More in the same place he saith: That a schoolmaster amongst the Goslaryens, instructed of Faustus the Magician, or rather Infaustus his evil doctrine, learned a way how the Devil might be bound by spell on a glass, who as you may there read was so affrighted, that lying one whole year speechless, at the end he spake of his fear and Devil’s appearance, and then having received his Christian rites died.
As for the Author this Doctor Wier, doubt you not of his credit, for he is alleged of the very singularest scholars, as the best that ever wrote in that argument. We have a Gentleman of our own country, master Reignold Scot, Esquire,[43] that doth universally quote him as his chief and especial help in his discovery of Witchcraft, yea and he testifieth of him not without good desert, saying: J. Bode[44] in his lawyerly Physic reasoneth contrarily, as though Melancholy were farthest off from these old women whom we call Witches. And the most famous and noble Physician John Wier for his opinion in that behalf: Lo, where he calleth him the most famous Physician as he was then certainly, in the discovery of Witchcraft, lib. 3. Cap. 7.
IX
Thus far I have set down that you may know and persuade yourselves so far as you see just cause by the reasons.
VALE.
Footnotes
[40] i.e. The English Faust Book which is printed in the present volume.
[41] i.e. Faust’s compact with Mephisto.
[42] V. Introduction.
[43] Author of Discovery of Witchcraft, 1584.
[44] Jean Bodin, author of Démonomanie des Sorciers, 1580.
THE SECOND REPORT OF DOCTOR JOHN FAUSTUS
In nomine aeterne & semperuiuae maiestatis, Amen. Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici.
CHAPTER I
Doctor John Faustus, whose parentage howsoever hitherto informed, is known to be base, his father when he was at the best, but the son of a poor Farmer, his Mother the daughter of one of the same condition, born in a small village called Kundling in Slesia, brought up in literature at Gracovia, after at Wittenberg, whose life made him famous, and death notorious: being thus tormented and torn in pieces, at the time appointed betwixt the Devils and him, moved by this example woeful and lamentable enough, the hearts of the Students and Scholars which were witnesses of his distraughture, that with an inward terror of conscience vexed and tormented, they departed and declared the whole volumes of his detestable life, which afore his Tragedy was thus acted, were not known. Christopher Wagner, his familiar servant unto whom he had committed the secrets of his bosom, and had intimated unto him whatever his four and twenty years’ familiarity with the black Art, and more black Devils had taught him: He after the death of his thus slain Master musing at everything thus done, everything thus done being wonderful: (as men do whom fear makes passionate and meditation of former loss urgeth a latter augment of fresh sorrows): in a distraughtful fury (the Company of Students being departed, which were eye witnesses of the Doctor’s lamentable end) conveyed himself unto his Master’s Library, viewing with sorrowful eyes the only Monuments of his life, the disputations betwixt him and Mephostophiles, his answers and demands, and else whatsoever questions moved or disputed of betwixt the Devils and him, and memorials of his Heavens and Hells voyages, his conveyance with many the like comical journeys. The boy of a sudden fell into a deep considering of his former merriments, sports and delights, in so much that in this conceit he flung out of this study, as if he meant to bury the remembrance of these matters by contempt and negligence: coming into the same Hall wherein his Master’s latest Tragedy was performed, sighing for his want, he remembered (for as then he lately read it) how that one Article to the which his Master had bound Mephostophiles was, that after his death he should be a Spirit in nature and essence as others were. The Wag at this began to smile (oh how such things seeming pleasant make fools’ hearts merry) conceiving with himself how to make his once Master become his man, and to have the number of his spiritual followers doubled, scorning the alonely attendance of one servant. To this therefore he determined a time for the raising of his Master’s spirit: and therewith he fell to read earnestly of other matters, so long that he began to leave as wearied and wearied began to muse. Suddenly the air began to receive an alteration and change with a thick foggy mist, as if it would have shut up the desired day from man’s view, the winds raged, the thunder lifted up his voice above the common strain, hail and rain immediately following, and all these but the ordinary presages of an appearing Spirit. At this Kit began to tremble, not as afraid of that which came, but struck with inward horror of conscience, thinking that no other time had been appointed to be his doomsday. Suddenly (for always such haps are sudden) the doors flew open as if they would have fled from flying, and in all pomp entered as it were the Prologue of a Comedy, a fellow so short and little as if he should be of one year, and yet not so brief as ill-favoured, in his hands a Club, on his head a Crown of Laurel, riding upon a low Mule, his name was Gomory, a strong and mighty Duke, the ruler of six and twenty Legions: and next in bravery appeared Volac, a great Governor, in the shape of a Boy with wings like an Angel of Hell, seeming to be of old rusty iron, riding upon a Dragon with four heads, in his hands he held a flaming Torch to give light to the after-comers and beholders: next after him appeared Asmoday, a King mighty and puissant, ragged and bristled like a Boar on foot, bearing a banner or a lance. After him issued Lucifer the King of the Orient with the four Monarchs of his dominions, betwixt them were two mighty Spaniels which drew in a fiery Cart Doctor John Faustus, whom if reason had not better ruled Wagner would have saluted, for so natural was his semblance, so lively his countenance, as if it had either been a new Faustus, or not the old murdered Faustus, but the fear which his Master’s harm put him in, cast him besides the renewing of his old acquaintance, after these came divers others with trumpets and excellent melody.