The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

epub:type="z3998:persona">Friars attending. Pope My Lord of Lorrain, wilt please you draw near? Faustus Fall to, and the devil choke you an you spare! Pope How now! Who’s that which spake?⁠—Friars, look about. First Friar Here’s nobody, if it like your Holiness. Pope My lord, here is a dainty dish was sent me from the Bishop Milan. Faustus I thank you, sir. Snatches the dish. Pope How now! Who’s that which snatched the meat from me? Will no man look? My lord, this dish was sent me from the Cardinal of Florence. Faustus You say true; I’ll ha’t. Snatches the dish. Pope What, again! My lord, I’ll drink to your grace. Faustus I’ll pledge your grace. Snatches the cup. Cardinal of Lorrain My lord, it may be some ghost, newly crept out of purgatory, come to beg a pardon of your Holiness. Pope It may be so. Friars, prepare a dirge to lay the fury of this ghost. Once again, my lord, fall to. The Pope crosses himself. Faustus What, are you crossing of yourself? Well, use that trick no more I would advise you. The Pope crosses himself again. Well, there’s the second time. Aware the third; I give you fair warning. The Pope crosses himself again, and Faustus hits him a box of the ear; and they all run away. Come on, Mephistopheles; what shall we do? Mephistopheles Nay, I know not. We shall be cursed with bell, book, and candle. Faustus

How! bell, book, and candle⁠—candle, book, and bell,
Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!
Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray,
Because it is Saint Peter’s holiday.

Re-enter the Friars to sing the Dirge. 1st Friar Come, brethren, let’s about our business with good devotion. They sing.

Cursed be he that stole away his Holiness’ meat from the table! Maledicat Dominus!
Cursed be he that struck his Holiness a blow on the face! Maledicat Dominus!
Cursed be he that took Friar Sandelo a blow on the pate! Maledicat Dominus!
Cursed be he that disturbeth our holy dirge! Maledicat Dominus!
Cursed be he that took away his Holiness’ wine! Maledicat Dominus Et omnes sancti! Amen!

Mephistopheles and Faustus beat the Friars, and fling fireworks among them: and so exeunt.

Scene VIII

	Enter Chorus.
Chorus	When Faustus had with pleasure ta’en the view Of rarest things, and royal courts of kings, He stayed his course, and so returned home; Where such as bear his absence but with grief, I mean his friends, and near’st companions, Did gratulate his safety with kind words, And in their conference of what befell, Touching his journey through the world and air, They put forth questions of Astrology, Which Faustus answered with such learned skill As they admired and wondered at his wit. Now is his fame spread forth in every land; Amongst the rest the Emperor is one, Carolus the Fifth, at whose palace now Faustus is feasted ’mongst his noblemen. What there he did in trial of his art, I leave untold⁠—your eyes shall see performed.
	Exit.
	Enter Robin the Ostler, with a book in his hand.53
Robin	O, this is admirable! here I ha’ stolen one of Doctor Faustus’s conjuring books, and, i’faith I mean to search some circles for my own use. Now will I make all the maidens in our parish dance at my pleasure, stark naked before me; and so by that means I shall see more than e’er I felt or saw yet.
	Enter Ralph, calling Robin.
Ralph	Robin, prithee, come away; there’s a gentleman tarries to have his horse, and he would have his things rubbed and made clean: he keeps such a chafing with my mistress about it; and she has sent me to look thee out; prithee, come away.
Robin	Keep out, keep out, or else you are blown up; you are dismembered, Ralph: keep out, for I am about a roaring piece of work.
Ralph	Come, what doest thou with that same book? Thou canst not read?
Robin	Yes, my master and mistress shall find that I can read, he for his forehead, she for her private study; she’s born to bear with me, or else my art fails.
Ralph	Why, Robin, what book is that?
Robin	What book! why, the most intolerable book for conjuring that e’er was invented by any brimstone devil.
Ralph	Can’st thou conjure with it?
Robin	I can do all these things easily with it; first, I can make thee drunk with ippocras54 at any tabern55 in Europe for nothing; that’s one of my conjuring works.
Ralph	Our Master Parson says that’s nothing.
Robin	True, Ralph; and more, Ralph, if thou hast any mind to Nan Spit, our kitchenmaid, then turn her and wind her to thy own use as often as thou wilt, and at midnight.
Ralph	O brave Robin! shall I have Nan Spit, and to mine own use? On that condition I’ll feed thy devil with horsebread56 as long as he lives, of free cost.
Robin	No more, sweet Ralph: let’s go and make clean our boots, which lie foul upon our hands, and then to our conjuring in the Devil’s name.
	Exeunt.

Scene IX

	Enter Robin and Ralph with a silver goblet.
Robin	Come, Ralph: did not I tell thee, we were forever made by this Doctor Faustus’ book? ecce signum, here’s a simple purchase57 for horsekeepers; our horses shall eat no hay as long as this lasts.
Ralph	But, Robin, here comes the vintner.
Robin	Hush! I’ll gull him supernaturally.
	Enter Vintner.
	Drawer, I hope all is paid: God be with you; come, Ralph.
Vintner	Soft, sir; a word with you. I must yet have a goblet paid from you, ere you go.
Robin	I a goblet, Ralph; I a goblet! I scorn you, and you are but a58 etc. I, a goblet! search me.
Vintner	I mean so, sir, with your favour. Searches Robin.
Robin	How say you now?
Vintner	I