The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus/Scene 6
Enter Faustus in his study, and Mephostophilis.
Fau.
When I behold the Heavens then I repent,
And curse thee wicked Mephostophilis,
Because thou hast depriv'd me of those joyes.
Meph.
Twas thine owne seeking Faustus, thanke thy selfe.
But thinkst thou Heaven such a glorious thing?
I tell thee Faustus, it is not halfe so faire
As thou or any man that breaths on earth.
Faust.
How prov'st thou that?
Meph.
Twas made for man, then hee's more excellent.
Faust.
If heaven was made for man, twas made for mee:
I will renounce this Magicke and repent.
Enter the two Angels.
Good An.
Faustus repent, yet God will pityy thee.
Bad A.
Thou art a Spirit; God cannot pitty thee.
Faust.
Who buzzeth in mine eares, I am a Spirit?
Be I a Devill, yet God may pitty me.
Yea, God will pitty me if I repent.
Bad A.
I, but Faustus never shall repent.
Faust.
My heart is hardned; I cannot repent.
Scarce can I name salvation, Faith, or Heaven.
Swords, poysons, haltars, and invenom'd steele,
Are laid before me to dispatch my selfe:
And long ere this I should have done the deed,
Had not sweet pleasure conquerd deepe despaire.
Have not I made blinde Homer sing to me
Of Alexanders love, and Oenons death?
And hath not he that built the wals of Thebes,
With ravishing sound of his melodious Harpe,
Made musicke with my Mephostophilis?
Why should I dye then, or basely despaire?
I am resolv'd Faustus shall not repent.
Come Mephostophilis, let us dispute againe,
And reason of Divine Astrology.
Speake, are there many Spheares above the Moone?
Are all Celestiall bodyes but one Globe,
As is the substance of this Centricke Earth?
Meph.
As are the Elements such are the Heavens,
Even from the Moone unto the Emperiall Orbe,
Mutually folded in each others Spheares,
And jointly move upon one axle-tree,
Whose termine is termed the worlds wide Pole.
Nor are the names of Saturne, Mars, or Jupiter,
Fain'd, but are Evening starres.
Faust.
But have they all one motion, both situ & tempore?
Meph.
All move from East to West in foure and twenty houres upon the Poles of the world, but differ in their motions upon the Poles of the Zodiacke.
Fau.
These slender questions Wagner can decide:
Hath Mephostophilis no greater skill?
Who knowes not the double motion of the Planets?
That the first is finisht in a naturall day?
The second thus, Saturne in 30 yeares;
Jupiter in 12. Mars in 4. the Sun, Venus and
Mercury in a yeare: the Moone in twenty eight dayes.
These are fresh mens questions: but tell me, hath every
Spheare a Dominion, or Intelligentia?
Meph.
I.
Fau.
How many Heavens, or Spheares are there?
Meph.
Nine, the seaven Planets, the firmament, and the
Emperiall Heaven.
Fau.
But is there not Cœlum Igneum et Chrystallinum?
Meph.
No Faustus, they be but fables.
Fau.
Resolve me then in this one question:
Why are not Conjunctions, Oppositions, Aspects, Eclipses,
al at one time, but in some yeares we have more, in some lesse?
Meph.
Per inæqualem motum respectu totius.
Fau.
Well, I am answear'd: now tell me who made the world?
Meph.
I will not.
Fau.
Sweet Mephostophilis tell me.
Meph.
Move me not Faustus.
Fau.
Villaine have not I bound thee to tell mee any thing?
Meph.
That is not against our kingdome.
This is: thou art damn'd, thinke thou of Hell.
Faust.
Thinke Faustus upon God that made the world.
Meph.
Remember this, Exit.
Fau.
I. go accursed Spirit, to ugly hell:
Tis thou hast damn'd distressed Faustus soule. Ist not too late?
Enter the two Angels.
Bad.
Too late.
Good.
Never too late if Faustus will repent.
Bad.
If thou repent, Devills will teare thee in pieces.
Good.
Repent and they shall never rase thy skin. Ex. An.
Faust.
O Christ my Saviour, my Saviour,
Helpe to save distressed Faustus soule.
Enter Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Mephostophilis.
Luci.
Christ cannot save thy soule, for he is just,
Ther's none but I have interest in the same.
Faust.
O what art thou that lookst so terribly?
Luci.
