The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus/Scene 3
Thunder. Enter Lucifer and Four devils, Faustus to
them with this speech.
Faust.
Now that the gloomy Shadow of the Night,
Longing to view Orions drisling looke,
Leapes from the Antarticke World unto the skie,
And dims the Welkin with his pitchy breath:
Faustus begin thine Incantations,
And try if Devils will obey thy Hest,
Seeing thou hast prai'd and sacrific'd to them.
Within this circle is Jehova's name,
Forward and backward Annagrammatiz'd:
Th'abreviated names of holy Saints,
Figures of every adjunct to the heavens,
And Characters of Signes and erring Starres,
By which the spirits are inforc'd to rise:
Then feare not Faustus to be resolute,
And trie the utmost Magicke can performe:
Thunder. Sint mihi Dii acherontis propitii, valeat numen triplex Jehovæ ignei Aerii, Aquitani spiritus salvete: Orientis Princeps Belzebub, inferni ardentis Monarcha & Demigorgon, propitiamus vos, ut appareat, & surgat Mephostophilis Dragon, quod tumeraris: per Jehovam, gehennam &
consecratam aquam, quam nunc spargo; signumque crucis quod nunc facio; & per vota nostra ipse nunc surgat nobis dicatus Mephostophilis.
Enter Devill.
Thou art too ugly to attend on me:
Goe and returne an old Franciscan Frier;
That holy shape becomes a Devill best. Exit Devill.
I see there's vertue in my heavenly words.
Who would not be proficient in this Art?
How plyant is this Mephostophilis?
Full of obedience and humility,
Such is the force of Magicke and my spels.
Enter Mephostophilis.
Meph.
Now Faustus what wouldst thou have me doe?
Faust.
I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live,
To do whatever Faustus shall command:
Be it to make the moone drop from her Spheare,
Or the Ocean to overwhelme the world.
Meph.
I am a servant to great Lucifer,
And may not follow thee without his leave:
No more then he commands must we performe.
Faust.
Did not he charge thee to appeare to me?
Meph.
No, I came hither of mine owne accord.
Faust.
Did not my conjuring raise thee? speake.
Meph.
That was the cause, but yet per accidens:
For when we heare one racke the name of God,
Abjure the Scriptures, and his Saviour Christ;
We flye, in hope to get his glorious soule:
Nor will we come unlesse he use such meanes,
Whereby he is in danger to be damn'd:
Therefore the shortest cut for conjuring
Is stoutly to abjure all godlinesse,
And pray devoutly to the Prince of Hell.
Faust.
So Faustus hath already done and holds this principle,
There is no chiefe but onely Belzebub:
To whom Faustus doth dedicate himselfe.
This word damnation terrifies not me,
For I confound Hell in Elizium:
My Ghost be with the old Philosophers,
But leaving these vaine trifles of mens souls,
Tell me, what is that Lucifer, thy Lord:
Meph.
Arch-regent and Commander of all Spirits.
Faust.
Was not that Lucifer an Angell once?
Meph.
Yes Faustus, and most dearely lov'd of God.
Faust.
How comes it then that he is Prince of Devils?
Meph.
O: by aspiring pride and insolence,
For which God threw him from the face of heaven.
Faust.
And what are you that live with Lucifer?
Meph.
Unhappie spirits that live with Lucifer,
Conspir'd against our God with Lucifer,
And are for ever damn'd with Lucifer.
Faust.
Where are you damn'd?
Meph.
In Hell.
Faust.
How comes it then that thou art out of Hell?
Meph.
Why this is Hell, nor am I out of it.
Thinkst thou that I, that saw the face of God,
And tasted the eternall joyes of Heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand Hels,
In being depriv'd of everlasting blisse?
O Faustus, leave those frivolous demands,
Which strike a terror to my fainting soule.
Faust.
What is great Mephostophilis so passionate,
For being deprived of the joyes of Heaven?
Learne thou of Faustus manly fortitude,
And scorn those joyes thou never shalt possesse.
Goe beare these tidings to great Lucifer,
Seeing Faustus hath incurr'd eternal death,
By desperate thoughts against Joves Deitie,
Say he surrenders up to him his soule,
So he will spare him foure and twentie yeares,
Letting him live in all voluptuousnesse,
Having thee ever to attend on me,
To give me whatsoever I shall aske,
To tell me whatsoever I demand:
To slay mine enemies and to aid my friends,
And alwayes be obedient to my will.
Go and return to mightie Lucifer,
And meet mee in my studie at midnight,
And then resolve mee of thy masters minde.
Meph.
I will Faustus. Exit.
Faust.
Had I as many soules as there be starres,
I'd give them all for Mephostophilis.
By him Ile be great Emperor of the World,
And make a bridge thorow the moving Ayre,
To passe the Ocean with a band of men.
Ile joyne the hils that binde the Affricke shore,
And make that Countrie continent to Spaine,
And both contributary to my Crowne.
The Emperor shall not live but by my leave,
Nor any Potentate of Germanie.
Now that I have obtaind what I desir'd
Ile live in speculation of this Art,
Till Mephostophilis returne again.Exit.