever in it like a Divell:
Yet, yet, thou hast an amiable soule,
If sinne by custome grow not into nature,
Then (Faustus) will repentance come too late,
Then thou art banisht from the sight of heaven;
No Mortall can expresse the paines of hell.
It may be this my exhortation
Seemes harsh and all unpleasant; let it not,
For gentle sonne, I speake it not in wrath
Or of envy of thee, but in tender love,
And pitty of thy future misery.
And so have hope, that this my kind rebuke,
Checking thy body, may amend thy soule.

Fau.
Where art thou Faustus? wretch, what hast thou done?

Mephostopholis gives him a Dagger.
Hell claimes his right, and with a roaring voyce,

Saies Faustus come, thine houre is almost come,
And Faustus now will come to do thee right.

Old.
O stay good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps,
I see an Angell hover ore thy head,
And with a Violl full of precious grace,
Offers to poure the same into thy soule,
Then call for mercy and avoyd despaire.

Fa.
O friend, I feele thy words to comfort my distressed soule.
Leave me a while to ponder on my sinnes.

Old.
Faustus, I leave thee, but with griefe of heart,
Fearing the enemy of thy haplesse soule. Exit.

Faust.
Accursed Faustus, wretch what hast thou done?
I do repent, and yet I doe despaire,
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

Meph.
Thou traitor Faustus, I arest thy soule,
For disobedience to my soveraigne Lord,

Revolt, or Ile in peece-meale teare thy flesh.

Faust.
I do repent I e'er offended him,
Sweet Mephostophilis intreat thy Lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my bloud againe I will confirme
The former vow I made to Lucifer.
Do it then Faustus with unfained heart,
Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.
Torment, sweet friend, that base and aged man,
That durst disswade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torment that our hell affoords.

Meph.
His faith is great, I cannot touch his soule,
But what I can 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 hearts desire,
That I may haveun unto my Paramour,
That heavenly Hellen which I saw of late,
Whose sweet embraces may extinguish cleare
Those thoughts that do disswade me from my vow,
And keepe my vow I made to Lucifer.

Meph.
This, or what else my Faustus shall desire,
Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Enter Hellen again, passing over betweene
two Cupids.


Faust.
Was this the face that launcht a thousand ships,
And burnt the toplesse Towers of Ilium?
Sweet Hellen make me immortall with a kisse:
Her lips sucke forth my soule, see where it flies,
Come Hellen, come, give me my soule againe,
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is drosse that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberge be sackt,
And I will combat with weake Menelaus,
And weare thy colours on my plumed crest,

Yea I will wound Achilles in the heele,
And then returne to Hellen for a kisse.
O thou art fairer than the Evenings Ayre,
Clad in the beauty of a thousand starres:
Brighter art thou then flaming Jupiter,
When he appeard to hapless Semele.
More lovely then the Monarch of the Skye,
In wanton Arethusa's azurd armes,
And none but thou shalt be my Paramour.

Exeunt.