CHAPTER XXI
How Doctor Faustus was carried through the air up to the heavens to see the world, and how the Sky and Planets ruled: after the which he wrote one letter to his friend of the same to Liptzig, how he went about the world in eight days
This letter was found by a freeman and Citizen of Wittenberg, written with his own hand, and sent to his friend at Liptzig a Physician, named John Victor, the contents of which were as followeth.
Amongst other things (my loving friend and brother) I remember yet the former friendship had together, when we were schoolfellows and students in the University at Wittenberg, whereas you first studied Physic, Astronomy, Astrology, Geometry, and Cosmography; I to the contrary (you know) studied Divinity: notwithstanding now in any of your own studies I am seen (I am persuaded) further then your self: for sithence I began I have never erred, for (might I speak it without affecting my own praise) my Calendars and other practices have not only the commendations of the common sort, but also of the chiefest Lords and Nobles of this our Dutch Nation: because (which is chiefly to be noted) I write and presaged of matters to come, which all accord and fall out so right, as if they had been already seen before. And for that (my beloved Victori) you write to know my voyage which I made into the Heavens, the which (as you certify me you have had some suspicion of, although you partly persuaded yourself, that it is a thing impossible) no matter for that, it is as it is, and let it be as it will, once it was done, in such manner as now according unto your request I give you here to understand.
I being once laid on my bed, and could not sleep for thinking on my Calendar and practice, I marvelled with myself how it were possible that the Firmament should be known and so largely written of men, or whether they write true or false, by their own opinions, or supposition, or by due observations and true course of the heavens. Behold, being in these my muses, suddenly I heard a great noise, in so much that I thought my house would have been blown down, so that all my doors and chests flew open, whereat I was not a little astonied, for withal I heard a groaning voice which said, get up, the desire of thy heart, mind, and thought shalt thou see: at the which I answered, what my heart desireth, that would I fain see, and to make proof, if I shall see I will away with thee. Why then (quoth he) look out at thy window, there cometh a messenger for thee, that did I, and behold, there stood a Waggon, with two Dragons before it to draw the same, and all the Waggon was of a light burning fire, and for that the Moon shone, I was the willinger at that time to depart: but the voice spake again, sit up and let us away: I will, said I, go with thee, but upon this condition, that I may ask after all things that I see, hear, or think on: the voice answered, I am content for this time. Hereupon I got me into the Waggon, so that the Dragons carried me upright into the air. The Waggon had also four wheels the which rattled so, and made such a noise as if we had been all this while running on the stones: and round about us flew out flames of fire, and the higher that I came, the more the earth seemed to be darkened, so that methought I came out of a dungeon, and looking down from Heaven, behold, Mephostophiles my Spirit and servant was behind me, and when he perceived that I saw him, he came and sat by me, to whom I said, I pray thee Mephostophiles whither shall I go now? Let not that trouble thy mind, said he, and yet they carried us higher up. And now will I tell thee good friend and schoolfellow, what things I have seen and proved; for on the Tuesday went I out, and on Tuesday seven-nights following I came home again, that is, eight days, in which time I slept not, no not one wink came in mine eyes, and we went invisible of any man: and as the day began to appear, after our first night’s journey, I said to my Spirit Mephostophiles, I pray thee how far have we now ridden, I am sure thou knowest: for methinks that we are ridden exceeding far, the World seemeth so little: Mephostophiles answered me, my Faustus believe me, that from the place from whence thou earnest, unto this place where we are now, is already forty-seven leagues right in height, and as the day increased, I looked down upon the World, there saw I many kingdoms and provinces, likewise the whole world, Asia, Europa, and Africa, I had a sight of: and being so high, quoth I to my Spirit, tell me now how these Kingdoms lie, and what they are called, the which he denied not, saying, see this on our left hand is Hungaria, this is also Prussia on our left hand, and Poland, Muscovia, Tartascelesia,[25] Bohemia, Saxony;: and here on our right hand, Spain, Portugal, France, England, and Scotland: then right out before us lie the Kingdoms of Persia, India, Arabia, the King of Alchar, and the great Cham: now are we come to Wittenberg, and are right over the town of Weim in Austria, and ere long will we be at Constantinople, Tripolie, and Jerusalem, and after will we pierce the frozen Zone, and shortly touch the Horizon, and the Zenith of Wittenberg. There looked I on the Ocean Sea, and beheld a great many of ships and Galleys ready to the battle, one against another: and thus I spent my journey, now cast I my eyes here, now there, toward South, North, East, and West, I have been in one place where it rained and hailed, and