The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface
• Publisher's Notice
• Introduction
• Tamburlaine the Great. In Two Parts.
• Tamburlaine the Great, Part Tbe First.
• The Prologue.
• Persons Represented. 1
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the First.: Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Scene VII.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the Second
• Prologue.
• Persons Represented.
• Tamburlaine the Great. Part the Second: Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.
• Persons Represented.
• The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI. 1
• Scene VII.
• Scene VIII.
• Scene IX.
• Scene X.
• Scene XI.
• Scene XII.
• Scene XIII.
• Scene XIV.
• Scene XV.
• Scene XVI.
• Appendix to Dr. Faustus.
• Ballad of Faustus.

SCENE XIV.

Enter3 FAUSTUS, with two or three Scholars and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

Ist Schol.

• Master Doctor Faustus, since our conference about fair ladies, which was the beautifullest in all the world, we have determined with ourselves that Helen of Greece was the admirablest lady that ever lived: therefore,
• Master Doctor, if you will do us that favour, as to let us see that peerless dame of Greece, whom all the world admires for majesty, we should think ourselves much beholding unto you.

Faust.

• Gentlemen,
• For that I know your friendship is unfeigned,

  10

• And Faustus' custom is not to deny
• The just requests of those that wish him well,
• You shalt behold that peerless dame of Greece,
• No otherways for pomp and majesty,
• Than when Sir Paris crossed the seas with her,
• And brought the spoils1 to rich Dardania.
• Be silent, then, for danger is in words.
• [Music sounds, and HELEN2
• passeth wer the stage. 2nd SchoL Too simple is my wit to tell her praise, Whom all the world admires for majesty.3

3rd Schol.

• No marvel though the angry Greeks pursued

  20

• With ten years' war the rape of such a Queen,
• Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.

1st Schol.

• 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. Enter an Old Man.

Old Man.1

• “Old Man. O gentle Faustus, leave this damned art,
• This magic, that will charm thy soul to hell,
• And quite bereave thee of salvation!
• Though thou hast now offended like a man,
• Do not persever in it like a devil.
• Yet, yet thou hast an amiable soul,
• If sm by custom grow not into nature;
• Then, Faustus, will repentance come too late;
• Then thou art banish'd from the sight of Heaven:
• No mortal can express the pains of hell.
• It may be, this my exhortation
• Seems harsh and all unpleasant: let it not,
• For, gentle son, I speak it not in wrath,
• Or envy of thee, but in tender love,
• And pity of thy future misery;
• And so have hope that this my kind rebuke,
• Checking thy body, may amend thy soul.”
• Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail To guide thy steps unto the way of life,
• By which sweet path thou may'st attain the goal

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• That shalt conduct thee to celestial rest!
• Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears,
• Tears falling from repentant heaviness
• Of thy most vild and loathsome filthiness,
• The stench whereof corrupts the inward soul
• With such flagitious crimes of heinous sins
• As no commiseration may expel,
• But Mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
• Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt.

Faust.

• Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what hast thou done?
• Damned1 art thou, Faustus, damned; despair and die! Hell calls2 for right, and with a roaring voice Says “Faustus! come! thine hour is almost3 come!” And Faustus now4 will come to do the right
• [Mephistophilisgives htm a dagger.

Old Man.

• Ah stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
• 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.

Faust.

• Ah,5 my sweet friend, I feel
• Thy words do comfort my distressed soul.
• Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

Old Man.

• I1 go, sweet Faustus, but with heavy cheer, Fearing the ruin of thy hopeless soul.
• [Exit.

Faust.

• AccursÈD2 Faustus, where is Mercy now?
• I do repent; and yet I do despair:
• Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
• What shalt I do to shun the snares of death?

Meph.

• Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
• For disobedience to my sovereign Lord;

  60

• Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh.

Faust.

• Sweet03 Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
• To pardon my unjust presumption.
• And with my blood again I will confirm
• My former vow I made to Lucifer.

Meph.

• Do it then quickly, with unfeigned heart, Lest greater danger do attend thy drift
• [FAUSTUS stabs his arm and writes with his blood on a paper.4

Faust.

• Torment, sweet friend, that base and crooked age,5
• That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
• With greatest torments that our Hell affords.

  70

Meph.

• 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.

Faust.

• One1 thing, good servant, let me crave of thee,
• 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
• These thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
• And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer.

