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world admires for majesty, we should think ourselves much behold

ing unto you.

Faustus

Gentlemen,

For that I know your friendship is unfeigned,
And Faustus's custom is not to deny

The just request of those that wish him well,
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherways for pomp and majesty

Than when Sir Paris crossed the seas with her,
And brought the spoils to rich Dardania.

Be silent, then, for danger is in words.

[Music sounds, and HELEN passeth over the stage.

Second Scholar ·

Too simple is my wit to tell her praise,

Whom all the world admires for majesty.
Third Scholar ·

No marvel though the angry Greeks pursued
With ten years' war the rape of such a queen,
Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.
First Scholar ·

Since we have seen the pride of Nature's works,
And only paragon of excellence,

Let us depart; and for this glorious deed
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore.
Faustus-

Gentlemen, farewell: the same I wish to you.

[Exeunt Scholars.

Old Man

Enter an Old Man.

Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail
To guide thy steps unto the way of life,

By which sweet path thou mayst attain the goal
That shall conduct thee to celestial rest!

Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears,

Tears falling from repentant heaviness

Of thy most vile and loathsome filthiness,

To stench whereof corrupts the inward soul

With such flagitious crimes of heinous sin

As no commiseration may expel,

But mercy, Faustus, of thy Savior sweet,

Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt. Faustus

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

Damned art thou, Faustus, damned; despair and die!
Hell calls for right, and with a roaring voice
Says, "Faustus, come; thine hour is almost come;
And Faustus now will come to do thee right.

Old Man

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[MEPHISTOPHILIS gives him a dagger.

Ah, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate stabs!

I see an angel hovers o'er thy head,

And, with a vial full of precious grace, Offers to pour the same into thy soul: Then call for mercy, and avoid despair. Faustus

Ah, my sweet friend, I feel

Thy words to comfort my distressèd soul!
Leave me awhile to ponder on my sins.
Old Man -

I go, sweet Faustus; but with heavy cheer,
Fearing the ruin of thy hapless soul.

Faustus

Accursed Faustus, where is mercy now?

I do repent; and yet I do despair:

Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

Mephistophilis

Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul

For disobedience to my sovereign lord:
Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh.
Faustus

Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,

And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

Mephistophilis

Do it, then, quickly, with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift.
Faustus-

Torment, sweet friend, that base and crookèd age,
That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torments that our hell affords.
Mephistophilis —

His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul;

But what I may afflict his body with

I will attempt, which is but little worth.

Faustus

One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee,

[Exit.

To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-
That I might have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen which I saw of late,

Whose sweet embracings may extinguish clean

Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer.

Mephistophilis —

Faustus, this, or what else thou shalt desire,
Shall be performed in twinkling of an eye.

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Was this the face that launched a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?—
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.

I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wertenberg be sacked;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colors on my plumèd crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appeared to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azured arms;
And none but thou shalt be my paramour!

Old Man

Enter the Old Man.

Accursed Faustus, miserable man,

That from thy soul exclud'st the grace of heaven,
And fly'st the throne of his tribunal seat!

Enter Devils.

Satan begins to sift me with his pride:
As in this furnace God shall try my faith,
My faith, vile hell, shall triumph over thee.
Ambitious fiends, see how the heavens smile

[Kisses her

[Exeunt.

At your repulse, and laugh your state to scorn!

Hence, hell! for hence I fly unto my God.

[Exeunt on one side Devils, on the other, Old Man.

Enter FAUSTUS, with Scholars.

Faustus-Ah, gentlemen!

First Scholar · What ails Faustus?

Faustus- Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee, then had I lived still! but now I die eternally. Look, comes he not? comes he not?

Second Scholar · What means Faustus?

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Third Scholar― Belike he is grown into some sickness by being oversolitary.

First Scholar-If it be so, we'll have physicians to cure him. - 'Tis but a surfeit; never fear, man.

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A surfeit of deadly sin, that hath damned both body

Second Scholar-Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven; remember God's mercies are infinite.

Faustus - But Faustus' offense can ne'er be pardoned: the serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. Ah, gentlemen, hear me with patience, and tremble not at my speeches! Though my heart pants and quivers to remember that I have been a student here these thirty years, O, would I had never seen Wertenberg, never read book! and what wonders I have done, all Germany can witness, yea, all the world; for which Faustus hath lost both Germany and the world, yea, heaven itself, heaven, the seat of God, the throne of the blessed, the kingdom of joy; and must remain in hell forever, hell, ah, hell, forever! Sweet friends, what shall become of Faustus, being in hell forever?

Third Scholar

Yet, Faustus, call on God.

Faustus On God, whom Faustus hath abjured! on God, whom Faustus hath blasphemed! Ah, my God, I would weep! but the devil draws in my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears! yea, life and soul! O, he stays my tongue! I would lift up my hands; but see, they hold them, they hold them!

All-Who, Faustus?

Faustus-Lucifer and Mephistophilis. Ah, gentlemen, I gave them my soul for my cunning!

All

God forbid!

Faustus-God forbade it, indeed; but Faustus hath done it. For vain pleasure of twenty-four years hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood: the date is expired; the time will come, and he will fetch me.

First Scholar-Why did not Faustus tell us of this before, that divines might have prayed for thee?

Faustus-Oft have I thought to have done so; but the devil threatened to tear me in pieces, if I named God, to fetch both body and soul, if I once gave ear to divinity: and now 'tis too late. Gentlemen, away, lest you perish with me.

Second Scholar

O, what shall we do to save Faustus? Faustus-Talk not of me, but save yourselves, and depart. Third Scholar-God will strengthen me; I will stay with Faustus.

First Scholar-Tempt not God, sweet friend; but let us into the next room, and there pray for him.

Faustus-Ay, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever ye hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.

Second Scholar-Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee.

Faustus-Gentlemen, farewell: if I live till morning, I'll visit you; if not, Faustus is gone to hell.

All-Faustus, farewell.

Faustus

Ah, Faustus,

[Exeunt Scholars. The clock strikes eleven.

-

Now hast thou but one bare hour to live,
And then thou must be damned perpetually!
Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven,
That time may cease, and midnight never come;
Fair Nature's eye, rise, rise again, and make
Perpetual day; or let this hour be but

A year, a month, a week, a natural day,
That Faustus may repent and save his soul!

O lente, lente currite, noctis equi!

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The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,
The devil will come, and Faustus must be damned.
O, I'll leap up to my God! - Who pulls me down?
See, see, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!
One drop would save my soul, half a drop: ah, my Christ!-
Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ!
Yet will I call on him: O, spare me, Lucifer! -
Where is it now? 'tis gone: and see, where God
Stretcheth out his arm, and bends his ireful brows!
Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me,
And hide me from the heavy wrath of God!
No, no!

Then will I headlong run into the earth:
Earth, gape! O no, it will not harbor me!

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