Concerning the Antlers of a Hart
XXIV
Upon a time soon after Doctor Faustus had accomplished the Emperor's will as was reported above he, hearing the signal for meat in the evening, did lean over the battlements to watch the domestics go out and in. There he espied one who was fallen asleep while lying in the window of the great Knights' Hall across the court (it being very hot) .I would not name the person, for it was a knight and a gentleman by birth.
Now with the aid of his spirit Mephostophiles, Faustus did charm a pair of hart's horns upon the knight's head. This good lord's head nodded upon the window sill, he awoke, and perceived the prank. Who could have been more distressed! For, the windows being closed, he could go neither forward nor backward with his antlers, nor could he force the horns from off his head. The Emperor, observing his plight, laughed and was well pleased withal until Doctor Faustus at last released the poor knight from the spell again.
Concerning Three Lords Who Were
Rapidly Transported to the Royal
Wedding in Munich
XXV
Three sons of noble lords (whom I dare not call by name) were students in Wittemberg. They met together on a time and, talking of the magnificent pomp which would attend the wedding of the son of the Duke of Bavaria in Munich, did heartily wish that they might go there, if only for a half an hour. Such talk caused the one of them to take thought of Doctor Faustus, and he said to the other two lords:
Cousins, if ye will follow me, hush and keep it to yourselves, then will I give you good counsel, how we can see the wedding and then be back to Wittemberg again in the self-same night. Here is what I have in mind: if we send for Doctor Faustus, tell him what we desire, and explain our plans to him, giving him a bit of money besides, then he surely will not deny us his aid.
Having deliberated and agreed upon the matter, they called on Doctor Faustus, who, touched by their present and also being well pleased with a banquet which they were clever enough to give in his honor, did consent to grant them his services.
The day arrived when the wedding of the Bavarian Duke's son was to be celebrated, and Doctor Faustus sent word to the young lords that they should come to his house arrayed in the very finest clothing they possessed. He then took a broad cloak, spread it out in his garden (which lay right beside his house), seated the lords upon it, himself in their midst, and at last gave strict command that none should speak a word so long as they be abroad--even though they be in the Bavarian Duke's Palace and someone should speak to them, they should give no answer--the which they all did pledge to obey. This matter being settled, Doctor Faustus sat down and commenced his coniurationes. Presently there arose a great wind which lifted the cloak and transported them through the air with such speed that they arrived betimes at the Duke's court in Munich.
They had travelled invisible, so that no one noticed them until they entered the Bavarian Palace and came into the hall, where the Marshall, espying them, indicated to the Duke of Bavaria how, although the princes, lords and gentlemen were already seated at table, there were still standing three more gentlemen without who had just arrived with a servant, and who also ought to be received. The old Duke of Bavaria arose to do this, but when he approached and spake to them, none would utter a word.
This occurred in the evening just before meat, they having hitherto observed all day the pomp of the wedding without any hindrance, for Faustus' art had kept them invisible. As was reported above, Doctor Faustus had sternly forbidden them to speak this day. He had further instructed them that so soon as he should call out: Up and away! all were to seize upon the cloak at once, and they would fly away again in the twinkling of an eye.
Now when the Duke of Bavaria spake to them and they gave no answer, handwater was proffered them anyhow. It was then that Doctor Faustus, hearing one of the lords forget himself and violate his command, did cry aloud: Up and away! Faustus and the two lords who held to the cloak were instantly flown away but the third, who had been negligent, was taken captive and cast into a cell. The other two lords did upon arrival at midnight in Wittemberg behave so glumly on account of their kinsman that Doctor Faustus sought to console them, and he promised that the young man would be released by morning.
The captive lord, being thus forsaken, in locked custody besides, and constrained by guards, was sore afraid. To make matters worse, he was questioned as to what manner of vision he been a part of, and as to the other three who were now vanished away.
He thought: If I betray them, then the ending will be bad.
He therefore gave answer to none who were sent to him, and when they saw that nothing was to be got out of him this day they finally informed him that on the morrow he would be brought down to the dungeon, tortured, and compelled to speak. The lord thought to himself:
So my ordeal is appointed for the morrow. If Doctor Faustus should not release me today, should I be tortured and racked, then I needs must speak.
But he still had the consolation that his friends would entreat Doctor Faustus for his release, and that is indeed the way it fell out. Before day break Doctor Faustus was in the cell, having cast such a spell on the watch that they fell into a heavy sleep. Faustus used his art to open all doors and locks, and he brought the lord punctually to Wittemberg, where a sumptuous honorarium was presented him as a reward.
Concerning an Adventure with a Jew
XXVI
It is said that the fiend and the sorcerer will not wax three penny richer in a year, and even so did it come to pass with Doctor Faustus. Much had been promised by his spirit, but much had been lies, for the Devil is the spirit of lies. Mephostophiles had once reproached Doctor Faustus, saying:
With the skill wherewith I have endowed thee thou shouldst acquire thine own wealth. Such arts as mine and thine can scarcely lose thee money. Thy years are not yet over. Only four years are past since my promise to thee that thou wouldst want neither for gold nor for goods. Why, thy meat and drink hath been brought thee from the courts of all the great potentates, all by mine art (what the spirit here states, we did already report above).
Doctor Faustus, who did not know how to disagree with these things, began to take thought and to wonder just how apt he might be in obtaining money. Not long after the spirit had told him those things, Faustus went banqueting with some good fellows and, finding himself without money, went and raised some in the Jewish quarter, accepting sixty Talers for a month's time. The money-lender, when the loan fell due, was ready to take his capital together with the usury, but Doctor Faustus was not at all of the opinion that he ought to pay anything. The fellow appeared at Faustus' house with his demand and received this answer:
Jew, I have no money. I can raise no money. But this I will do. From my body I will amputate a member, be it arm or leg, and give it thee in pawn--but it must be returned so soon as I am in money again.
