The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Part 15

[Footnote 105: Enter the SEVEN DEADLY SINS-- In THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Lucifer amuses Faustus, not by calling up the Seven Deadly Sins, but by making various devils appear before him, "one after another, in forme as they were in h.e.l.l." "First entered Beliall in forme of a beare," &c.--"after him came Beelzebub, in curled haire of a horseflesh colour," &c.--"then came Astaroth, in the forme of a worme," &c. &c. During this exhibition, "Lucifer himselfe sate in manner of a man all hairy, but of browne colour, like a squirrell, curled, and his tayle turning upward on his backe as the squirrels use: I think he could crack nuts too like a squirrell." Sig. D, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 106: case-- i.e. couple.]

[Footnote 107: bevers-- i.e. refreshments between meals.]

[Footnote 108: L.-- All the 4tos "Lechery."--Here I have made the alteration recommended by Mr. Collier in his Preface to COLERIDGE'S SEVEN LECTURES ON SHAKESPEARE AND MILTON, p. cviii.]

[Footnote 109: Away, to h.e.l.l, to h.e.l.l-- In 4to 1604, these words stand on a line by themselves, without a prefix. (In the later 4tos, the corresponding pa.s.sage is as follows; "------ begins with Lechery.

LUCIFER. Away to h.e.l.l, away! On, piper! [Exeunt the SINS.

FAUSTUS. O, how this sight doth delight my soul!" &c.)]

[Footnote 110: I will send for thee at midnight-- In THE HISTORY OF DR.

FAUSTUS, we have a particular account of Faustus's visit to the infernal regions, Sig. D 2, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 111: Enter CHORUS-- Old ed. "Enter WAGNER solus." That these lines belong to the Chorus would be evident enough, even if we had no a.s.sistance here from the later 4tos.--The parts of Wagner and of the Chorus were most probably played by the same actor: and hence the error.]

[Footnote 112: Learned Faustus, To know the secrets of astronomy, &c.-- See the 21st chapter of THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS,--"How Doctor Faustus was carried through the ayre up to the heavens, to see the whole world, and how the sky and planets ruled," &c.]

[Footnote 113: Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS-- Scene, the Pope's privy-chamber.]

[Footnote 114: Trier-- i.e. Treves or Triers.]

[Footnote 115: From Paris next, &c.-- This description is from THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS; "He came from Paris to Mentz, where the river of Maine falls into the Rhine: notwithstanding he tarried not long there, but went into Campania, in the kingdome of Neapol, in which he saw an innumerable sort of cloysters, nunries, and churches, and great houses of stone, the streets faire and large, and straight forth from one end of the towne to the other as a line; and all the pavement of the city was of bricke, and the more it rained into the towne, the fairer the streets were: there saw he the tombe of Virgill, and the highway that he cu[t]

through the mighty hill of stone in one night, the whole length of an English mile," &c. Sig. E 2, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 116: The way he cut, &c.-- During the middle ages Virgil was regarded as a great magician, and much was written concerning his exploits in that capacity. The LYFE OF VIRGILIUS, however, (see Thoms's EARLY PROSE ROMANCES, vol. ii.,) makes no mention of the feat in question. But Petrarch speaks of it as follows.

"Non longe a Puteolis Falernus collis attollitur, famoso palmite n.o.bilis. Inter Falernum et mare mons est saxeus, hominum manibus confossus, quod vulgus insulsum a Virgilio magicis cantaminibus factum putant: ita clarorum fama hominum, non veris contenta laudibus, saepe etiam fabulis viam facit. De quo c.u.m me olim Robertus regno clarus, sed praeclarus ingenio ac literis, quid sentirem, multis astantibus, percunctatus esset, humanitate fretus regia, qua non reges modo sed homines vicit, jocans nusquam me legisse magicarium fuisse Virgilium respondi: quod ille severissimae nutu frontis approbans, non illic magici sed ferri vestigia confessus est. Sunt autem fauces excavati montis angustae sed longissimae atque atrae: tenebrosa inter horrifica semper nox: public.u.m iter in medio, mirum et religioni proximum, belli quoque immolatum temporibus, sic vero populi vox est, et nullis unquam latrociniis attentatum, patet: Criptam Neapolitanam dic.u.n.t, cujus et in epistolis ad Lucilium Seneca mentionem fecit. Sub finem fusci tramitis, ubi primo videri coelum incipit, in aggere edito, ipsius Virgilii busta visuntur, pervetusti operis, unde haec forsan ab illo perforati montis fluxit opinio." ITINERARIUM SYRIAc.u.m,--OPP.

p. 560, ed. Bas.]

