How Dr. Faustus, through his Charms, made a great Castle
in the presence of the Duke of Anhalt.
Dr. Faustus desired the Duke of Anhalt to walk a little forth of the court with him; wherefore they went together in the field, where Dr. Faustus (through his skill) had placed a mighty castle, which when the duke saw he wondered thereat, so did the duchess and all the beholders, that on that hill which is called Rohumbuel, should on the sudden be so fair a castle. At length Dr. Faustus desired the duke and duchess to walk with him into the castle, which they denied not. This castle was so wonderful strong, having about it a great deep trench of water, the which was full of fish, and all manner of water-fowl, as swans, ducks, geese, bitterns, and such like; about the wall was five stone doors, and two other doors also; within was a great open court, wherein was enchanted all manner of wild beasts, especially such as was not to be found in Germany, as apes, bears, buffes, antelopes, and many more strange beasts; also there were harts, hinds, roebucks, and does, and wild swine; all manner of land-fowl that any man could think on, which flew from one tree to another.
After all this he set his guests to the table, being the duke and duchess, with all their train, for he had provided them a most sumptuous feast both of meat, and also of drink; for he set nine messes of meat upon the board at once. And all this must his Wagner do, to place all things on the board, the which was brought unto him by the spirit invisibly, of all things their hearts could desire, as wild-fowl, venison, and all manner of dainty fish that could be thought on. Of wine also great plenty, and of divers sorts, French wine, Cullen wine, Crabashir wine, Renish wine, Spanish wine, Hungarian wine, Waszburg wine, Malmsey, and Sack; in the whole there was one hundred cans standing round about the house.
This sumptuous banquet the duke took thankfully, and afterwards he departed homeward; but to their thinking they had neither eat nor drank, so were they blinded while they were in the castle. But as they were in their palace, they looked towards the castle, and beheld it all on a flame of fire, and all those that saw it wondered to hear so strange a noise, as if a great ordnance had been shot off. And thus the castle burned and consumed clean away; which done, Dr. Faustus returned to the duke, who gave him great thanks for showing of him so great a courtesy, and gave him a hundred dollars, and liberty to depart or stay there at his own discretion.
CHAPTER XLI.
How Dr. Faustus, with his Company,
visited the Bishop of Salisburg's Wine-cellar.
Dr. Faustus having taken leave of the duke, he went to Wittenburg, near about Shrovetide, and being in company with certain students, Dr. Faustus was himself the God of Bacchus, who having well feasted the students before with dainty fare, after the manner of Germany, where it is counted no feast unless all the bidden guests be drunk, which Dr. Faustus intending, said, "Gentlemen, and my guests, will it please you to take a cup of wine with me in a place or cellar whereunto I will bring you?" They all said willingly, "We will;" which, when Dr. Faustus heard, he took them forth, set each of them upon a holly-wand, and so was conjured into the Bishop of Salisburg's cellar, for thereabouts grew excellent pleasant wine. There fell Faustus and his company a-drinking and swilling, not of the worst, but of the best.
And as they were merry in the cellar, came to draw drink the bishop's butler; which when he perceived so many persons there, he cried with a loud voice, "Thieves, thieves!" This spited Dr. Faustus wonderfully, wherefore he made every one of his company to sit on their holly-wand, and so vanished away. And in parting, Dr. Faustus took the butler by the hair of the head, and carried him away with them, until they came to a mighty high-lopped tree; and on the top of that huge tree he set the butler, where he remained in a most fearful perplexity.
Dr. Faustus departed to his house, where they took their valete one after another, drinking the wine that they had stolen in their bottles out of the bishop's cellar. The butler, that had held himself by the hands upon the lopped tree all the night, was almost frozen with the cold, espying the day, and seeing the tree of huge great highness, thought with himself, "It is impossible to come off this tree without peril of death." At length, espying certain clowns passing by, he cried, "For the love of God help me down!" The clowns, seeing him so high, wondered what madman would climb up so huge a tree; wherefore, as a thing most miraculous, they carried tidings to the Bishop of Salisburg. Then was there great running on every side to see him on the tree, and many devices they practised to get him down with ropes, and being demanded of the bishop how he came there, he said that he was brought thither, by the hair of the head, by certain thieves that were robbing of the wine-cellar, but what they were he knew not; "for," said he, "they had faces like men, but they wrought like devils."