in another where the Sun shone excellent fair, and so I think that I saw the most things in and about the world, with great admiration that in one place it rained, and in another hail and snow, on this side the Sun shone bright, some hills covered with snow never consuming, others were so hot that grass and trees were burned and consumed therewith. Then looked I up to the heavens, and behold, they went so swift, that I thought they would have sprung in thousands. Likewise it was so clear and so hot, that I could not long gaze into it, it so dimmed my sight: and had not my Spirit Mephostophiles covered me as it were with a shadowing cloud, I had been burnt with the extreme heat thereof, for the Sky the which we behold here when we look up from the earth, is so fast and thick as a wall, clear and shining bright as a Crystal, in the which is placed the Sun, which casteth forth his rays or beams over the universal world, to the uttermost confines of the earth. But we think that the Sun is very little: no, it is altogether as big as the world. Indeed the body substantial is but little in compass, but the rays or stream that it casteth forth, by reason of the thing wherein it is placed, maketh him to extend and shew himself over the whole world: and we think that the Sun runneth his course, and that the heavens stand still: no, it is the heavens that move his course, and the Sun abideth perpetually in his place, he is permanent, and fixed in his place, and although we see him beginning to ascend in the Orient or East, at the highest in the Meridian or South, setting in the Occident or West, yet is he at the lowest in Septentrio or North, and yet he moveth not. It is the axle of the heavens that moveth the whole firmament, being a Chaos or confused thing, and for that proof, I will shew thee this example, like as thou seest a bubble made of water and soap blown forth of a quill, is in form of a confused mass or Chaos, and being in this form, is moved at pleasure of the wind, which runneth round about that Chaos, and moveth him also round: even so is the whole firmament or Chaos, wherein are placed the sun, and the rest of the Planets turned and carried at the pleasure of the Spirit of God, which is wind. Yea Christian Reader, to the glory of God, and for the profit of thy soul, I will open unto thee the divine opinion touching the ruling of this confused Chaos, far more than any rude German Author, being possessed with the Devil, was able to utter; and to prove some of my sentence before to be true, look into Genesis unto the works of God, at the creation of the world, there shalt thou find, that the Spirit of God moved upon the waters before heaven and earth were made. Mark how he made it, and how by his word every element took his place: these were not his works, but his words; for all the words he used before, he concluded afterwards in one work, which was in making man: mark reader with patience for thy soul’s health, see into all that was done by the word and work of God, light and darkness was, the firmament stood, and their great ☉ and little light ☽ in it: the moist waters were in one place, the earth was dry, and every element brought forth according to the word of God: now followeth his works he made man like his own image, how? out of the earth? The earth will shape no image without water, there was one of the elements. But all this while where was wind? all elements were at the word of God, man was made, and in a form by the work of God, yet moved not that work, before God breathed the Spirit of life into his nostrils, and made him a living soul, here was the first wind and Spirit of God out of his own mouth, which we have likewise from the same seed which was only planted by God in Adam, which wind, breath, or spirit, when he had received, he was living and moving on earth, for it was ordained of God for his habitation, but the heavens are the habitation of the Lord: and like as I shewed before of the bubble or confused Chaos made of water and soap, through the wind and breath of man is turned round, and carried with every wind; even so the firmament wherein the Sun and the rest of the Planets are fixed, moved, turned, and carried with the wind, breath, or Spirit of God, for the heavens and firmament are movable as the Chaos, but the Sun is fixed in the firmament. And farther my good schoolfellow, I was thus nigh the heavens, where methought every Planet was but as half the earth, and under the firmament ruled the Spirits in the air, and as I came down I looked upon the world and the heavens, and methought that the earth was enclosed in comparison within the firmament, as the yolk of an egg within the white, and methought that the whole length of the earth was not a span long, and the water was as if it had been twice as broad and long as the earth, even thus at the eight days end came I home again, and fell asleep, and so I continued sleeping three days and three nights together: and the first hour that I waked, I fell fresh again to my Calendar, and have made them in right ample manner as you know, and to satisfy your request, for that you writ unto me, I have in consideration of our old friendship had at the University of Wittenberg, declared unto you my heavenly voyage, wishing no worse unto you, than unto myself, that is, that your mind were as mine in all respects. Dixi.
Doctor Faustus the Astrologian.
Footnotes
[25] Probably a corruption of Tartary and Silesia.