Online Library of Liberty: The Works of Christopher Marlowe vol. 1 Portable Library of Liberty

[Music sounds, and HELEN
2
passeth wer the stage. 2nd SchoL Too simple is my wit to tell her praise,
Whom all the world admires for majesty.
3
3
RD
S
CHOL
.
No marvel though the angry Greeks pursued
With ten years' war the rape of such a Queen,
Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.
1
ST
S
CHOL
.
Since we have seen the pride of Nature's works,
And only paragon of excellence,
Let us depart; and for this glorious deed
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore.
F
AUSTUS
.
Gentlemen, farewell—the same I wish to you.
[Exeunt Scholars. Enter an Old Man.
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30
O
LD
M
AN
.
1
“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 sm 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.”
Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail To guide thy steps unto the way of
life,
By which sweet path thou may'st attain the goal
That shalt conduct thee to celestial rest!
Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears,
Tears falling from repentant heaviness
Of thy most vild and loathsome filthiness,
The stench whereof corrupts the inward soul
With such flagitious crimes of heinous sins
As no commiseration may expel,
But Mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt.
F
AUST
.
Where art thou, Faustus? wretch, what hast thou done?
Damned
1
art thou, Faustus, damned; despair and die! Hell calls
2
for right,
and with a roaring voice Says “Faustus! come! thine hour is almost
3
come!”
And Faustus now
4
will come to do the right
[Mephistophilisgives htm a dagger.
O
LD
M
AN
.
Ah stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
I see an angel hovers 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.
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60
70
F
AUST
.
Ah,
5
my sweet friend, I feel
Thy words do comfort my distressed soul.
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.
O
LD
M
AN
.
I
1
go, sweet Faustus, but with heavy cheer, Fearing the ruin of thy hopeless
soul.
[Exit.
F
AUST
.
AccursÈD
2
Faustus, where is Mercy now?
I do repent; and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shalt I do to shun the snares of death?
M
EPH
.
Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign Lord;
Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh.
F
AUST
.
Sweet0
3
Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption.
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.
M
EPH
.
Do it then quickly, with unfeigned heart, Lest greater danger do attend thy
drift
[FAUSTUS stabs his arm and writes with his blood on a paper.
4
F
AUST
.
Torment, sweet friend, that base and crooked age,
5
That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torments that our Hell affords.
M
EPH
.
His faith is great: I cannot touch his soul;
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But what I may afflict his body with
I will attempt, which is but little worth.
F
AUST
.
One
1
thing, good servant, let me crave of thee,
To glut the longing of my heart's desire,—
That I might have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen, which I saw of late,
Whose sweet embracings may extinguish clean
These thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer.
M
EPH
.
Faustus, this or what else thou shalt desire Shalt be performed in twinkling of
an eye.