The history of the damnable life and deserved death of Doctor John Faustus, 1592, together with The second report of Faustus, containing his appearances and the deeds of Wagner, 1594.

by Unknown

CHAPTER XVII

Here followeth the second part of Doctor Faustus his life, and practices, until his end

Doctor Faustus having received denial of his Spirit, to be resolved any more in such-like questions propounded; forgot all good works, and fell to be a Calendar maker by help of his Spirit; and also in short time to be a good Astronomer or Astrologian: he had learned so perfectly of his Spirit the course of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, that he had the most famous name of all the Mathematicks[20] that lived in his time; as may well appear by his works dedicated unto sundry Dukes and Lords: for he did nothing without the advice of his Spirit, which learned him to presage of matters to come, which have come to pass since his death. The like praise won he with his Calendars, and Almanacs making, for when he presaged upon any change, Operation, or alteration of the weather, or Elements; as wind, rain, fogs, snow, hail, moist, dry, warm, cold, thunder, lightning: it fell so duly out, as if an Angel of heaven had forewarned it. He did not like the unskilful Astronomers of our time, that set in Winter cold, moist, airy, frosty; and in the Dog-days, hot, dry, thunder, fire, and such-like: but he set in all his works, day and hour, when, where, and how it should happen. If anything wonderful were at hand, as death, famine, plague, or wars, he would set the time and place in true and just order, when it should come to pass.

Footnotes

[20] i.e. Mathematicians.

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