CHAPTER LVII
How Doctor Faustus fell in talk with his servant touching his Testament, and the covenants thereof
Now when this Will was made, Doctor Faustus called unto him his servant, saying: I have thought upon thee in my Testament, for that thou hast been a trusty servant unto me and a faithful, and hast not opened my secrets: and yet further (said he) ask of me before I die what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee. His servant rashly answered, I pray you let me have your cunning. To which Doctor Faustus answered, I have given thee all my books, upon this condition, that thou wouldst not let them be common, but use them for thine own pleasure, and study carefully in them. And dost thou also desire my cunning? That mayest thou peradventure have, if thou love and peruse my books well. Further (said Doctor Faustus) seeing that thou desirest of me this request, I will resolve thee: my Spirit Mephostophiles his time is out with me, and I have nought to command him as touching thee, yet will I help thee to another, if thou like well thereof. And within three days after he called his servant unto him, saying: art thou resolved? wouldst thou verily have a Spirit? Then tell me in what manner or form thou wouldst have him? To whom his servant answered, that he would have him in the form of an Ape: whereupon presently appeared a Spirit unto him in manner and form of an Ape, the which leaped about the house. Then said Faustus, see, there hast thou thy request, but yet he will not obey thee until I be dead, for when my Spirit Mephostophiles shall fetch me away, then shall thy Spirit be bound unto thee, if thou agree: and thy Spirit shalt thou name Akercocke, for so is he called: but all this is upon condition that thou publish my cunning, and my merry conceits, with all that I have done (when I am dead) in an history: and if thou canst not remember all, thy Spirit Akercocke will help thee: so shall the great acts that I have done be manifested unto the world.