The Jew (for Jews are enemies to us Christians, anyhow) pondered the matter and concluded that it must be a right reckless man who would place his limbs in pawn. "But still he accepted it. Doctor Faustus took a saw and, cutting off his leg withal, committed it unto the Jew (but it was only a hoax) upon the condition that it must be returned so soon as he be in money again and would pay his debt, for he would fain put the member back on. The Jew went away with the leg, well satisfied at first with his contract and agreement. But very soon he became vexed and tired of the leg, for he thought:
What good to me is a knave's leg? If I carry it home it will begin to stink. I doubt that he will be able to put it on again whole, and, besides, this pledge is a parlous thing for me, for no higher pawn can a man give than his own limb. But what profit will I have of it?
Thinking these and such like things as he crossed over a bridge, the Jew did cast the leg into the water. Doctor Faustus knew all about this of course, and three days later he summoned the Jew in order to pay and settle his account. The Jew appeared and explained his deliberations, saying he had thrown the leg away because it was of no use to anyone. Doctor Faustus immediately demanded that his pledge be returned or that some other settlement be made. The Jew was eager to be free of Faustus, and he finally had to pay him sixty Guilders more (Doctor Faustus still having his leg as before).
An Adventure at the Court of the Count of Anhalt
XXVII
Faustus came upon a time to the Count of Anhalt, where he was received with all kindness and graciousness. Now this was in January, and at table he perceived that the Countess was great with child. When the evening meat had been carried away and the collation of sweets was being served, Doctor Faustus said to the Countess:
Lady, I have always heard that the greatbellied women long for diverse things to eat. I beg your Grace not to withhold from me what you would please to have.
She answered him: Truly my Lord, I will not conceal from you my present wish that it were Harvest time, and I were able to eat my fill of fresh grapes and of other fruit.
Doctor Faustus said: Gracious Lady, this is easy for me to provide. In an hour your Grace's will shall be accomplished.
Faustus now took two silver bowls and set them out before the window. When the hour was expired he reached out the window and drew in one bowl with white and red grapes which were fresh from the vine, and the other bowl full of green apples and pears, but all of a strange and exotic sort. Placing them before the Countess, he said to her:
Your Grace need have no fear to eat, for I tell you truly that they are from a foreign nation where summer is about to end, although our year is, to be sure, just beginning here.
While the Countess did eat of all the fruit with pleasure and great wonderment, the Count of Anhalt could not withhold to ask for particulars concerning the grapes and other fruit.
Doctor Faustus answered: Gracious Lord, may it please your Grace to know that the year is divided into two circles in the world, so that it is summer in Orient and Occident when it is winter here, for the Heavens are round. Now, from where we dwell the sun hath at this season withdrawn to the highest point, so that we are having short days and winter here, but at the same time it is descending upon Orient and Occident--as in Sheba, India and in the East proper. The meaning of this is that they are having summer now. They enjoy vegetables and fruit twice a year in those parts. Furthermore, gracious Lord, when it is night here, day is just dawning there. The sun hath even now betaken himself beneath the earth, and it is night; but in this very instant the sun doth run above the earth down there, and they shall have day (in likeness thereof, the sea runneth higher than the world, and if it were not obedient to God, it could inundate the world in a moment) .In consideration of such knowledge, gracious Lord, I sent my spirit to that nation upon the circumference of the sea where the sun now riseth, although it setteth here. He is a flying spirit and swift, able to transform himself in the twinkling of an eye. He hath procured these grapes and fruit for us.
The Count did attend these revelations with great wonderment.
The Manner in Which Doctor Faustus as Bacchus Kept Shrovetide
XXVIII
The greatest effort, skill and art produced by Doctor Faustus was that which he demonstrated to the Count of Anhalt, for with the aid of his spirit he accomplished not merely the things I have told about, but he created all sorts of four-footed beasts as well as winged and feathered fowl, too. Now after he had taken leave of the Count and was returned back to Wittemberg, Shrovetide approached. Doctor Faustus himself played the role of Bacchus, entertaining several learned students, whom he persuaded, after they had been well fed and sated by Faustus, had crowned him Bacchus and were in the act of celebrating him) to go into a cellar with him and to try the magnificent drinks which he would there offer and provide them, a thing to which they readily assented. Doctor Faustus then laid out a ladder in his garden, seated a man on each rung, and away he whisked, coming by night into the cellar of the Bishop of Saltzburg
Here they tasted all sorts of wine, for this bishop hath a glorious grape culture, but when the good gentlemen were just in a fine temper, the Bishop's butler by chance did come downstairs and seeing them (for Doctor Faustus had brought along a flint so that they might better inspect all the casks), did charge them as thieves who had broken in. This offended Doctor Faustus, who, warning his fellows to prepare to leave, seized the butler by the hair and rode away with him until he saw a great high fir tree, in the top of which he deposited the frightened man. Being returned home again, he and his Shrovetide guests celebrated a valete with the wine which he had brought along in a big bottle from the Bishop's cellar. The poor butler had to hold fast all night to the tree, lest he fall out, and he almost froze to death. When day brake and he perceived the great height of the fir as well as the impossibility of climbing down (for it had no branches except in the very top), he had to call out to some peasants whom he saw drive by, and tell them what had happened to him. The peasants did marvel at all this and, coming into Saltzburg, reported it at court. This brought out a great crowd, who with much exertion and effort with ropes did bring the butler down. But he never knew who those were whom he had found in the cellar, nor who he was who had put him into the tree top.