Doctor Faustus

1

Settle thy studies, Faustus.

And begin to sound the depth

of that thou wilt profess.

"Settle thy studies, Faustus.

"And begin to sound the depth

of that thou wilt profess."

Having commenced, be a divine in show...

yet level at the end of every art.

And live and die...

in Aristotle's works.

Sweet Analytics,

'tis thou hast ravished me.

Is to dispute well logic's chiefest end?

Affords this art no greater miracle?

Then read no more,

thou hast attained the end.

A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit.

Be a physician, Faustus, heap up gold,

and be eternized for some wondrous cure.

The end of physic is our body's health.

Couldst thou make man to live eternally,

or, being dead...

raise them to life again...

then this profession were to be esteemed.

Physic, farewell.

Jerome's Bible, Faustus. View it well.

The reward of sin is death.

That's hard.

If we say we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves...

and there is no truth in us.

Why then, belike we must sin...

and so consequently die.

We must die...

an everlasting death.

What doctrine call you this?

Que ser, ser:

What will be, shall be.

Divinity, adieu.

What a world of profit and delight.

Of power, of honor, of omnipotence...

is promised to the studious artisan.

All things that move between the quiet poles

shall be at my command.

These metaphysics of magicians

and necromantic books are heavenly.

Lines, circles, scenes,

letters, and characters...

these are those that Faustus most desires.

Emperors and kings

are but obeyed in their several provinces.

But his dominion that exceeds in this...

stretcheth as far as doth the mind of man.

A sound magician is a mighty god.

Here, Faustus.

Tire thy brains to gain a deity.

Wagner!

Commend me to my dearest friends,

the worthy Valdes and Cornelius.

- Request them earnestly to visit me.

- I will, sir.

Their conference will be a greater help

to me than all my labors...

plod I ne'er so fast.

- My master, Faustus, bids you--

- Bids us come to him.

We know it, boy. We know.

Faustus, lay that damned book aside

and gaze not on it...

lest it tempt thy soul

and heap God's heavy wrath upon thy head.

Read, read the scriptures.

That is blasphemy.

Go forward, Faustus, in that famous art...

wherein all nature's treasury is contained.

Be thou on earth as Jove is in the sky...

Lord and commander of these elements.

How am I glutted with conceit of this!

Shall I make spirits fetch me

what I please?

Resolve me of all ambiguities,

perform what desperate enterprise I will?

I'll have them fly to India for gold.

Ransack the ocean for orient pearl.

And search all corners

of the newfound world...

for pleasant fruits and princely delicates.

I'll have them read me strange philosophy...

and tell the secrets of all foreign kings.

I'll have them wall all Germany

with brass...

and make swift Rhine circle fair Wittenberg.

I'll have them fill the public schools

with silk...

wherewith the students

shall be bravely clad.

I'll levy soldiers with

the coin they bring...

and reign sole king of all our provinces.

The learned Valdes and Cornelius.

Come, worthy Valdes and Cornelius...

and make me blest

with your sage conference.

Valdes, sweet Valdes, and Cornelius...

know your words have won me at the last

to practice magic and concealed arts.

Yet not your words only,

but mine own fantasy...

which will receive no object for my head

but ruminates on necromantic skill.

'Tis magic, magic, that hath ravished me.

These books....

Thy wit....

...and our experience.

...shall make all nations to canonize us.

As Indian Moors obey

their Spanish lords....

So shall the spirit of every element....

...be always serviceable to us three.

Like lions shall they guard us

where we please.

Like Almain rutters

with their horsemen's staves.

And from America the Golden Fleece...

that yearly stuffs old Philip's treasury.

If learned Faustus will be resolute.

As resolute am I in this, as thou to live.

Therefore, object it not.

Then doubt not, Faustus,

but to be renowned...

and more frequented for this mystery

than heretofore the Delphian oracle.

The spirits tell me they can dry the sea...

and fetch the treasure

of all foreign wrecks.

All the wealth that our forefathers hid

within the massy entrails of the earth.

Then tell me, Faustus,

what shall we three want?

Nothing.

Sometimes like women,

spirits shall come to thee...

shadowing more beauty

in their airy brows...

than have the white breasts

of the Queen of Love.

This cheers my soul.

Then come and dine with me...

and after meat,

we'll canvas every quiddity thereof.

For ere I sleep, I'll try what I can do.

This night I'll conjure though

I die therefore.

Within this circle is Jehovah's name

forward and backward anagrammatized...

the breviated names of holy saints...

figures of every adjunct to the heavens,

and characters of signs and erring stars...

by which the spirits are enforced to rise.

Leave me, that I may conjure here alone.

Then fear not, Faustus, but be resolute.

And try the uttermost magic can perform.

I charge thee to return

and change thy shape.

Thou art too ugly to attend on me.

Go, and return an old Franciscan friar...

that holy shape becomes a devil best.

I see there's virtue in my heavenly words.

Who would not be proficient in this art?

How pliant is this Mephistophilis,

full of obedience and humility!

Such is the force of magic and my spells.

Now, Faustus, art thou conjuror laureate...

that canst command great Mephistophilis.

Now, Faustus,

what wouldst thou have me do?

I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live...

and do whatever Faustus shall command.

Be it make the moon drop from her sphere

or the ocean to overwhelm the world.

I am a servant to great Lucifer,

and may not follow thee without his leave.

No more than he commands

must we perform.

Did not he charge thee to appear to me?

No, I came hither of mine own accord.

Did not my conjuring speeches raise thee?

Speak.

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 the Trinity...

and pray devoutly to the Prince of Hell.

So Faustus hath already done,

and holds this principle:

There is no chief but only Belzebub,

to whom Faustus doth dedicate himself.

This word "damnation" terrifies not him.

But, leaving these vain trifles

of men's souls...

tell me, what is that Lucifer thy Lord?

Arch-regent and commander of all spirits.

Was not that Lucifer an angel once?

Yes, Faustus, and most dearly loved of God.

How comes it then

that he is Prince of Devils?

By aspiring pride and insolence...

for which God threw him

from the face of Heaven.

And what are you that live with Lucifer?

Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer...

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