YOu haue heard before, that all Faustus’ minde was set to study the artes of Necromancie and Conjuration, the which exercise hee followed day and night: and taking to him the wings of an Eagle, thought to flie ouer the whole world, and to know the secrets of heaven and earth; for his Speculation was so wonderfull, being expert in using his Vocabula, Figures, Characters, Conjurations, and other Ceremoniall actions, that in all the haste hee put in practise to bring the Divell before him. And taking his way to a thicke Wood neere to Wittenberg- called in the Germane tongue Spisses Waldt: that is in English the Spissers Wood, he came into the same wood towards evening into a crosse way, whera’ he made with a wand a Circle in the dust, and within that many more Circles and Characters: and thus he past away the time, untill it was nine or ten of the clocke in the night, then began Doctor Faustus to call for Mephostophiles the Spirite, and to charge him in the name of Beelzebub to appeare there personally without any long stay: then presently the Divel began so great a rumor in the Wood, as if heauen and earth would haue come together with winde, the trees bowing their tops to the ground, then fell the Divell to bleare as if the whole Wood had been full of Lyons, and sodainly about the Circle ranne the Divell as if a thousand Wagons had been running together on paved stones. After this at the foure corners of the Wood it thundred horribly, with such lightnings as if the whole worlde, to his seeming, had been on fire. Faustus all this while halfe amazed at the Divels so long tarrying, and doubting whether he were best to abide any more such horrible Conjurings, thought to leave his Circle and depart; wherevpon the Divel made him such musick of all sortes, as if the Nimphes themselues had beene in place: whereat Faustus was revived and stoode stoutly in his Circle aspecting his purpose, and began againe to conjure the spirite Mephostophiles in the name of the Prince of Divels to appeare in his likenesse: where at sodainly ouer his head hanged hovering in the ayre a mighty Dragon: then cals Faustus againe after his Divelish maner, at which there was a monstrous crie in the Wood, as if hell had been open, and all the tormented soules crying to God for mercy; presently not three fadome above his head fell a flame in manner of a lightning, and changed it selfe into a Globe: yet Faustus feared it not, but did perswade himselfe that the Divell should give him his request before nee would leave:…  Faustus vexed at the Spirits so long tarying, vsed his Charmes with full purpose not to depart before he had his intent, and crying on Mephostophiles the Spirit; sodainly the Globe opened and sprang vp in height of a man: so burning a time, in the end it converted to the shape of a fiery man. This pleasant beast ranne about the circle a great while, and lastly appeared in manner of a gray Frier, asking Faustus what was his request. Faustus commaunded that the next morning at twelve of the clocke hee should appeare to him at his house; but the divel would in no wise graunt: Faustus began againe to conjure him in the name of Beelzebub, that he should fulfil his request: whereupon the Spirit agreed, and so they departed each one his way….

AFter Doctor Faustus had a while pondered and sorrowed with himselfe of his wretched estate, hee called againe Mephostophiles vnto  him, commaunding him to tell him the judgement, rule, power, attempts, tyranny and temptation of the Divell, and why he was moved to such kinde of living: whereupon the spirit answered, this question that thou demandest of me, will turne thee to no small discontentment: therefore thou shouldst not have desired me of such matters, for it toucheth the secrets of our kingdome, although I cannot denie to resolue thy request. Therefore know thou Faustus, that so soone as my Lorde Lucifer fell from heaven, he became a mortall enemie both to God and man, and hath vsed (as now he doth) all manner of tyranny to the destruction of man, as is manifest by divers examples, one falling sodainly dead, another hangs himselfe, another drownes himselfe, others stabbe themselues, others vnfaithfully despayre, and so come to vtter confusion…. and there are such Spirits innumerable that can come by men and tempt them, drive them to sinne, weaken their beliefe: for we rule the hearts of Kings and Princes, stirring them vp to warre and blood-shed; and to this intent doe wee spread our selves throughout all the world, as the vtter enemies of God, and his Sonne Christ, yea and all those that worship them: and that thou knowest by thy selfe Faustus, how we have dealt with thee.

[Faust spends 24 years using Mephistopleles to know the ways of the world.]

Students and the other that were there, when they had prayed for him, they wept, and so went foorth, but Faustus taryed in the hall: and when the Gentlemen were laid in bed, none of them could sleepe, for that they attended to heare if they might be privy of his ende. It happened between twelve and one a clock at midnight, there blewe a mighty storme of winde against the house, as though it would have blowne the foundation therof out of his place. Hereupon the Students began to feare, and got out of their beds, comforting one another, but they would not stirre out of the chamber: and the Host of the house ran out of doores, thinking the house would fall. The Students lay neere vnto that hall wherein Doctor Faustus lay, and they heard a mighty noyse and hissing, as if the hall had beene full of Snakes and Adders: with that the hall doore flew open wherein Doctor Faustus was, then he began to crie for helpe, saying: murther, murther, but it came foorth with halfe a voyce hollowly: shortly after they heard him no more. But when it was day, the Students that had taken no rest that night, arose and went into the hall in the which they_„left Doctor Faustus, where notwithstanding they found no FausTus, but all the hall lay besprinckled with blood, his braines clinging to the wall: for the Divel had beaten him from one wall against another, in one corner lay his eyes, in another his teeth, a pitifull and fearefull sight to beholde. Then began the Students to bewayle and weepe for him, and sought for his body in many places: lastly they came into the yarde where they found his bodie lying on the horse dung, most monstrously torne, and fearefull to beholde, for his head and all his joynts were dasht in peeces.

The forenamed Students and Masters that were at his death, have obtayned so much, that they buried him in the Village where he was so grievously tormented. After the which, they returned to WittenBerg, and comming into the house of Faustus, they found the seruant of Faustus very sad, vnto whom they opened all the matter, who tooke it exceeding heavilie. There found they also this history of Doctor Faustus noted, and of him written as is before declared, all save onely his ende, the which was after by the students thereto annexed…

The house before was so darke, that scarce any body could abide therein. The same night Doctor Faustus appeared vnto his seruant lively, and shewed vnto him many secret things the which hee had done and hidden in his life time. Likewise there were certaine which saw Doctor Faustus looke out of the window by night as they passed by the house.

And thus ended the whole history of Doctor Faustus his conjuration, and other actes that he did in his life; out of the which example every Christian may learne, but chiefly the stiffe-necked and high minded may thereby learne to feare God, and to be careful of their vocation, and to be at defiance with all divelish workes, as God hath most precisely forbidden to the end we should not invite the divell as a guest, norgive him place as that wicked Faustus hath done: or here we have a feareful example of his writing, promise, and end, that we may remember him: that we goe not astray, but take God alwaies before our eies, to call alone vpon him, and to honour him all the dayes of our life, with heart and hearty prayer, and with al our strength and soule to glorifle his holy name, defying the Divell and all his works, to the end we may remayne with Christ in all endlesse ioy: Amen, Amen, that wish I vnto euery Christian heart, and Gods name to bee glorified.

Amen.

FINIS.