TIme ranne away with Faustus, as the houre glasse, for hee had
but one moneth to come of his 24. yeares, at the end whereof he had giuen
himselfe to the Diuell body and soule, as is before specified. Here was the
first token, for he was like a taken murtherer or a theefe, the which findeth
himselfe guiltie in conscience before the ludge haue giuen sentence, fearing
euery houre to die: for hee was grieued, and waylaying spent the time, went
talking to himselfe, wringing of his hands, sobbing and sighing, hee fell away
from flesh, and was very leane, and
THis sorrowfull time drawing neere so troubled Doctor Faustus,
that he began to write his minde, to the ende he might peruse it often and not
forget it and is in maner as followeth.
Ah Faustus, thou sorrowful and wofull man, now must thou goe to
the damned company in vnquenchable fire, whereas thou mightest haue had the
ioyfull immortalitie of the soule, the which thou now hast lost. Ah grosse vnderstanding
and wilfull will, what seazeth on my limmes other than a robbing of my life':
Bewayle with me my sound & healthfull body,
wit and soule, bewayle with me my sences, for you haue had your part and
pleasure as well as I. Oh enuie and disdaine, how haue you crept both at once
into me, and now for your sakes I must suffer all these torments? Ah whither is
pitie and mercy fled': Vpon what occasion hath heauen repayed me with this
reward by sufferance to suffer me to perish Wherefore was I created a man': The
punishment that I see prepared for me of my selfe now must I suffer. Ah
miserable wretch, there is nothing in this world to shew me comfort: then woe
is me, what helpeth my wayling.
OH poore, wofull and weary wretch: oh sorrowfull soule of Faustus,
now art thou in the number of the damned, for now must I waite for vnmeasurable
paynes of death, yea far more lamentable than euer yet any creature hath
suffered. Ah senceles, wilful & desperate forgetfulnesse! O cursed and
vnstable life! O blinde and carelesse wretch, that so hast abused thy body,
sence and soule! O foolish pleasure, into what a weary labyrinth hast thou
brought mee, blinding mine eyes in the clearest day': Ah weake heart! O
troubled soule, where is become thy knowledge to comfort thee': O pitifull
weariness! Oh desperate hope, now shall I neuer more be thought vpon! Oh, care
vpon carefulnesse, and sorrowes on heapes: Ah grieuous paynes that pearce my
panting heart, whom is there now that can deliuer me': Would God that I knew
where to hide me, or into what place to creepe or flie. Ah, woe, woe is me, be
where I will, yet am I taken. Herewith poore
NOw thou Faustus, damned wretch, howe happy wert thou if as an
vnreasonable beast thou mightest die without soule, so shouldest thou not feele
any more doubts': But nowe the diuell will take thee away both body and soule,
and set thee in an vnspeakable place of darkenesse: for although others soules
haue rest and peace, yet I poore damned wretch must suffer all manner of filthy
stench, paines, colde, hunger, thirst, heate, freezing, burning, hissing,
gnashing, and all the wrath and curse of God, yea all the creatures that God
hath created are enemies to mee. And now too late I remember that my Spirit Mephostophiles
did once tell mee, there was a great difference amongst the damned; for the
greater the sinne, the greater the torment: for as the twigges of the tree make
greater flame than the trunke thereof, and yet the trunke continueth longer in
burning; euen so the more that a man is rooted in sinne, the greater is his
punishment. Ah thou perpetuall damned wretch, now art thou throwne into the
euerlasting fiery lake that neuer shall be quenched, there must I dwell in all
manner of wayling, sorrow, misery, payne, torment, griefe, howling sighing,
sobbing, blubbering, running of eies, stinking at nose, gnashing of teeth feare
to the eares, horror to the conscience, and shaking both of hand and foote. Ah
that I could carry the heauens on my shoulders, so that there were time at last
to quit me of this euerlasting damnation! Oh who can deliuer me out of these
fearful tormeting flames, ye which I see prepared for me': Oh there is no
helpe, nor any man that can deliuer me, nor any wayling of sins can help me,
neither is there rest to be found for me day nor night. Ah wo is me, for there
is no help for me, no shield, no defence no comfort. Where is my hold':
knowledge dare I not trust: and for a soule to God wards that haue I not, for I
shame to speake vnto him: if I doo, no answere shall be made me, but hee will hide
his face from me, to the end that I should not beholde the ioyes of the chosen.
What meane I then to complaine where no helpe is': No, I know no hope resteth
in my gronings. I haue desired that it should bee so, and God hath sayd Amen
to my misdoings: for now I must haue shame to comfort me in my calamities.
