"Good even, good fellow," said Faustus to the clown, "what shall I give thee to let me eat my bellyful of hay?" The clown thought with himself, "What a madman is this to eat hay." Thought he with himself, "Thou wilt not eat much." They agreed for three farthings he should eat as much as he could.
Wherefore Dr. Faustus began to eat, and so ravenously, that all the rest of the company fell a-laughing; blinding so the poor clown that he was sorry at his heart, for he seemed to have eaten more than half of the hay; wherefore the clown began to speak him fair, for fear he should have eaten the other half also. Faustus made as though he had pity on the clown, and went away. When the clown came in the place where he would be, he had his hay again as he had before, a full load.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
How Dr. Faustus served the Twelve Students.
At Wittenburg, before Faustus's house, there was a quarrel between seven students, and five that came to part the rest, one part stronger than the other. Wherefore Dr. Faustus, seeing them to be over-matched, conjured them all blind, insomuch that the one could not see the other, and he dealt so with them, that they fought and smote at one another still; whereat all the beholders fell a-laughing; and thus they continued blind, beating one another until the people parted them and led each one to his own house, where being entered into their houses, they received their sight presently again.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
How Dr. Faustus served the Drunken Clowns.
Dr. Faustus went into an inn wherein were many tables full of clowns, the which were tippling can after can of excellent wine; and to be short, they were all drunken; and as they sate, they so sang and holloaed, that one could not hear a man speak for them. This angered Dr. Faustus; wherefore he said to them that called him in, "Mark, my masters, I will show a merry jest."
The clowns continued still holloaing and singing; he conjured them that their mouths stood as wide open as it was possible for them to hold them, and never a one of them was able to close his mouth again; by-and-by the noise was gone; the clowns notwithstanding looked earnest one upon another, and knew not what was happened. One by one they went out, and so soon as they came without, they were all as well as ever they were, but none of them desired to go in any more.