ACT I. SCENE I.
Dr. Faustus seated in his Chair, and reading in his Study.
Good and bad Angel ready.
Faust. Settle thy Study, Faustus, and begin
To sound the Depth of that thou wilt profess;
These Metaphysicks of Magicians,
And Negromantick Books, are heav'nly
Lines, Circles, Letters, Characters,
Ay, these are those that Faustus most desires;
A sound Magician is a Demi-God:
Here tire my Brains to get a Deity.
Mephostopholis under the Stage. A good and bad Angel fly down.
Good Ang. O Faustus! lay that damn'd Book aside;
And gaze not on it, lest it tempt thy heart to blasphemy.
Bad Ang. Go forward, Faustus, in that famous Art
Wherein all Natures Treasure is contain'd:
Be thou on Earth as Jove is in the Sky,
Lord and Commander of these Elements.
Spirits ascend.
Faust. How am I glutted with conceit of this?
Shall I make Spirits fetch me what I please?
I'll have 'em fly to India for Gold,
Ransack the Ocean for Orient Pearl.
I'll have 'em Wall all Germany with Brass:
I'll levy Soldiers with the Coin they bring,
And chase the Prince of Parma from our Land. [Rises.
'Tis now the Dead nigh Noon of Night,
And Lucifer his Spirits freedom gives;
I'll try if in this Circle I can Raise
A Dæmon to inform me what I long for.
Sint mihi Dii Acherontis propitii, Orientis Princeps, Beelzebub, German. Demogorgon. [Thunders. Mephostopholis, Mephostopholis, surgat Spiritus.
Mephostopholis speaks under Ground. [Thunders.