IN the 24. yeare Doctor Faustus his time being come, his Spirit
appeared vnto him, giuing him his writing againe, and commaunding him to make
preparation, for that the diuel would fetch him agaynst a certaine time
appoynted. D.
1 B.M.
has 'Fanstus.'
2 B.M.
has the last e upside down.
3 In
early use, one who provisioned a trading vessel in return for a share in the
transaction was called a victualler. The phrase here seems to mean, "I
must tell you what I have done for which I must give the devil his due."
MY trusty and welbeloued friends, the cause why I haue inuited you into this
place is this: Forasmuch as you haue knowne me this many yeares, in what maner
of life I haue liued, practising al maner of coniurations and wicked exercises,
the which I haue obtayned through the helpe of the diuel, into whose diuelish
fellowship they haue brought me, the which vse the like Arte and practise, vrged
by the detestable prouocation of my flesh, my stiffe necked and rebellious
will, with my filthy infernall thoughts, the which were euer before me,
pricking mee forward so earnestly, that I must perforce haue the consent of the
diuell to ayde me in my deuises. And to the end I might the better bring my
purpose to passe, to haue the Diuels ayd and furtherance, which I neuer haue
wanted in mine actions, I haue promised vnto him at the ende and accomplishing
of 24. yeares, both body and soule, to doe therewith at his pleasure: and this
day, this dismall day those 24. yeares are fully expired, for night beginning
my houre-glasse is at an end, the direfull finishing whereof I carefully
expect: for out of all doubt this night hee will fetch mee, to whome I haue
giuen my selfe in recompence of his seruice, both body and soule, and twice
confirmed writings with my proper blood. Now haue I called you my welbeloued
Lords, friends, brethren, and fellowes, before that fatall houre to take my
friendly farewell, to the end that my departing may not hereafter be hidden
from you, beseeching you herewith courteous, and louing Lords and brethren, not
to take in euil part any thing done by mee, but with friendly commendations to
salute all my friends and companions wheresoeuer: desiring both you and them,
if euer I haue trespassed against your minds in any thing, that you would all
heartily forgiue me: and as for those lewd practises the which this full 24.
yeares I haue followed, you shall hereafter finde them in writing: and I
beseech you let this my lamentable ende to the residue of your liues bee a
sufficient warning, that you haue God alwayes before your eies, praying vnto
him that he would euer defend you from the temptation of the diuell, and all
his false deceipts, not falling altogether from God, as I wretched and vngodly
damned creature haue done, hauing denied and defied Baptisme, the Sacraments of
Christs body, God himselfe, all heauenly powers, and earthly men, yea, I haue
denied such a God, that desireth not to haue one lost. Neither let the euill
fellowship of wicked companions misselead you as it hath done me: visit
earnestly and oft the Church, warre and striue continually agaynst the Diuell
with a good and stedfast beliefe on God, and Iesus Christ, and vse your
vocation in holiness. Lastly, to knitte vp my troubled Oration, this is my
friendly request, that you would to rest, & let nothing trouble you: also
if you chance to heare any noise, or rumbling about the house, be not therwith
afrayd, for there shal no euil happen vnto you: also I pray you arise not out
of your beds. But aboue all things I intreate you, if you hereafter finde my
dead carkasse, conuay it vnto the earth, for I dye both a good and bad
Christian; a good Christian, for that I am heartely sorry, and in my heart
alwayes praye for mercy, that my soule may be deliuered: a bad Christian, for
that I know the Diuell will haue my bodie, and that would I willingly giue him
so that he would leaue my soule in quiet: wherefore I pray you that you would depart
to bed, and so I wish you a quiet night, which vnto me notwithstanding will be
horrible and fearefull.