[Footnote 117: From thence to Venice, Padua, and the rest, In one of which a sumptuous temple stands, &c.-- So the later 4tos.--2to 1604 "In MIDST of which," &c.--THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS shews WHAT "sumptuous temple" is meant: "From thence he came to Venice....He wondred not a little at the fairenesse of S. Marks Place, and the sumptuous church standing thereon, called S. Marke, how all the pavement was set with coloured stones, and all the rood or loft of the church double gilded over." Sig. E 2, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 118: Just through the midst, &c.-- This and the next line are not in 4to 1604. I have inserted them from the later 4tos, as being absolutely necessary for the sense.]

[Footnote 119: Ponte-- All the 4tos "Ponto."]

[Footnote 120: of-- So the later 4tos.--Not in 4to 1604.]

[Footnote 121: Then charm me, that I, &c.-- A corrupted pa.s.sage.--Compare THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Sig. E 3, ed. 1648; where, however, the Cardinal, whom the Pope entertains, is called the Cardinal of PAVIA.]

[Footnote 122: Sonnet-- Variously written, SENNET, SIGNET, SIGNATE, &c.--A particular set of notes on the trumpet, or cornet, different from a flourish. See Nares's GLOSS. in V. SENNET.]

[Footnote 123: Enter ROBIN, &c.-- Scene, near an inn.]

[Footnote 124: ippocras-- Or HIPPOCRAS,--a medicated drink composed of wine (usually red) with spices and sugar. It is generally supposed to have been so called from HIPPOCRATES (contracted by our earliest writers to HIPPOCRAS); perhaps because it was strained,--the woollen bag used by apothecaries to strain syrups and decoctions for clarification being termed HIPPOCRATES' SLEEVE.]

[Footnote 125: tabern-- i.e. tavern.]

[Footnote 126: [Exeunt.

Enter ROBIN and RALPH, &c.-- A scene is evidently wanting after the Exeunt of Robin and Ralph.]

[Footnote 127: purchase-- i.e. booty--gain, acquisition.]

[Footnote 128: Drawer-- There is an inconsistency here: the Vintner cannot properly be addressed as "Drawer." The later 4tos are also inconsistent in the corresponding pa.s.sage: d.i.c.k says, "THE VINTNER'S BOY follows us at the hard heels," and immediately the "VINTNER" enters.]

[Footnote 129: tone-- i.e. the one.]

[Footnote 130: MEPHIST-- Monarch of h.e.l.l, &c.-- Old ed. thus:--]

"MEPHIST. Vanish vilaines, th' one like an Ape, an other like a Beare, the third an a.s.se, for doing this enterprise.

Monarch of h.e.l.l, vnder whose blacke suruey," &c.

What follows, shews that the words which I have omitted ought to have no place in the text; nor is there any thing equivalent to them in the corresponding pa.s.sage of the play as given in the later 4tos.]

[Footnote 131: Enter EMPEROR, &c.-- Scene--An apartment in the Emperor's Palace. According to THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, the Emperor "was personally, with the rest of the n.o.bles and gentlemen, at the towne of Inzbrack, where he kept his court." Sig. G, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 132: Master Doctor Faustus, &c-- The greater part of this scene is closely borrowed from the history just cited: e.g. "Faustus, I have heard much of thee, that thou art excellent in the black art, and none like thee in mine empire; for men say that thou hast a familiar spirit with thee, and that thou canst doe what thou list; it is therefore (said the Emperor) my request of thee, that thou let me see a proofe of thy experience: and I vow unto thee, by the honour of my emperiall crowne, none evill shall happen unto thee for so doing," &c. Ibid.]

[Footnote 133: won-- May be right: but qy. "done"?]

[Footnote 134: As we that do succeed, &c.-- A corrupted pa.s.sage (not found in the later 4tos).]

[Footnote 135: The bright, &c.-- See note ||, p. 18.]

[Note ||, from page 18 (The First Part of Tamburlaine The Great):

Barbarous-- Qy. "O Barbarous"? in the next line but one, "O treacherous"? and in the last line of the speech, "O b.l.o.o.d.y"? But we occasionally find in our early dramatists lines which are defective in the first syllable; and in some of these instances at least it would almost seem that nothing has been omitted by the transcriber or printer.--]

[Footnote 136: But, if it like your grace, it is not in my ability, &c.]

