The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe [top 100 novels .TXT] 📗
- Author: Christopher Marlowe
- Performer: -
Book online «The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe [top 100 novels .TXT] 📗». Author Christopher Marlowe
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.
<106> case] i.e. couple.
<107> bevers] i.e. refreshments between meals.
<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.
<109> Away, to hell, to hell] In 4to 1604, these words stand
on a line by themselves, without a prefix. (In the later 4tos,
the corresponding passage is as follows;
“------ begins with Lechery. LUCIFER. Away to hell, away! On, piper! [Exeunt the SINS. FAUSTUS. O, how this sight doth delight my soul!” &c.)<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.
<111> Enter CHORUS] Old ed. “Enter WAGNER solus.” That these
lines belong to the Chorus would be evident enough, even if we
had no assistance 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.
<112> Learned Faustus,
To know the secrets of astronomy, &c.] See the 21st chapterof 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.
<113> Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS] Scene, the Pope’s
privy-chamber.
<114> Trier] i.e. Treves or Triers.
<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
through the mighty hill of stone in one night, the whole length
of an English mile,” &c. Sig. E 2, ed. 1648.
<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
nobilis. 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 cum 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:
publicum iter in medio, mirum et religioni proximum, belli quoque
immolatum temporibus, sic vero populi vox est, et nullis unquam
latrociniis attentatum, patet: Criptam Neapolitanam dicunt, 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 SYRIACUM,—OPP.
560, ed. Bas.
<117> From thence to Venice, Padua, and the rest,
In one of which a sumptuous temple stands, &c.] So thelater 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.
<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.
<119> Ponte] All the 4tos “Ponto.”
<120> of] So the later 4tos.—Not in 4to 1604.
<121> Then charm me, that I, &c.] A corrupted passage.—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.
<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.
<123> Enter ROBIN, &c.] Scene, near an inn.
<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.
<125> tabern] i.e. tavern.
<126> [Exeunt.
Enter ROBIN and RALPH, &c.] A scene is evidently wantingafter the Exeunt of Robin and Ralph.
<127> purchase] i.e. booty—gain, acquisition.
<128> Drawer] There is an inconsistency here: the Vintner
cannot properly be addressed as “Drawer.” The later 4tos are
also inconsistent in the corresponding passage: Dick says, “THE
VINTNER’S BOY follows us at the hard heels,” and immediately
the “VINTNER” enters.
<129> tone] i.e. the one.
<130>MEPHIST. Monarch of hell, &c.] Old ed. thus:—
“MEPHIST. Vanish vilaines, th’ one like an Ape, an other like a Beare, the third an Asse, for doing this enterprise. Monarch of hell, 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 passage of the play as given in
the later 4tos.
<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 nobles and gentlemen, at
the towne of Inzbrack, where he kept his court.” Sig. G, ed. 1648.
<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.
<133> won] May be right: but qy. “done”?
<134> As we that do succeed, &c.] A corrupted passage (not found
in the later 4tos).
<135> The bright, &c.] See note ||, p. 18.
<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,
passing 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 passed [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.
<137> both] Old ed. “best.”
<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 glasse, 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,
Comments (0)