[Enter Faustus with Scholars.]

FAUSTUS.

Ah, gentlemen!

FIRST SCHOLAR.

What ails Faustus?

FAUSTUS.

Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with
thee, then had I lived still! but now I die eternally.
Look, comes he not, comes he not?(5)

SECOND SCHOLAR.

What means Faustus?

THIRD SCHOLAR.

Belike he is grown into some sickness by being over solitary.

FIRST SCHOLAR.

If it be so, we'll have physicians to cure him.
'Tis but a surfeit. Never fear, man.(10)

FAUSTUS.

A surfeit of deadly sin that hath damned both body and soul.

SECOND SCHOLAR.

Yet, Faustus, look up to Heaven: remember God's mercies are infinite.

FAUSTUS.

But Faustus' offences can never be pardoned: the(15)
serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus.
Ah, gentlemen, hear me with patience, and tremble not
at my speeches! Though my heart pants and quivers to
remember that I have been a student here these thirty
years, Oh, would I had never seen Wertenberg, never(20)
read book! and what wonders I have done, all Germany
can witness, yea, all the world: for which Faustus hath
lost both Germany and the world, yea, Heaven itself,
Heaven, the seat of God, the throne of the blessed, the
kingdom of joy; and must remain in hell for ever, hell,(25)
ah, hell, for ever! Sweet friends! what shall become of
Faustus, being in hell for ever?

THIRD SCHOLAR.

Yet, Faustus, call on God.

FAUSTUS.

On God, whom Faustus hath abjured! on God,
whom Faustus hath blasphemed! Ah, my God, I would(30)
weep, but the Devil draws in my tears. Gush forth
blood instead of tears! yea, life and soul! Oh, he stays
my tongue! I would lift up my hands, but see, they
hold them, they hold them!

ALL.

Who, Faustus?(35)

FAUSTUS.

Lucifer and Mephistophilis. Ah, gentlemen, I
gave them my soul for my cunning!

ALL.

God forbid!

FAUSTUS.

God forbade it indeed but Faustus hath done
it: for vain pleasure of twenty-four years hath Faustus(40)
lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine
own blood: the date is expired; the time will come, and
he will fetch me.

FIRST SCHOLAR.

Why did not Faustus tell us of this
before, that divines might have prayed for thee?(45)

FAUSTUS.

Oft have I thought to have done so; but the
Devil threatened to tear me in pieces if I named God;
to fetch both body and soul if I once gave ear to divin-
ity: and now 'tis too late. Gentlemen, away! lest you
perish with me.(50)

SECOND SCHOLAR.

O, what shall we do to save Faustus?

FAUSTUS.

Talk not of me, but save yourselves, and depart.

THIRD SCHOLAR.

God will strengthen me. I will stay with Faustus.(55)

FIRST SCHOLAR.

Tempt not God, sweet friend; but let us
into the next room, and there pray for him.

FAUSTUS.

Ay, pray for me, pray for me! and what noise soever
ye hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me.

SECOND SCHOLAR.

Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee. (60)

FAUSTUS.

Gentlemen, farewell: if I live till morning, I'll visit
you: if not—Faustus is gone to hell.

ALL.

Faustus, farewell.

[Exeunt Scholars. The clock strikes eleven.]

FAUSTUS.

Ah, Faustus,(65)
Now hast thou but one bare hour to live,
And then thou must be damned perpetually!
Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of Heaven,
That time may cease, and midnight never come;
Fair Nature's eye, rise, rise again and make(70)
Perpetual day; or let this hour be but
A year, a month, a week, a natural day,
That Faustus may repent and save his soul!
O lente, lente, currite noctis equi!
The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,(75)
The Devil will come, and Faustus must be damned.
O, I'll leap up to my God! Who pulls me down?
See, see where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!
One drop would save my soul—half a drop: ah, my Christ!(80)
Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ!
Yet will I call on him: O spare me, Lucifer!
Where is it now? 'tis gone; and see where God
Stretcheth out his arm, and bends his ireful brows!
Mountains and hills come, come and fall on me,(85)
And hide me from the heavy wrath of God!
No, no!
Then will I headlong run into the earth;
Earth gape! O no, it will not harbour me!
You stars that reigned at my nativity,(90)
Whose influence hath allotted death and hell,
Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist
Into the entrails of yon labouring clouds,
That when they vomit forth into the air,
My limbs may issue from their smoky mouths,(95)
So that my soul may but ascend to Heaven.

[The watch strikes]

Ah, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon!
O God! If thou wilt not have mercy on my soul,
Yet for Christ's sake whose blood hath ransomed me,(100)
Impose some end to my incessant pain;
Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years—
A hundred thousand, and—at last—be saved!
O, no end is limited to damned souls!
Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul?(105)
Or why is this immortal that thou hast?
Ah, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true,
This soul should fly from me, and I be changed
Unto some brutish beast:
All beasts are happy, for, when they die,(110)
Their souls are soon dissolved in elements;
But mine must live, still to be plagued in hell.
Curst be the parents that engendered me!
No, Faustus: curse thyself: curse Lucifer
That hath deprived thee of the joys of heaven.(115)

[The clock strikes twelve]

O, it strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air,
Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell.

[Thunder and lightning]

O soul, be changed into little water-drops,
And fall into the ocean ne'er be found.
My God, my God, look not so fierce on me!(120)

[Enter Devils]

Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while!
Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer!
I'll burn my books!—Ah Mephistophilis!

[Exeunt with Mephistophilis.]