Doctor Faustus Page #2

conspired against our God with Lucifer...

and are forever damned with Lucifer.

- Where are you damned?

- In Hell.

How comes it then that thou art out of Hell?

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

Think'st thou that I

who saw the face of God...

and tasted the eternal joys of Heaven...

am not tormented with 10,000 hells...

in being deprived of everlasting bliss?

Faustus, leave these frivolous demands...

which strike a terror to my fainting soul.

What, is great Mephistophilis so passionate

for being deprived of the joys of Heaven?

Learn thou of Faustus' manly fortitude...

and scorn those joys

thou never shalt possess.

Go, bear these tidings to great Lucifer.

Seeing Faustus hath incurred

eternal death...

by desperate thoughts

against Jove's deity...

say he surrenders up to him his soul

so he will spare him four and 20 years...

letting him live in all voluptuousness,

having thee ever to attend on me...

to give me whatsoever I demand,

to slay mine enemies and aid my friends...

and always be obedient to my will.

Go, and return to mighty Lucifer...

and then meet me in my study at midnight,

and there resolve me of thy master's mind.

I will, Faustus.

Had I as many souls as there be stars...

I'd give them all for Mephistophilis.

By him, I'll be great Emperor

of the world...

and make a bridge thorough the moving air

to pass the ocean with a band of men.

I'll join the hills that bind the Afric shore

and make that country continent to Spain...

and both contributory to my crown.

The Emperor shall not live

but by my leave...

nor any potentate of Germany.

Now that I have obtained what I desire...

I live in speculation of this art...

till Mephistophilis return again.

Now, Faustus,

must thou needs be damned...

and canst thou not be saved?

What boots it then

to think of God or Heaven?

Away with such vain fancies, and despair.

Despair in God...

and trust in Belzebub.

Now, go not backward.

No, Faustus, be resolute.

Why waver'st thou?

Something soundeth in mine ears.

Abjure this magic, turn to God again.

And Faustus will turn to God again.

To God? He loves thee not.

The God thou serv'st is thine own appetite...

wherein is fixed the love of Belzebub.

To him I'll build an altar and a church...

and offer lukewarm blood

of newborn babes.

Go forward, Faustus, in that famous art.

Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art.

Contrition, prayer, repentance,

what of them?

They are means to bring thee unto Heaven.

Rather illusions, fruits of lunacy...

that make men foolish

that do trust them most.

Sweet Faustus, think of Heaven

and heavenly things.

No, Faustus...

think of honor and of wealth.

Wealth!

When Mephistophilis shall stand by thee,

what God can hurt thee?

Thou art safe. Cast no more doubts.

Come, Mephistophilis,

and bring glad tidings from great Lucifer.

Is it not midnight?

Come, Mephistophilis.

Now tell me...

what says Lucifer thy Lord?

That I shall wait on Faustus

whilst he lives...

so he will buy my service with his soul.

Already Faustus hath hazarded that for thee.

But, Faustus,

thou must bequeath it solemnly...

and write a deed of gift

with thine own blood.

For that security craves great Lucifer.

If thou deny it, I will back to Hell.

Nay!

Stay, Mephistophilis...

and tell me

what good will my soul do thy lord?

Enlarge his kingdom.

- Is that the reason why he tempts us thus?

- Wretches find comfort in fellow sufferers.

Why, have you any pain that torture others?

As great as have the human 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

than thou hast wit to ask.

Ay, Mephistophilis...

I give it thee.

Then stab thy arm courageously,

and bind thy soul...

that at some certain day,

great Lucifer may claim it as his own...

and then be thou as great as Lucifer.

Mephistophilis, for love of thee,

I cut mine arm...

and with my proper blood

assure my soul to be great Lucifer's...

chief lord and regent...

of perpetual night.

View here the blood

that trickles from mine arm.

And let it be propitious to my wish.

But, Faustus, thou must sign it,

in manner of a deed of gift.

And so I will.

What might this staying

of my blood portend?

Is it unwilling I should write this bill?

Why streams it not

that I might write afresh?

"Faustus gives to thee his soul."

There it stayed.

Why shouldst thou not?

Is not thy soul thine own?

So now the blood begins to clear again.

Now will I make an end immediately.

Flee, Faustus, flee.

Whither?

Run, Faustus, run.

Whither should I fly?

To God.

If unto God, he'll cast me down to Hell.

My soul's my own.

Yet shall not Faustus fly.

I'll fetch him somewhat

to delight his mind.

Why, there's enough for a thousand souls.

What will I not do to obtain his soul?

This bill is ended.

And Faustus hath bequeathed

his soul to Lucifer.

Here, Mephistophilis, receive this scroll,

a deed of gift of body and of soul.

But yet conditionally that thou perform

all articles prescribed between us both.

Faustus, I swear by Hell and Lucifer...

to effect all promises between us made.

Then hear me read them.

"On these conditions following:

"That Mephistophilis shall be his servant

and at his command...

"and bring him whatsoever he desires

at all times...

"and in what form or shape

soever he please.

"I, John Faustus, of Wittenberg, doctor...

"by these presents

do give both body and soul to Lucifer...

"and his minister, Mephistophilis.

"And, furthermore, grant unto them...

"that 24 years being expired...

"the articles above written inviolate...

"full power to fetch or carry

the said John Faustus...

"body and soul, flesh, blood, or goods...

"into their habitations wheresoever.

"By me...

"John Faustus."

Speak, Faustus,

do you deliver this as your deed?

Take it, and the Devil give thee good on it.

Now, Faustus, ask what thou wilt.

First, I will question thee about Hell.

Tell me, where is this place

that men call Hell?

- Under the heavens.

- But whereabout?

Within the bowels of these elements,

where we are tortured and remain forever.

Hell hath no limits,

nor is circumscribed in one self place...

for where we are is Hell.

And where Hell is, there must we ever be.

And, to conclude,

when all the world dissolves...

and every creature shall be purified...

all places shall be Hell

that are not Heaven.

Now, come, I think Hell's a fable.

Think so still,

till experience change your mind.

Why, think'st thou then

that Faustus shall be damned?

Of necessity, for here's the scroll

wherein thou hast given thy soul to Lucifer.

And body, too, but what of that?

Think'st thou that Faustus is so fond

as to imagine that after life there is pain?

Tush. These are mere trifles

and old wives' tales.

Faustus, I am an instance

to prove the contrary.

For I am damned, and am now in Hell.

How, now in Hell? Nay, and this be Hell,

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