To the end that this miserable Faustus might fill the lust of his flesh, and live in all manner of voluptuous pleasures, it came in his mind after he had slept his first sleep,[39] and in the twenty-third year past of his time, that he had a great desire to lie with fair Helena of Greece, especially her whom he had seen and shewed unto the Students of Wittenberg, wherefore he called unto him his Spirit Mephostophiles, commanding him to bring him the fair Helena, which he also did. Whereupon he fell in love with her, and made her his common Concubine and bedfellow, for she was so beautiful and delightful a piece, that he could not be one hour from her, if he should therefore have suffered death, she had so stolen away his heart: and to his seeming, in time she was with child, and in the end brought him a man child, whom Faustus named Justus Faustus: this child told Doctor Faustus many things that were to come, and what strange matters were done in foreign countries: but in the end when Faustus lost his life, the mother and the child vanished away both together.
Footnotes
[39] The German text has “at midnight, when he awoke.”
CHAPTER LVI
How Doctor Faustus made his Will, in the which he named his servant Wagner to be his heir
Doctor Faustus was now in his twenty-fourth and last year, and he had a pretty stripling to his servant, the which had studied also at the University of Wittenberg: this youth was very well acquainted with his knaveries and sorceries, so that he was hated as well for his own knaveries, as also for his Master’s: for no man would give him entertainment into his service, because of his unhappiness, but Faustus: this Wagner was so well beloved with Faustus, that he used him as his son: for do what he would his master was always therewith well content. And when the time drew nigh that Faustus should end, he called unto him a Notary and certain masters the which were his friends and often conversant with him, in whose presence he gave this Wagner his house and Garden. Item, he gave him in ready money one thousand six hundred gilders. Item, a Farm. Item, a gold chain, much plate, and other household stuff. This gave he all to his servant, and the rest of his time he meant to spend in Inns and Students’ company, drinking and eating, with other jollity: and thus he finished his Will for that time.
CHAPTER LVII
How Doctor Faustus fell in talk with his servant touching his Testament, and the covenants thereof
Now when this Will was made, Doctor Faustus called unto him his servant, saying: I have thought upon thee in my Testament, for that thou hast been a trusty servant unto me and a faithful, and hast not opened my secrets: and yet further (said he) ask of me before I die what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee. His servant rashly answered, I pray you let me have your cunning. To which Doctor Faustus answered, I have given thee all my books, upon this condition, that thou wouldst not let them be common, but use them for thine own pleasure, and study carefully in them. And dost thou also desire my cunning? That mayest thou peradventure have, if thou love and peruse my books well. Further (said Doctor Faustus) seeing that thou desirest of me this request, I will resolve thee: my Spirit Mephostophiles his time is out with me, and I have nought to command him as touching thee, yet will I help thee to another, if thou like well thereof. And within three days after he called his servant unto him, saying: art thou resolved? wouldst thou verily have a Spirit? Then tell me in what manner or form thou wouldst have him? To whom his servant answered, that he would have him in the form of an Ape: whereupon presently appeared a Spirit unto him in manner and form of an Ape, the which leaped about the house. Then said Faustus, see, there hast thou thy request, but yet he will not obey thee until I be dead, for when my Spirit Mephostophiles shall fetch me away, then shall thy Spirit be bound unto thee, if thou agree: and thy Spirit shalt thou name Akercocke, for so is he called: but all this is upon condition that thou publish my cunning, and my merry conceits, with all that I have done (when I am dead) in an history: and if thou canst not remember all, thy Spirit Akercocke will help thee: so shall the great acts that I have done be manifested unto the world.