Dr. Faustus (with footnotes) | Page 5

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, Ay, all the wealth that our forefathers hid Within the
massy entrails of the earth: Then tell me, Faustus, what shall we three
want?
FAUSTUS. Nothing, Cornelius. O, this cheers my soul! Come, shew
me some demonstrations magical, That I may conjure in some lusty
grove, And have these joys in full possession.

VALDES. Then haste thee to some solitary grove, And bear wise
Bacon's and Albertus'<42> works, The Hebrew Psalter, and New
Testament; And whatsoever else is requisite We will inform thee ere
our conference cease.
CORNELIUS. Valdes, first let him know the words of art; And then,
all other ceremonies learn'd, Faustus may try his cunning<43> by
himself.
VALDES. First I'll instruct thee in the rudiments, And then wilt thou be
perfecter than I.
FAUSTUS. Then come and dine with me, and, after meat, We'll
canvass every quiddity thereof; For, ere I sleep, I'll try what I can do:
This night I'll conjure, though I die therefore. [Exeunt.]
Enter two SCHOLARS.<44>
FIRST SCHOLAR. I wonder what's become of Faustus, that was wont
to make our schools ring with sic probo.
SECOND SCHOLAR. That shall we know, for see, here comes his
boy.
Enter WAGNER.
FIRST SCHOLAR. How now, sirrah! where's thy master?
WAGNER. God in heaven knows.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Why, dost not thou know?
WAGNER. Yes, I know; but that follows not.
FIRST SCHOLAR. Go to, sirrah! leave your jesting, and tell us where
he is.
WAGNER. That follows not necessary by force of argument, that you,
being licentiates, should stand upon:<45> therefore acknowledge your
error, and be attentive.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Why, didst thou not say thou knewest?
WAGNER. Have you any witness on't?
FIRST SCHOLAR. Yes, sirrah, I heard you.
WAGNER. Ask my fellow if I be a thief.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Well, you will not tell us?
WAGNER. Yes, sir, I will tell you: yet, if you were not dunces, you
would never ask me such a question; for is not he corpus naturale? and
is not that mobile? then wherefore should you ask me such a question?
But that I am by nature phlegmatic, slow to wrath, and prone to lechery
(to love, I would say), it were not for you to come within forty foot of

the place of execution, although I do not doubt to see you both hanged
the next sessions. Thus having triumphed over you, I will set my
countenance like a precisian, and begin to speak thus:-- Truly, my dear
brethren, my master is within at dinner, with Valdes and Cornelius, as
this wine, if it could speak, would<46> inform your worships: and so,
the Lord bless you, preserve you, and keep you, my dear brethren, my
dear brethren!<47> [Exit.]
FIRST SCHOLAR. Nay, then, I fear he is fallen into that damned art
for which they two are infamous through the world.
SECOND SCHOLAR. Were he a stranger, and not allied to me, yet
should I grieve for him. But, come, let us go and inform the Rector, and
see if he by his grave counsel can reclaim him.
FIRST SCHOLAR. O, but I fear me nothing can reclaim him!
SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet let us try what we can do. [Exeunt.]
Enter FAUSTUS to conjure.<48>
FAUSTUS. Now that the gloomy shadow of the earth, Longing to view
Orion's drizzling look, Leaps from th' antartic world unto the sky, And
dims the welkin with her pitchy breath, Faustus, begin thine
incantations, And try if devils will obey thy hest, Seeing thou hast
pray'd and sacrific'd to them. Within this circle is Jehovah's name,
Forward and backward anagrammatiz'd,<49> Th' abbreviated<50>
names of holy saints, Figures of every adjunct to the heavens, And
characters of signs and erring<51> stars, By which the spirits are
enforc'd to rise: Then fear not, Faustus, but be resolute, And try the
uttermost magic can perform.-- Sint mihi dei Acherontis propitii!
Valeat numen triplex Jehovoe! Ignei, aerii, aquatani spiritus, salvete!
Orientis princeps Belzebub, inferni ardentis monarcha, et Demogorgon,
propitiamus vos, ut appareat et surgat Mephistophilis, quod
tumeraris:<52> per Jehovam, Gehennam, et consecratam aquam quam
nunc spargo, signumque crucis quod nunc facio, et per vota nostra, ipse
nunc surgat nobis dicatus<53> Mephistophilis!
Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS.
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. [Exit MEPHISTOPHILIS.]
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: No, Faustus, thou
art conjuror laureat, That canst command great Mephistophilis: Quin
regis Mephistophilis fratris