Act II
Scene I.—Rome. Enter Chorus.
Chorus: Learned Faustus,
To find the secrets of astronomy
Graven in the book of Jove's high firmament,
Did mount him up to scale Olympus' top;
Where, sitting in a chariot burning bright,
Drawn by the strength of yokéd dragons' necks,
He views the clouds, the planets, and the stars.
From east to west his dragons swiftly glide,
And in eight days did bring him home again.
Now, mounted new upon a dragon's back,
He, as I guess, will first arrive at Rome
To see the Pope and manner of his court,
And take some part of holy Peter's feast,
The which this day is highly solemnised.
[Exit. Enter Faustus and Mephistophilis.
Faustus: Hast thou, as erst I did command,
Conducted me within the walls of Rome?
Mephistophilis: This is the goodly palace of the Pope.
Faustus: Sweet Mephistophilis, thou pleasest me.
Whilst I am here on earth, let me be cloy'd
With all things that delight the heart of man.
My four-and-twenty years of liberty
I'll spend in pleasure and in dalliance.
Now in this show let me an actor be,
That this proud Pope may Faustus' cunning see.
[Enter Pope and others in procession; Bruno, nominated pope in opposition by the Emperor, in chains. Faustus and Mephistophilis, impersonating two cardinals, are given charge of the condemned Bruno, whom they liberate and dispatch magically to the Emperor. Subsequently, both being rendered invisible, they amuse themselves at the expense of the Pope and his guests at a banquet; and then depart to the Emperor's court.
Scene II.—Before the Emperor's palace. Benvolio at a window. Enter the Emperor with his train, including Faustus, Mephistophilis, Bruno.
Emperor: Wonder of men, renowned magician,
Thrice-learned Faustus, welcome to our court.
Now, Faustus, as thou late didst promise us,
We would behold that famous conqueror,
Great Alexander, and his paramour,
In their true shapes and state majestical.
Faustus: Your majesty shall see them presently.
Benvolio: Aye, aye, and thou bring Alexander and
his paramour before the emperor, I'll be Actæon
and turn myself to a stag.
Faustus: And I'll be Diana and send you the horns presently.
[Enter a pageant of Darius, Alexander, etc., being phantoms. Exeunt.
Faustus: See, see, my gracious lord!
Emperor: Oh, wondrous sight!
Two spreading horns, most strangely fastened
Upon the head of young Benvolio!
Faustus: Oh, say not so, sir; the doctor has no skill
To bring before the royal emperor
The mighty monarch, warlike Alexander.
If Faustus do it, you are straight resolved
In bold Actæon's shape to turn a stag.
And therefore, my lord, so please your majesty,
I'll raise a kennel of hounds shall hunt him so—
Ho, Belimoth, Argison, Asteroth!
Benvolio: Hold, hold! Good my lord, entreat for
me! 'Sblood, I am never able to endure these torments.
Emperor: Let me entreat you to remove his horns;
He hath done penance now sufficiently.
Faustus: Being that to delight your majesty with
mirth is all that I desire, I am content to remove
his horns (Mephistophilis removes them), and
hereafter, sir, look you speak well of scholars.
Scene III.—A wood. Benvolio, Martino and Frederick.
Martino: Nay, sweet Benvolio, let us sway thy thoughts
From this attempt against the conjurer.
Benvolio: Away! You love me not, to urge me thus.
Shall I let slip so great an injury,
When every servile groom jests at my wrongs,
And in their rustic gambols proudly say,
"Benvolio's head was graced with horns to-day?"
If you will aid me in this enterprise,
Then draw your weapons and be resolute.
If not, depart; here will Benvolio die,
But Faustus' death shall quit my infamy.
Frederick: Nay, we will stay with thee, betide what may,
And kill that doctor, if he comes this way.
Close, close! The conjurer is at hand,
And all alone comes walking in his gown.
Be ready, then, and strike the peasant down.
Benvolio: Mine be that honour, then. Now, sword, strike home!
For horns he gave, I'll have his head anon!
[Enter Faustus.
No words; this blow ends all.
Hell take his soul! His body thus must fall.
[Benvolio stabs Faustus, who falls; Benvolio cuts off his head.
Frederick: Was this that stern aspect, that awful frown
Made the grim monarchs of infernal spirits
Tremble and quake at his commanding charms?
Martino: Was this that damnéd head, whose art conspired
Benvolio's shame before the emperor?
Benvolio: Aye, that's the head, and there the body lies.
Justly rewarded for his villainies. [Faustus rises.
Zounds, the devil's alive again!
Frederick: Give him his head, for God's sake!
Faustus: Nay, keep it; Faustus will have heads and hands,
Aye, all your hearts, to recompense this deed.
Then, wherefore do I dally my revenge?
Asteroth! Belimoth! Mephistophilis!
[Enter Mephistophilis, and other Devils.
Go, horse these traitors on your fiery backs,
And mount aloft with them as high as Heaven;
Thence pitch them headlong to the lowest hell.
Yet stay, the world shall see their misery,
And hell shall after plague their treachery.
Go, Belimoth, and take this caitiff hence,
And hurl him in some lake of mud and dirt;
Take thou this other, drag him through the woods,
Amongst the pricking thorns and sharpest briars;
Whilst with my gentle Mephistophilis
This traitor flies unto some steepy rock
That rolling down may break the villain's bones.
Fly hence! Dispatch my charge immediately!
Frederick: He must needs go, that the devil drives.
[Exeunt Devils with their victims.