I am Lucifer, and this is my companion prince in hell.
Faust.
O Faustus, they are come to fetch thy soule.
Belz.
We are come to tell thee thou dost injure us.
Luci.
Thou calst on Christ contrary to thy promise.
Belz.
Thou shouldst not thinke on God.
Luci.
Thinke on the Devill.
Belz.
And his dam too.
Fau.
Nor will Faustus henceforth, pardon him for this,
And Faustus vowes never to looke to Heaven.
Lucif.
So shalt thou shew thy selfe an obedient servant,
And wee will highly gratifie thee for it.
Belz.
Faustus, wee are come from Hell in Person to shew thee some pastime: Sit downe and thou shalt behold the seaven deadly sinnes appeare to thee in their owne proper shapes and likenesse.
Fau.
That sight will be as pleasant to me, as Paradise was to Adam the first day of his Creation.
Lucif.
Talke not of Paradise or Creation, but marke the shew. Go Mephostophilis fetch them in.
Enter the seaven deadly Sinnes.
Belz.
Now Faustus, question them of their names and dispositions.
Fau.
That shall I soone. What art thou the first?
Pride.
I am Pride; I disdaine to have any parents. I am like to Ovids Flea, I can creep into every corner of a wench: Sometimes like a Periwigge, I sit upon her Brow: next, like a Necke-lace, I hang about her Necke: Then, like a Fanne of Feathers, I kisse her: and then turning my selfe to a wrought smocke doe what I list. But fie, what a smell is here? Ile not speake a word more for a kings Ransome, unlesse the ground bee perfumed and covered with cloth of Aras.
Fau.
Thou art a proud knave indeed: what art thou the second?
Covet.
I am Covetousnesse: begotten of an old Churle in a leather bag: and might I now obtaine my wish, this house, you and all, should turne to gold, that I might locke you safe into my Chest: O my sweet gold.
Faust.
And what art thou the third?
Envy.
I am Envy: begotten of a Chimney-sweeper and an Oyster wife: I cannot reade, and therefore wish all bookes burned. I am leane with seeing others eat: O that there would come a famine over all the world, that all might die, and I live alone, then thou shouldst see how fat I'de be. But must thou sit, and I stand? come downe with a vengance.
Faust.
Out envious wretch: But what art thou the fourth?
Wrath.
I am Wrath, I had neither Father nor Mother; I leapt out of a Lyons mouth when I was scarce an houre old, and have ever since have runne up and downe the world with these case of Rapiers, wounding my selfe when I could get none to fight withall: I was borne in Hell, and looke to it, for some of you shall be my Father.
Faust.
And what art thou the fift?
Glut.
I am Gluttony, my parents are all dead, and the divell a penny they have left me but a small pension, and that buyes mee thirty meales a day, and ten Beavers: a small trifle to suffice nature. I came of a Royalle pedigree, my Father was a Gammon of Bacon, and my Mother was a Hogs-head of Claret wine. My God-Fathers were these: Peter-pickled herring, and Martin Martlemas-beefe: But my
Godmother, O she was an ancient Gentlewoman, her name was Margery March-beere. Now Faustus thou hast heard all my Progeny; wilt thou bid me to supper?
Fau.
Not I.
Glut.
Then the Devill choake thee.
Fau.
Choake thy selfe Glutton: What art thou the sixt?
Sloth.
Hey ho: I am Sloth. I was begotten on a sunnybank, Hey ho, Ile not speake a word more for a Kings ransom.
Fau.
And what are you Mistris Minks, the seventh and last?
Letch.
Who? I sir? I am one that loves an inch of rawe Mutton, better than an ell of fride Stockfish: and the first letter of my name begins with Lechery.
Lucif.
Away to hell, away, on Piper. Ex. 7 Sinnes.
Fau.
O how this sight doth delight my soule.
Luci.
But Faustus, in hell is all manner of delight.
Fau.
O might I see hell, and returne again safe, how happy were I then?
Lucif.
Faustus, thou shalt: at midnight I will send for thee,
Meane while peruse this booke, and view it thoroughly,
And thou shalt turn thyself into what shape thou wilt.
Fau.
Thanks mighty Lucifer.
This will I keepe as chary as my life.
Luc.
Now Faustus farewell.
Fau.
Farewell great Lucifer. Come Mephostophilis
Exeunt omnes, severall wayes.