  80

Meph.

• Faustus, this or what else thou shalt desire Shalt be performed in twinkling of an eye.
• Re-enter HELEN.

Faust.

• Was this the face that launched a thousand ships And burnt the topless2 towers of Ilium? Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss. [Kisses her.
• Her lips sucks forth my soul; see where it flies!—
• Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
• Here will I dwell, for Heaven is1 in these lips,
• And all is dross that is not Helena.
• I will be Paris, and for love of thee,

  90

• Instead of Troy, shalt Wertenberg be sacked:
• And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
• And wear thy colours on my plumed crest:
• Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
• And then return to Helen for a kiss.
• Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air
• Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
• Brighter are thou than flaming Jupiter
• When he appeared to hapless Semele:
• More lovely than the monarch of the sky
• In wanton Arethusa's azur'd2 arms;
• And none but thou shalt be my paramour!
• [Exeunt.3

[3]Scene: a room in Faustus' house.

[1]Perhaps an allusion to the legend that Paris when carrying off Helen plundered Sparta.

[2]Dyce quotes from the prose History of Dr. Faustus the following description of Helen—

“This lady appeared before them in a most rich gowne of purple velvet, costly imbrodiered; her haire hanged downe loose, as faire as the beaten gold, and of such length that it reached downe to her hammes; having most amorous cole-black eyes, a sweet and pleasant round face, with lips as red as a cherry, her cheekes of a rose colour, her mouth small, her neck white like a swan, tall and slender of personage; m summe, there was no imperfect place in her: she looked round about with a rolling hawkes eye, a smiling and wanton countenance, which neere-hand inflamed the hearts of all the students, but that they per-swaded themselves she was a spirit, which made them lightly passe away such fancies.”

[3]Ed. 1616 reads:—

• 2nd Schol. Was this fair Helen, whose admired worth
• Made Greece with ten years' wars afflict poor Troy?
• “3 yd Schol. Too simple is my wit to tell her worth,
• Whom all the world admires for majesty.
• “1 st Schol. Now we have seen the pride of Nature's work.
• We'll take our leaves; and for this blessed sight,” &c.

[1]In ed. 1616 this speech runs as follows:—

[1]This line is omitted in ed. 1616.

[2]Ed. 1616 “Hell claims his right.”

[3]So ed. 1616.— Omitted in ed. 1604.

[4]So ed. 1616.—Omitted in ed. 1604.

[5]Ed. 1616 “Oh, friend, I feel”

[1]Ed. 1616,—

• “Faustus, I leave thee, but with grief of heart,
• Fearing the enemy of thy hapless soul.”

[2]Ed. 1616 “Accursèd Faustus, wretch, what hast thou done?”

[3]Before this line ed. 1616 inserts “I do repent I e'er offended him.”

[4]This stage-direction is not in the old copies: it was suggested by Dyce,

[5]Ed. 1616 “that base and aged man.”

[1]Dyce quotes from the prose History of Dr. Faustus. —

“To the ends that this miserable Faustus might fill the lust of his flesh and live in all manner of voluptuous pleasure, it came in his mind, after he had slept his first sleepe, and in the 23 year past of his time, that he had a great desire to lye with faire Helena of Greece, especially her whom he had seen and shewed unto the students at Wittenberg: wherefore he called unto his spirit Mephostophilis, commanding him to bring to him the faire Helena; which he also did. Whereupon he fell in love with her, and made her his common concubine and bedfellow; for she was so beautifull and delightfull a peece, that he could not be one houre from her, if he should therefore have suffered death, she had so stoln away his heart: and to his seeming, in time she was with childe, whom Faustus named Justus Faustus. The child told Doctor Faustus many things which were don in forraign countrys; but in the end, when Faustus lost his life, the mother and the child vanished away both together.”

[2]So Fletcher (Bmduca, ni. 2).—

• “Loud Fame calls ye,
• Pitch'd on the topless Apennine.”

Shakespeare surely remembered the preceding line when he wrote of Helen ia Troilus and Cretstda, u. 2:—

“Why, she is a pearl Whose price hath launched ateve a thousand skips,”

[1]So ed. 1616.—Eds. 1604, 1609, “be.”

[2]Ed. 1616 “azure.” The form “azur'd “is found in Shakespeare and Drayton.

[3]For what follows in ed. 1616 see Appendix,