第15章 Enter CHORUS(15)

THIRD SCHOLAR. Too simple is my wit to tell her worth, Whom all the world admires for majesty.

FIRST SCHOLAR. Now we have seen the pride of Nature's work, We'll take our leaves: and, for this blessed sight, Happy and blest be Faustus evermore!

FAUSTUS. Gentlemen, farewell: the same wish I to you. [Exeunt SCHOLARS.]

Enter an OLD MAN.

OLD MAN. O gentle Faustus, leave this damned art, This magic, that will charm thy soul to hell, And quite bereave thee of salvation! Though thou hast now offended like a man, Do not persever in it like a devil: Yet, yet thou hast an amiable soul, If sin by custom grow not into nature; Then, Faustus, will repentance come too late; Then thou art banish'd from the sight of heaven: No mortal can express the pains of hell. It may be, this my exhortation Seems harsh and all unpleasant: let it not; For, gentle son, I speak it not in wrath, Or envy of thee, but in tender love, And pity of thy future misery; And so have hope that this my kind rebuke, Checking thy body, may amend thy soul.

FAUSTUS. Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what hast thou done? Hell claims his right, and with a roaring voice Says, "Faustus, come; thine hour is almost come;" And Faustus now will come to do thee right.

[MEPHISTOPHILIS gives him a dagger.]

OLD MAN. O, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps! I see an angel hover o'er thy head, And, with a vial full of precious grace, Offers to pour the same into thy soul: Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.

FAUSTUS. O friend, I feel Thy words to comfort my distressed soul! Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

OLD MAN. Faustus, I leave thee; but with grief of heart, Fearing the enemy of thy hapless soul. [Exit.]

FAUSTUS. Accursed Faustus, wretch, what hast thou done? I do repent; and yet I do despair: Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast: What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

MEPHIST. Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul For disobedience tomy sovereign lord: Revolt, or I'll in piece-meal tear thy flesh.

FAUSTUS. I do repent I e'er offended him. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord To pardon my unjust presumption, And with my blood again I will confirm The former vow I made to Lucifer.

MEPHIST. Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart, Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.

FAUSTUS. Torment, sweet friend, that base and aged man, That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer, With greatest torments that our hell affords.

MEPHIST. His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul; But what I may afflict his body with I will attempt, which is but little worth.

FAUSTUS. One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee, To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-- That I may have unto my paramour That heavenly Helen which I saw of late, Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow, And keep my oath I made to Lucifer.

MEPHIST. This, or what else my Faustus shall desire, Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN, passing over the stage between two CUPIDS.

FAUSTUS. Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?-- Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.-- [Kisses her.] Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!-- Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again. Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips, And all is dross that is not Helena. I will be Paris, and for love of thee, Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd; And I will combat with weak Menelaus, And wear thy colours on my plumed crest; Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel, And then return to Helen for a kiss. O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter When he appear'd to hapless Semele; More lovely than the monarch of the sky In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms; And none but thou shalt be my paramour! [Exeunt.]

Thunder. Enter LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS.

LUCIFER. Thus from infernal Dis do we ascend To view the subjectsof our monarchy, Those souls which sin seals the black sons of hell; 'Mong which, as chief, Faustus, we come to thee, Bringing with us lasting damnation To wait upon thy soul: the time is come Which makes it forfeit.

MEPHIST. And, this gloomy night, Here, in this room, will wretched Faustus be.

BELZEBUB. And here we'll stay, To mark him how he doth demean himself.

MEPHIST. How should he but in desperate lunacy? Fond worldling, now his heart-blood dries with grief; His conscience kills it; and his labouring brain Begets a world of idle fantasies To over-reach the devil; but all in vain; His store of pleasures must be sauc'd with pain. He and his servant Wagner are at hand; Both come from drawing Faustus' latest will. See, where they come!

Enter FAUSTUS and WAGNER. FAUSTUS. Say, Wagner,--thou hast perusd my will,-- How dost thou like it?

WAGNER. Sir, So wondrous well, As in all humble duty I do yield My life and lasting service for your love.

FAUSTUS. Gramercy, Wagner. Enter SCHOLARS.

Welcome, Gentlemen. [Exit WAGNER.]

FIRST SCHOLAR. Now, worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are chang'd.

FAUSTUS. O, gentlemen!

SECOND SCHOLAR. What ails Faustus?

FAUSTUS. Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee, then had I lived still! but now must die eternally. Look, sirs, comes he not? comes he not?

FIRST SCHOLAR. O my dear Faustus, what imports this fear? SECOND SCHOLAR. Is all our pleasure turn'd to melancholy? THIRD SCHOLAR. He is not well with being over-solitary.

SECOND SCHOLAR. If it be so, we'll have physicians, And Faustus shall be cur'd.

THIRD SCHOLAR. 'Tis but a surfeit, sir; fear nothing. FAUSTUS. A surfeit of deadly sin, that hath damned both bodyand soul.

SECOND SCHOLAR. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven, and remember mercy is infinite.