The description of Vienna
Fame had so far carried the report of Faustus’ death, as it had the memory of his life, and for by continual motion rumours increase, as saith the Heroical fountain of Latin verse Virgil,
Mobilitate viget viresque acquirit eundo.
In Austrich these news were very frequent, being a Province mightily replenished with people, and marching upon the hems of the Hungarian, is a near neighbour to the most cruel Dog and tyrant the Turk. In Vienna, a City of the same, by which, as the Thames by London, the great and often but never enough praised River of great Danuby keeps his current, the City itself (being every way bigger then the fair City of London) within the Walls, the head of the City resteth upon the mountain of Orstkirken, the front displayeth the wide plains upon the descendant of the same Hill, but she washes her feet in the River: her body and her breast covering the large valley lying betwixt Hill and Hill, not far into the City the Danuby is derived into two arms, which by running about a certain Hill, of some half mile and more, meet at length again in the same Channel: in this Island is the Duke’s Court, out of which are two and thirty marvellous goodly stone Bridges, intending to either side of the City: at the very promontories’ ends, stands two no less fair, than high and strong Castles, in this place did the Duke keep his Court, with very great royalty, unto whom when this was reported, hearing of a certain that Wagner had great store of his Master’s skill and whatsoever, he caused one that in such matters is commonly commanded, to ride to Wittenberg, to the intent to hear the truth, for many things more than the truth were certified unto him: the messenger without delay (because the journey was long) departed and left the Court, and we him a while.
CHAPTER VI
A long discourse betwixt the Devil and Wagner, and ended with a good Philosophical repast
Wagner solitary musing in his Chamber and conversing with many multitudes of thoughts, suddenly appeared Mephostophiles, his master’s Familiar, after him Akercocke, which was Wagner’s, and after all Faustus: Quoth Mephostophiles, what cheer? Sirrah such as you see, we are as we were and never-the-better: and welcome Akercocke, but my very good Faustus, that you come at this time I rejoice. So then they all sat down, and sat right against him. Then entered in divers delicate viands, and there not then to be ended, with unseen Symphonies of Music. Then spake Wagner and said Claudite iam riuos, now we have satisfied our appetite with meat, I pray you hear me with patience, for I have a thing in my mind of which I would fain be resolved, but because you so foully, and so often foully entreated my Master, for demanding some questions, you shall ratify this Article with me again. I. That in my demands you shall answer truly and patiently, for what hurt can redound to you by answering of a question, seeing if you are sure of anything you may hold fast, a question cannot take it away: Without delay these good fellows confirmed the Article with a great oath: but he would take their simple word without surety, he knew their honesty so well. Then Wagner pulling down his Cap into his eyes, and leaning upon his elbow a while, and throwing up his eyes to heaven, and then sighing, at length folding his arms within themselves, sat still a little time, then spitting a little and fetching a hearty hem, with a good courage spake unto them thus.
Sirs, it is not unknown unto you how dear I have always accounted of my Master, whose condition is as far from that it was as mine from yours, for which I have more often lamented his departure than mine own misery, being once every way a man, so thoroughly instructed with the weapons of all Sciences, that in all the world hardly his peer could be found, so that your victory over such a man is more to be wailed than over many a thousand such as I am. To be short, that you may understand whither I will go without further Oration. Wherefore I desire you, I pray you, nay I by your Article command you, that you declare unto me truly without collusion, whether that Faustus here present in that state wherein he now is, may come again to be a living man amongst us, either his old shape renewed, or he in a new: For some Philosophers say, and some Divines, as Origenes and Tertullian, and whether they say truly or no I know not, that no sooner the soul of man departeth from one but that it both enter into another. Wherefore I considering with myself thus much, and often for his cause that he may not only be Faustus, but also a living man and dweller upon the earth, to enjoy not only those graces which through his great deserts he had lost, but also according to his infinite knowledge, multiply them through God’s favours again and again abundantly. And though you shall perhaps deny that the same Individual cannot be again so resuscitated, yet that Numero it may in spite of you all, I know it may: for we do not doubt that the same Individual may Numero be again regotten, because that after seven and thirty thousand years, the heavenly constellation shall be in every point per totum the same then that now it is, according to Plato and the Astronomers. And therefore we shall be ye same in Numero, and shall sit in this or that school or place as now we do, that is in that Magno anno, in that great year: Whereupon Plato said, that after the great year he should return to Athens, and should there read: Because the constellation shall happen so, therefore that returning, the same effects shall with them likewise return. Now having heard my resolution, answer me to my first proposition in full and amply, as that I may be satisfied. At the conclusion of this speech Faustus turned his head aside laying it betwixt his hands hiding it, so sat a great while. Akercocke he frisked up and down, for he had neither clog nor chain, because he was in the number of the wild ones, and over the table and back again. Akercocke was the familiar which Faustus gave to Wagner who asked him in the fashion of an Ape. Such cranks, such lifts, careers and gambalds,[51] as he played there, would have made a horse laugh. Mephostophiles who as it seemed was the speaker of ye Parliament in hell, rose and walked about very hastily, at length he came to the table and striking his fist on it (the print was seen two years after, and was carried to S. Marget’s church for a relique, to shew what a hot fellow the Devil is in his anger) and again beating said, thou, and then left, and came and went, and came and went again, here he takes me one book and hurls it against a Cupboard, and then he takes the Cupboard and hurls it against the wall, and then he takes the wall and throws it against the house, and the house out at the Window. Pacifying his rage at the length, rolling his eyes, and seeming to beat his teeth together, sat down further off, and thus quietly spake with a loud voice. Were it not Wagner that our solemn vow forbiddeth to disturb or torment thee for any demands, this thy fond pride should be rewarded with most intolerable punishments: As for the question, I will answer thee more substantially than such a foolish doltish one doth require. And for that we have day enough before us, I will travel further in it then ye gravity of the argument can require, if it be but that thou mayest see how great an Ass thou art, which canst imagine so gross a matter in thy more gross head: As for thy great Peer,[52] be it as you expect it you, in the mean we will enjoy him and thee at our pleasure in despite of God and Heaven and all his imperial armies of saints. Thy question is this: Whether the Spirit of a damned man can return into the body of another man. To which I answer Negatively, it cannot.