This Oration or declaration was made by Doctor Faustus, &
that with a hearty and resolute minde, to the ende hee might not discomfort
them: but the Students wondered greatly thereat, that he was so blinded, for
knauery, coniuration, and such like foolish things, to giue his body and soule
vnto the diuell: for they loued him entirely, and neuer suspected any such
thing before he had opened his mind to them: wherefore one of the sayd vnto
him; ah, friend Faustus, what haue you done to conceale this
matter so long from vs, we would by the help of good Diuines, and the grace of
God, haue brought you out of this net, and haue torne you out of the bondage
and chaynes of Sathan, whereas nowe we feare it is too late, to the vtter ruine
of your body and soule? Doctor Faustus answered, I durst neuer doo
it, although I often minded, to settle my selfe vnto godly people, to desire
counsell and helpe, as once mine olde neighbour counsailed mee, that I shoulde
follow his learning, and leaue all my coniurations, yet when I was minded to
amend, and to followe that good mans counsell, then came the Diuell and would
haue had me away, as this night he is like to doe, and sayd so soone as I
turned againe to God, hee would dispatch mee altogether. Thus, euen thus, (good
Gentlemen, and my deare friends) was I inthralled in that Satanicall band, all
good desires drowned, all pietie banished, al purpose of amendmet vtterly exiled,
by the tyranous threatnings of my deadly enemy. But when the Students heard his
words, they gaue him counsaile to doo naught else but call vpon God, desiring
him for the loue of his sweete Sonne Iesus Christes sake, to haue mercy vpon
him, teaching him this forme of prayer. O God bee mercifull vnto me, poore and
miserable sinner, and enter not into iudgement with me, for no flesh is able to
stand before thee. Although, O Lord, I must leaue my sinfull body vnto the
Diuell, being by him deluded, yet thou in mercy mayest preserue my soule.
This they repeated vnto him, yet it could take no holde, but euen as Caine
he also said his sinnes were greater than God was able to forgiue; for all his
thought was on his writing, he meant he had made it too filthy in writing it
with his owne blood. The Students & the other that were there, when they
had prayed for him, they wept, and so went foorth, but Faustus
taryed in the hall: and when the Gentlemen were laid in bed, none of them could
sleepe, for that they attended to heare if they might be priuy of his ende. It
happened between twelue and one a clock at midnight, there blewe a mighty
storme of winde against the house, as though it would haue blowne the
foundation thereof out of his place. Hereupon the Students began to feare, and
got out of their beds, comforting one another, but they would not stirre out of
the chamber: and the Host of the house ran out of doores, thinking the house
would fall. The Students lay neere vnto that hall wherein Doctor Faustus
lay, and they heard a mighty noyse and hissing, as if the hall had beene full
of Snakes and Adders: with that the hall doore flew open wherein Doctor Faustus
was, then he began to crie for helpe, saying: murther, murther, but it came
foorth with halfe a voyce hollowly: shortly after they heard him no more. But
when it was day, the Students that had taken no rest that night, arose and went
into the hall in the which they left Doctor Faustus, where
notwithstanding they found no Faustus, but all the hall lay
besprinckled with blood, his braines cleauing to the wall: for the Diuel had
beaten him from one wall against another, in1
one corner lay his eyes, in another his teeth, a pitifull and fearefull sight
to beholde. Then began the Students to bewayle and weepe for him, and sought
for his body in many places: lastly they came into the yarde where they found
his bodie lying on the horse dung, most monstrously torne, and fearefull to
beholde, for his head and all his ioynts were dasht in peeces.
The forenamed Students and Masters that were at his death, haue obtayned so
much, that they buried him in the Village where he was so grieuously tormented.
After the which, they returned to Wittenberg, & comming into
the house of Faustus, they found ye seruant of Faustus
very sad, vnto whom they opened all the mat[t]er, who tooke it exceeding
heauilie. There found they also this history of Doctor Faustus
noted, and of him written as is before declared, all saue onely his ende, the
which was after by the students thereto annexed: further, what his seruant had
noted thereof, was made in another booke. And you haue heard that he held by
him in his life the Spirit of fayre Helena, the which had by him
one sonne, the which he named Iustus Faustus, euen the same day of
his death they vanished away, both mother and sonne. The house before was so
darke, that scarce any body could abide therein. The same night Doctor Faustus
appeared vnto his seruant liuely, and shewed vnto him many secret things the
which hee had done and hidden in his life time. Likewise there were certaine
which saw Doctor Faustus looke out of the window by night as they
passed by the house.
And thus ended the whole history of Doctor Faustus his
coniuration, and other actes that he did in his life; out of the which example
euery Christian may learne, but chiefly the stiffenecked and high minded may
thereby learne to feare God, and to be careful of their vocation, and to be at
defiance with all diuelish workes, as God hath most precisely forbidden, to the
end we should not inuite the diuell as a guest, nor giue him place as that
wicked Faustus hath done: for here we haue a feareful example of
his writing, promise, and end, that we may remember him: that we goe not
astray, but take God alwaies before our eies, to call alone vpon him, and to
honour him all the dayes of our life, with heart and heartyprayer and with al
our strength and soule to glorifie his holy name, defying the Deuill and all
his works, to the end we may remayne with Christ in all endlesse ioy: Amen,
Amen, that wish I vnto euery Christian heart, and Gods name to bee glorified.
Amen.