My God, my god, look not so fierce on me! Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while! Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I’ll burn my books!–Ah, Mephistophilis! [Exeunt DEVILS with FAUSTUS.] [175]

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!

CHORUS. Not marching now in fields of Thrasymene, Where Mars did mate[1] the Carthaginians; Nor sporting in the dalliance of love, In courts of kings where state is overturn’d; Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds, Intends our Muse to vaunt[2] her[3] heavenly verse: Only this, gentlemen,–we must perform The form of Faustus’ fortunes, good or bad: To patient judgments we appeal our plaud, And speak for Faustus in his infancy. Now is he born, his parents base of stock, In Germany, within a town call’d Rhodes: Of riper years, to Wertenberg he went, Whereas[4] his kinsmen chiefly brought him up. So soon he profits in divinity, The fruitful plot of scholarism grac’d

GOOD ANGEL. O, Faustus, lay that damned book aside, And gaze not on it, lest it tempt thy soul, And heap God’s heavy wrath upon thy head! Read, read the Scriptures:–that is blasphemy. EVIL ANGEL. Go forward, Faustus, in that famous art Wherein all Nature’s treasure[23] is contain’d: Be thou on earth as Jove[24] is in the sky, Lord and commander of these elements.[25] [Exeunt Angels.] FAUSTUS. How am I glutted with conceit of this! Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please, Resolve[26] me of all ambiguities, Perform what desperate enterprise I will? I’ll have them fly to India for gold, Ransack the ocean for orient pearl, And search all corners of the new-found world For pleasant fruits and princely delicates; I’ll have them read me strange philosophy, And tell the secrets of all foreign kings; I’ll have them wall all Germany with brass, And make swift Rhine circle fair Wertenberg; I’ll have them fill the public schools with silk,[27] Wherewith the students shall be bravely clad;

The very part was consecrate to thee: The earth can have but earth, which is his due; My spirit is thine, the better part of me:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou see’st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west; Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed, whereon it must expire, Consum’d with that which it was nourish’d by. This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

When I perhaps compounded am with clay, Do not so much as my poor name rehearse; But let your love even with my life decay

privy

The Oration

your Highness’s own cousin, Queen Mary, now wears the crown of this kingdom. She was crowned on the first day of this month, with the pomp and ceremonies customary here, which are far grander than elsewhere, as I shall briefly show; and according to the rites of the old religion. On the eve of her coronation-day, the Queen was removed from the Tower and castle of London to Westminster Palace, where the sovereigns of England are by custom wont to reside in London. She was accompanied by the earls, lords, gentlemen, ambassadors, and officers, all dressed in rich garments. The Queen was carried in an open litter covered with brocade. Two coaches followed her; the Lady Elizabeth and the Lady (Anne) of Cleves rode in one, some of the ladies of the Court in the other.

Having received, this Thursday at night, certain letters from Mr. Secretary

I durst not