The last bacchanalia was held on Thursday, where ensued a great snow, and Dr. Faustus was invited unto the students that were with him the day before, where they prepared an excellent banquet for him, which banquet being ended, Dr. Faustus began to play his old projects. And forthwith was in the place thirteen apes, that took hands and danced round in a ring together; then they fell to tumbling and vaulting one after another, that it was most pleasant to behold; then they leaped out of the window and vanished away. Then they set before Dr. Faustus a roasted calf's head, which one of the students cut a piece off, and laid it on Dr. Faustus his trencher, which piece was no sooner laid down but the calf's head began to cry mainly out like a man, "Murder, murder! Out, alas! what dost thou to me?" Whereat they were all amazed, but after a while, considering of Faustus's jesting tricks, they began to laugh, and they pulled asunder the calf's head and eat it up.
Whereupon Dr. Faustus asked leave to depart, but they would in nowise agree to let him go, except that he would promise to come again presently. Then Faustus, through his cunning, made a sledge, the which was drawn about the house with four fiery dragons. This was fearful for the students to behold, for they saw Faustus ride up and down, as though he would have fired and slain all them that were in the house. This sport continued until midnight, with such a noise that they could not hear one another; the heads of the students were so light that they thought themselves to be in the air all that time.
CHAPTER XLV.
How Dr. Faustus showed the fair Helena unto the Students
upon the Sunday following.
The Sunday following came the students home to Dr. Faustus his own house, and brought their meat and drink with them. Those men were right welcome guests unto Faustus, wherefore they all fell to drinking of wine smoothly; and being merry, they began some of them to talk of beauty of women, and every one gave forth his verdict what he had seen, and what he had heard. So one amongst the rest said, "I was never so desirous of anything in this world as to have a sight (if it were possible) of fair Helena of Greece, for whom the worthy town of Troy was destroyed and razed down to the ground; therefore," saith he, "that in all men's judgments she was more than commonly fair, because that when she was stolen away from her husband there was for her recovery so great bloodshed."
Dr. Faustus answered: "For that you are all my friends, and are so desirous to see that stately pearl of Greece, fair Helena, the wife to King Menelaus, and daughter of Tyndarus and Leda, sister to Castor and Pollux, who was the fairest lady of all Greece, I will therefore bring her into your presence personally, and in the same form and attire as she used to go when she was in her chiefest flower and choicest prime of youth. The like have I done for the Emperor Carolus Magnus; at his desire I showed him Alexander the Great, and his paramour. But," said Dr. Faustus, "I charge you all that upon your perils you speak not a word, nor rise up from the table so long as she is in your presence."
And so he went out of the hall, returning presently again, after whom immediately followed the fair and beautiful Helena, whose beauty was such that the students were all amazed to see her, esteeming her rather to be an heavenly than an earthly creature. This lady appeared before them in a most rich gown of purple velvet, costly embroidered; her hair hanging down loose, as fair as the beaten gold, and of such length that it reached down to her hams; having most amorous coal-black eyes; a sweet and pleasant round face, with lips as red as any cherry; her cheeks of a rose colour, her mouth small; her neck white like a swan, tall and slender of personage; in sum, there was no imperfect place in her. She looked round about her with a rolling hawk's eye, a smiling and wanton countenance, which near hand inflamed the hearts of all the students, but that they persuaded themselves she was a spirit, which made them lightly pass away such fancies; and thus fair Helena and Faustus went out again one with another.
But the students, at Faustus entering in the hall again, requested him to let them see her again the next day, for that they will bring with them a painter to take a counterfeit, which he denied, affirming that he could not always raise up his spirit, but only at certain times. "Yet," said he, "I will give unto you her counterfeit, which shall be as good to you as if yourself should see the drawing thereof;" which they received according to his promise, but soon after lost it again. The students departed from Faustus to their several lodgings, but none of them could sleep that night for thinking of the beauty of fair Helena; therefore a man may see how the devil blindeth and inflameth the heart oftentimes, that men fall in love with harlots, from which their minds can afterwards be hardly removed.
CHAPTER XLVI.
How Dr. Faustus conjured the four Wheels from the Clown's Waggon.