Dr. Faustus (with footnotes) | Page 8

back to hell.
FAUSTUS. Stay, Mephistophilis, and tell me, what good will my soul
do thy lord?
MEPHIST. Enlarge his kingdom.
FAUSTUS. Is that the reason why<79> he tempts us thus?
MEPHIST. Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.<80>
FAUSTUS. Why,<81> have you any pain that torture<82> others!
MEPHIST. 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.
FAUSTUS. Ay, Mephistophilis, I give it thee.
MEPHIST. Then, Faustus,<83> stab thine 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.
FAUSTUS. [Stabbing his arm] Lo, 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 for my wish.
MEPHIST. But, Faustus, thou must Write it in manner of a deed of gift.

FAUSTUS. Ay, so I will [Writes]. But, Mephistophilis, My blood
congeals, and I can write no more.
MEPHIST. I'll fetch thee fire to dissolve it straight. [Exit.]
FAUSTUS. What might the staying of my blood portend? Is it
unwilling I should write this bill?<84> Why streams it not, that I may
write afresh? FAUSTUS GIVES TO THEE HIS SOUL: ah, there it
stay'd! Why shouldst thou not? is not thy soul shine own? Then write
again, FAUSTUS GIVES TO THEE HIS SOUL.
Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS with a chafer of coals.
MEPHIST. Here's fire; come, Faustus, set it on.<85>
FAUSTUS. So, now the blood begins to clear again; Now will I make
an end immediately. [Writes.]
MEPHIST. O, what will not I do to obtain his soul? [Aside.]
FAUSTUS. Consummatum est; this bill is ended, And Faustus hath
bequeath'd his soul to Lucifer. But what is this inscription<86> on mine
arm? Homo, fuge: whither should I fly? If unto God, he'll throw
me<87> down to hell. My senses are deceiv'd; here's nothing writ:-- I
see it plain; here in this place is writ, Homo, fuge: yet shall not Faustus
fly.
MEPHIST. I'll fetch him somewhat to delight his mind. [Aside, and
then exit.]
Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS with DEVILS, who give crowns and rich
apparel to FAUSTUS, dance, and then depart.
FAUSTUS. Speak, Mephistophilis, what means this show?
MEPHIST. Nothing, Faustus, but to delight thy mind withal, And to
shew thee what magic can perform.
FAUSTUS. But may I raise up spirits when I please?
MEPHIST. Ay, Faustus, and do greater things than these.
FAUSTUS. Then there's enough for a thousand souls. Here,
Mephistophilis, receive this scroll, A deed of gift of body and of soul:
But yet conditionally that thou perform All articles prescrib'd between
us both.
MEPHIST. Faustus, I swear by hell and Lucifer To effect all promises
between us made!
FAUSTUS. Then hear me read them. [Reads] ON THESE
CONDITIONS FOLLOWING. FIRST, THAT FAUSTUS MAY BE A
SPIRIT IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE. SECONDLY, THAT

MEPHISTOPHILIS SHALL BE HIS SERVANT, AND AT HIS
COMMAND. THIRDLY, THAT MEPHISTOPHILIS SHALL DO
FOR HIM, AND BRING HIM WHATSOEVER HE DESIRES.<88>
FOURTHLY, THAT HE SHALL BE IN HIS CHAMBER OR HOUSE
INVISIBLE. LASTLY, THAT HE SHALL APPEAR TO THE SAID
JOHN FAUSTUS, AT ALL TIMES, IN WHAT FORM OR SHAPE
SOEVER HE PLEASE. I, JOHN FAUSTUS, OF WERTENBERG,
DOCTOR, BY THESE PRESENTS, DO GIVE BOTH BODY AND
SOUL TO LUCIFER PRINCE OF THE EAST, AND HIS MINISTER
MEPHISTOPHILIS; AND FURTHERMORE GRANT UNTO THEM,
THAT,<89> TWENTY-FOUR 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 HABITATION
WHERESOEVER. BY ME, JOHN FAUSTUS.
MEPHIST. Speak, Faustus, do you deliver this as your deed?
FAUSTUS. Ay, take it, and the devil give thee good on't!
MEPHIST. Now, Faustus, ask what thou wilt.
FAUSTUS. First will I question with thee about hell. Tell me, where is
the place that men call hell?
MEPHIST. Under the heavens.
FAUSTUS. Ay, but whereabout?
MEPHIST. Within the bowels of these<90> elements, Where we are
tortur'd and remain for ever: Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib'd In
one self place; for where we are is hell, And where hell is, there<91>
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<92>
not heaven.
FAUSTUS. Come, I think hell's a fable.
MEPHIST. Ay, think so still, till experience change thy mind.
FAUSTUS. Why, think'st thou, then, that Faustus shall be damn'd?
MEPHIST. Ay, of necessity, for here's the scroll Wherein thou hast
given thy soul to Lucifer.
FAUSTUS.