Concerning Divers Flora in Doctor Faustus' Garden on Christmas Day
XXXV
In the midst of winter at the Christmas season, several gentlewomen came to Wittemberg to visit their brothers and cousins, all young gentlemen students there who were well-acquainted with Doctor Faustus. He had been invited to their table on more than one occasion, and, desirous now of repaying such social debts, he did invite these lords to bring their ladies to his domicile for an evening draught of wine. To come to his house, they had to trudge through a deep snow which lay over the town, but Doctor Faustus had used his peculiar sorcery to prepare a splendid marvel in his garden for them, and when they arrived there they beheld no snow at all, but a lovely summer day with all manner of flora. The grass was covered all over with many blossoms. Beautiful vines were growing there, all hung with divers sorts of grapes. There were roses, too, white, red and pink, as well as many other sweet smelling flowers, and it was all a great delight to behold.
Concerning an Army Raised Against
My Lord of Hardeck
XXXVI
Doctor Faustus, being on a journey to Eisleben and about halfway there, did see seven horse riding in the distance. He recognized their leader, for it was that Lord of Hardeck upon whose forehead (as we have reported) he had charmed a set of hart's horns while at the Emperor's court. The lord, who knew Faustus quite as well as Faustus knew him, called his men to a halt. When Faustus noticed this action he immediately retired toward a little hill.
The knight ordered a lively charge to intercept him, and also commanded the firing of a musket volley, but although they spurred their mounts hard to overtake Faustus, he achieved the higher ground first, and by the time the horses had topped the rise he was vanished from their sight. Here the knight again called a halt. They were looking about, trying to catch sight of Faustus, when they heard in the copse below a loud noise of horns, trumpets and military drums, all tooting and beating. Some hundred horse came charging in upon them, and the knight with his men took to their heels.
They at first sought to slip around the side of the hill home, but here they encountered a second great armed band all poised for the charge and barring their way. They turned about to dash away--and beheld a third troop of horsemen. They tried still another route, but again found themselves faced with men ready for battle. The same thing happened five times, just as often as they turned in a fresh direction. When the knight saw that he could nowhere escape but was threatened with a charge from every direction, he rode alone right into the main host, ignoring the danger to himself, and asked what might be the cause for his being surrounded and menaced on all quarters.
None would speak to him or say a word until at last Doctor Faustus came riding up to the knight (who was now restrained on all sides) and proposed that he surrender himself as a prisoner or taste the edge of the sword. The knight was convinced that he had encountered a natural army prepared for battle, and when Faustus now demanded their muskets and swords, then took their horses as well, it did not occur to him that it might be naught but sorcery. Presently, Doctor Faustus brought the men fresh, enchanted horses and new muskets and swords, saying to the knight (who no longer even knew him to be Faustus):
My Lord, the commander of this army hath bid me let you go this time--but upon a condition and probation. Will ye confess that ye did pursue a man who hath sought and received, and is henceforth shielded by, our commander's protection?
The knight had to accept this condition. When they came back to his castle again, his men rode the horses out to drink, but once in the water the horses disappeared. The good fellows almost drowned, and had to ride back home afoot. When the knight beheld his men coming in all muddy and wet, and when he learned the cause of it all, he knew right away that it was Doctor Faustus' sorcery, even of the same sort as had been used to shame and mock him before. But since he had this time given Faustus his pledge, he would not break it. As for Faustus, he hitched the horses together, sold them and got some money in his pockets again. Thus did he heap coals upon the wrath of his enemy.
Concerning the Beautiful Helen from Greece, How She Lived for a Time
With Doctor Faustus
XXXVII
Doctor Faustus would fain omit or neglect naught pleasant and good unto the flesh. One midnight towards the end of the twenty-second year of his pact, while lying awake, he took thought again of Helen of Greece, whom he had awakened for the students on Whitsunday in Shrovetide (which we reported) . Therefore, when morning came, he informed his spirit that he must present Helen to him, so that she might be his concubine.
This was done, and Helen was of the following description (Doctor Faustus had a portrait made of her): Her body was fine and erect, well-proportioned, tall, snow-white and crystalline. She had a complexion which seemed tinted with rose, a laughing demeanor, goldyellow hair which reached almost to the calves of her legs, and brilliant laughing eyes with a sweet, loving gaze. Her nose was somewhat long, her teeth white as alabaster. In summa, there was not a single flaw about her body. Doctor Faustus beheld her and she captured his heart. He fell to frolicking with her, she became his bedfellow, and he came to love her so well that he could scarcely bear a moment apart from her.
While fond Faustus was living with Helen, she swelled up as were she with child. Doctor Faustus was rapturously happy, for, in the twenty-third year of his pact, she bare him a son whom he called Justus Faustus. This child told him many I things out of the future history of numerous lands. Later, When Faustus lost his life, there was none who knew whither wife and child were gone.
Concerning One Whose Wife Married
While He Was Captive in Turkey, and How Doctor Faustus Informed
And Aided Him
XXXVIII
A fine gentleman of the nobility, Johann Werner of Reuttpueffel from Bennlingen, who had gone to school with Faustus and was a learned man, had been married for six years to an extremely beautiful woman, Sabina of Kettheim, when he was one evening through guile and drink brought to take an oath to go along to Turkey and the Holy Land. He kept his pledge and promise, saw many things, endured much, and had been gone almost five years when there came to his wife certain report that he was dead. The lady mourned for three years, during which time she had many suitors, among them an excellent person of the nobility whose name we dare not mention, but whom she now accepted.