"D. Faustus answered, My most excellent lord, I am ready to accomplish your request in all things, so farre forth as I and my spirit are able to performe: yet your majesty shall know that their dead bodies are not able substantially to be brought before you; but such spirits as have seene Alexander and his Paramour alive shall appeare unto you, in manner and form as they both lived in their most flourishing time; and herewith I hope to please your Imperiall Majesty. Then Faustus went a little aside to speake to his spirit; but he returned againe presently, saying, Now, if it please your Majesty, you shall see them; yet, upon this condition, that you demand no question of them, nor speake unto them; which the Emperor agreed unto. Wherewith Doctor Faustus opened the privy-chamber doore, where presently entered the great and mighty emperor Alexander Magnus, in all things to looke upon as if he had beene alive; in proportion, a strong set thicke man, of a middle stature, blacke haire, and that both thicke and curled, head and beard, red cheekes, and a broad face, with eyes like a basiliske; he had a compleat harnesse (i.e. suit of armour) burnished and graven, exceeding rich to look upon: and so, pa.s.sing towards the Emperor Carolus, he made low and reverend courtesie: whereat the Emperour Carolus would have stood up to receive and greet him with the like reverence; but Faustus tooke hold on him, and would not permit him to doe it. Shortly after, Alexander made humble reverence, and went out againe; and comming to the doore, his paramour met him. She comming in made the Emperour likewise reverence: she was cloathed in blew velvet, wrought and imbroidered with pearls and gold; she was also excellent faire, like milke and blood mixed, tall and slender, with a face round as an apple. And thus pa.s.sed [she-- certaine times up and downe the house; which the Emperor marking, said to himselfe, Now have I seene two persons which my heart hath long wished to behold; and sure it cannot otherwise be (said he to himselfe) but that the spirits have changed themselves into these formes, and have but deceived me, calling to minde the woman that raised the prophet Samuel: and for that the Emperor would be the more satisfied in the matter, he said, I have often heard that behind, in her neck, she had a great wart or wen; wherefore he tooke Faustus by the hand without any words, and went to see if it were also to be seene on her or not; but she, perceiving that he came to her, bowed downe her neck, when he saw a great wart; and hereupon she vanished, leaving the Emperor and the rest well contented."

THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, Sig. G, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 137: both-- Old ed. "best."]

[Footnote 138: Mephistophilis, transform him straight-- According to THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, the knight was not present during Faustus's "conference" with the Emperor; nor did he offer the doctor any insult by doubting his skill in magic. We are there told that Faustus happening to see the knight asleep, "leaning out of a window of the great hall," fixed a huge pair of hart's horns on his head; "and, as the knight awaked, thinking to pull in his head, he hit his hornes against the gla.s.se, that the panes thereof flew about his eares: thinke here how this good gentleman was vexed, for he could neither get backward nor forward." After the emperor and the courtiers, to their great amus.e.m.e.nt, had beheld the poor knight in this condition, Faustus removed the horns. When Faustus, having taken leave of the emperor, was a league and a half from the city, he was attacked in a wood by the knight and some of his companions: they were in armour, and mounted on fair palfreys; but the doctor quickly overcame them by turning all the bushes into hors.e.m.e.n, and "so charmed them, that every one, knight and other, for the s.p.a.ce of a whole moneth, did weare a paire of goates hornes on their browes, and every palfry a paire of oxe hornes on his head; and this was their penance appointed by Faustus." A second attempt of the knight to revenge himself on Faustus proved equally unsuccessful. Sigs. G 2, I 3, ed. 1648.]

[Footnote 139: FAUSTUS. Now Mephistophilis, &c.-- Here the scene is supposed to be changed to the "fair and pleasant green" which Faustus presently mentions.]

[Footnote 140: Horse-courser-- i.e. Horse-dealer.--We are now to suppose the scene to be near the home of Faustus, and presently that it is the interior of his house, for he falls asleep in his chair.--"How Doctor Faustus deceived a Horse-courser" is related in a short chapter (the 34th) of THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS: "After this manner he served a horse-courser at a faire called Pheiffering," &c.]

[Footnote 141: for forty-- Qy. "for TWICE forty DOLLARS"?]

[Footnote 142: into-- So the later 4tos.--2to 1604 "vnto."]

[Footnote 143: Doctor Lopus-- i.e. Doctor Lopez, domestic physician to Queen Elizabeth, who was put to death for having received a bribe from the court of Spain to destroy her. He is frequently mentioned in our early dramas: see my note on Middleton's WORKS, iv. 384.]

[Footnote 144: know of-- The old ed. has "KNOWNE of"; which perhaps is right, meaning--acquainted with.]