When the time was approaching for their marriage celebration, Doctor Faustus discovered it, and he asked his Mephostophiles whether this Lord of Reuttpueffel were still alive. The spirit answered yes, he be alive and in Egypt in the city of Lylopolts, where he lay captive, having attempted to visit the city of Al-Cairo. This grieved Doctor Faustus, for he loved his friend and had not been pleased that the lady was remarrying so soon. He knew her husband had loved her well. The time for the marriage consummation and the subsequent ceremony being at hand, Doctor Faustus gazed into a mirror wherein he could see all things and by which means he was also able to inform the Lord of Reuttpueflel that his wife was about to be wed, at which the latter was much astonished.
The hour of consummation arrived. The nobleman disrobed and went out to cast his water. It was then that Mephostophiles did use his art, for when the man came in and leapt into Sabina's bed to enjoy the fruits of love, when they hoisted their shirts and squeezed close together, it was all to no avail. The good lady, seeing that he did not want on and was hesitating, did reach out herself for the tool, wishing to help him, but she could achieve naught, and the night wore on in mere grasping, wiggling, and squeezing. This did cause the lady to grieve and to think on her previous husband whom she thought to be dead, for he had rightly known how to tousle her.
On the very same night, Faustus had freed the nobleman and had brought him asleep back to his castle. Now when the good lady beheld her young lord she fell at his feet and begged his forgiveness, indicating at the same time that the other had had naught and had been able to accomplish naught. My Lord of Reuttpueffel, noting that her account corresponded with what Doctor Faustus had reported, did accept her back again. The other good fellow, who finally recovered his potency, rode hastily away, not wishing to be seen again because of what had happened to him. Later, he lost his life in a war. The husband, however, is still jealous; and the good lady must hear from him, even though he did not witness it, how she did after all lie with another, who felt her and grasped her and, had he been able to cover her, would have done that, too.
Concerning the Testament:
What Doctor Faustus Bequeathed
His Servant Christoph Wagner
XXXIX
Now during this whole time, right into the twentyfourth year of his pact, Doctor Faustus had been keeping a young apprentice, who studied there at the University in Wittemberg and who became acquainted with all the tricks, sorcery and arts of his master. The two were cut from the same piece of cloth. Wagner was a wicked, dissipated knave who had gone about begging in Wittemberg but had found no kindness with anyone until he had met Faustus, who took the stripling in as his famulus and even called him his son, letting him enjoy his ill-gotten gains. Neither troubled himself with the price of them.
When his twenty-four years were all but run out, Faustus called unto himself a notary together with several magisters who were his friends. In their presence he bequeathed his famulus his house and garden, which were located on the Ring-Wall in Scherr Alley, not far from the Iron Gate and indeed right beside the houses of Ganser and of Veitt Rottinger (since that time, it has been rebuilt, for it was so uncanny that none could dwell therein). He also left him 1,600 guilders lent out on usury, a farm worth 800 guilders, 600 guilders in ready money, a gold chain worth 300 crowns, some silver plate given him by a man named Kraffter, as well as such other things as he had taken away from various courts--those of the Pope and of the Turk, for example. All these items together were worth many hundred guilders. There was not really much household stuff on hand, for he had not lived much at home, but at inns and with students, in gluttony and drunkenness.
The Discourse Which Doctor Faustus Held
With His Son Concerning the Testament
XL
The testament being drawn up, Faustus summoned his famulus, explained to him how he had made that person beneficiary of his estate who had been a trusty servant throughout his life and had never revealed any of his secrets, and how he would, in addition, like to grant this person one further request, if he would but name it. Wagner asked for Faust's cunning, but this fine father reminded his pretty son (who should have been named Christless Wagner) that he would, after all, inherit all his books, and that he must diligently guard them, not letting them become common knowledge, but taking his own profit from them by studying them well (this route to Hell).
As to my cunning (spake Faustus), thou canst win it if thou wilt but love my books, heed no man else, and follow in my footsteps. Hast thou none other request?-That thou be served by my spirit? This cannot be, for Mephostophiles oweth me no further debt, nor doth he bear affinity to any other man. But if thou art fain to have a spirit as servant I will help thee to another.
Three days later, Faustus again called his famulus unto him, asking whether he were still of a mind to possess a spirit, and, if so, in what form he would have him.
My Lord and Father, answered Wagner, in the form of an ape let him appear, for even in such a manner and form would I have him.
A spirit immediately came bounding into the parlor in the figure of an ape, and Doctor Faustus said:
Lo, now seest thou him, but he will not obey thee until I be dead. At that time my Mephostophiles will vanish forever, and thou shalt never see him more. Then, if thou wilt perform what is necessary--this being thine own decision--then canst thou summon thy spirit unto thee by calling upon Urian, for this is his name. In return, I do beg of thee not to publish my deeds, arts and adventures before the time of my death, but then to write all these matters down, organizing and transferring them into a Historia and compelling Urian to help thee by recalling unto thee whatever thou canst not remember, for men will expect these things of thee.