Post by Andrew on Jul 30, 2012 6:48:40 GMT -10
[4.2] A sennet. Enter Charles the German Emperor, Bruno, Saxony, Faustus, Mephistopheles, and Attendants.
EMPEROR. Master doctor Faustus, I have heard strange report
of thy knowledge in the black art, how that none in my empire, nor in
the whole world can compare with thee for the rare effects of magic.
They say thou hast a familiar spirit, by whom thou canst accomplish
what thou list. This, therefore, is my request, that thou let me see some
proof of thy skill, that mine eyes may be witnesses to confirm what
mine ears have heard reported, and here I swear to thee, by the
honor of mine imperial crown, that whatever thou dost, thou shalt be
no ways prejudiced or endamaged.
FAUSTUS. These gracious words, most royal Carolus,
Shall make poor Faustus to his utmost power
Both love and serve the German Emperor
And lay his life at holy Bruno's feet.
For proof whereof, if so your grace be pleased,
The doctor stands prepared by power of art
To cast his magic charms that shall pierce through
The ebon gates of ever-burning hell,
And hale the stubborn Furies from their caves
To compass whatsoe'er your grace commands.
BENVOLIO. 'Blood, he speaks terribly. But for all that, I do not greatly
believe him. He looks as like a conjurer as the Pope to a costermonger.
EMPEROR. Then, Faustus, as thou late didst promise us,
We would behold that famous conqueror,
Great Alexander and his paramour
In their true shapes and state majestical,
That we may wonder at their excellence.
FAUSTUS. Your majesty shall see them presently.
Mephistopheles, away.
And with a solemn noise of trumpets' sound
Present before this royal emperor,
Great Alexander and his beauteous paramour.
MEPHIST. Faustus, I will.
[Exit Mephistopheles.]
BENVOLIO. Well, master doctor, you shall have me asleep presently. Zounds,
I could eat myself for anger to think I have been such an ass all this while.
To stand gaping after the Devil's governor and can see nothing.
FAUSTUS. I'll make you feel something anon, if my art fail me not. My lord,
I must forewarn your majesty that when my spirits present the royal shapes
of Alexander and his paramour, your grace demand no questions
of the king, but in dumb silence let them come and go.
EMPEROR. Be it as Faustus please, we are content.
BENVOLIO. Ay, ay, and I am content too. And thou bring Alexander and his
paramour before the Emperor, I'll be Actaeon and turn myself to a
stag.
FAUSTUS. And I'll play Diana, and send you the horns presently.
Sennet. Enter at one door the Emperor Alexander, at the other, Darius. They meet. Darius is thrown down; Alexander kills him, takes off his crown, and, offering to go out, his Paramour meets him. He embraceth her and sets Darius' crown upon her head; and coming back, both salute the Emperor, who, leaving his state, offers to embrace them, which, Faustus seeing, suddenly stays him. Then trumpets cease, and music sounds.
FAUSTUS. My gracious lord, you do forget yourself,
These are but shadows, not substantial.
EMPEROR. O pardon me. My thoughts are so ravished
With sight of this renowned emperor,
That in mine arms I would have compassed him.
But, Faustus, since I may not speak to them,
To satisfy my longing thoughts at full,
Let me this tell thee: I have heard it said
That this fair lady, whilst she lived on earth,
Had on her neck a little wart or mole;
How may I prove that saying to be true?
FAUSTUS. Your majesty may boldly go and see.
EMPEROR. Faustus, I see it plain,
And in this sight thou better pleasest me
Than if I gained another monarchy.
FAUSTUS. Away, be gone!
[Exit show.]
See, see, my gracious lord, what strange beast is yon,
That thrusts his head out at window?
EMPEROR. O wondrous sight! See, Duke of Saxony,
Two spreading horns most strangely fastened
Upon the head of young Benvolio.
SAXONY. What? Is he asleep, or dead?
FAUSTUS. He sleeps, my lord, but dreams not of his horns.
EMPEROR. This sport is excellent. We'll call and wake him.
What ho, Benvolio.
BENVOLIO. A plague upon you! let me sleep a while.
EMPEROR. I blame thee not to sleep much, having such a head of thine own.
SAXONY. Look up, Benvolio, 'tis the Emperor calls.
BENVOLIO. The Emperor? Where? O zounds, my head!
EMPEROR. Nay, and thy horns hold, 'tis no matter for thy head, for that's
armed sufficiently.
FAUSTUS. Why, how now, Sir Knight! what, hanged by the horns? this most
horrible... Fie, fie, pull in your head for shame. Let not all the
world wonder at you.
BENVOLIO. Zounds, doctor, is this your villainy?
FAUSTUS. O say not so, sir. The doctor has no skill,
No art, no cunning, to present these lords
Or bring before this royal Emperor
The mighty monarch, warlike Alexander.
If Faustus do it, you are straight resolved
In bold Actaeon's shape to turn a stag.
I'll raise a kennel of hounds shall hunt him so
As all his footmanship shall scarce prevail
To keep his carcass from their bloody fangs.
Ho, Belimoth, Argiron, Asteroth!
BENVOLIO. Hold, hold! zounds, he'll raise up a kennel of devils, I think,
anon. Good, my lord, entreat for me. 'Sblood, I am never able to
endure these torments.
EMPEROR. Then, good master doctor,
Let me entreat you to remove his horns.
He has done penance now sufficiently.
FAUSTUS. My gracious lord, not so much for injury done to me, as to delight
your majesty with some mirth, hath Faustus justly requited this
injurious knight; which being all I desire, I am content to remove
his horns. Mephistopheles, transform him. And hereafter, Sir, look
you speak well of scholars.
BENVOLIO. Speak well of ye? 'Sblood, and scholars be such cuckold makers to
clap horns of honest men's heads o'this order, I'll ne'er trust
smooth faces and small ruffs more. But an I be not revenged for
this, would I might be turned to a gaping oyster and drink nothing
but salt water.
EMPEROR. Come, Faustus. While the emperor lives,
In recompense of this thy high desert,
Thou shalt command the state of Germany
And live beloved of mighty Carolus.
[Exeunt omnes.]
EMPEROR. Master doctor Faustus, I have heard strange report
of thy knowledge in the black art, how that none in my empire, nor in
the whole world can compare with thee for the rare effects of magic.
They say thou hast a familiar spirit, by whom thou canst accomplish
what thou list. This, therefore, is my request, that thou let me see some
proof of thy skill, that mine eyes may be witnesses to confirm what
mine ears have heard reported, and here I swear to thee, by the
honor of mine imperial crown, that whatever thou dost, thou shalt be
no ways prejudiced or endamaged.
FAUSTUS. These gracious words, most royal Carolus,
Shall make poor Faustus to his utmost power
Both love and serve the German Emperor
And lay his life at holy Bruno's feet.
For proof whereof, if so your grace be pleased,
The doctor stands prepared by power of art
To cast his magic charms that shall pierce through
The ebon gates of ever-burning hell,
And hale the stubborn Furies from their caves
To compass whatsoe'er your grace commands.
BENVOLIO. 'Blood, he speaks terribly. But for all that, I do not greatly
believe him. He looks as like a conjurer as the Pope to a costermonger.
EMPEROR. Then, Faustus, as thou late didst promise us,
We would behold that famous conqueror,
Great Alexander and his paramour
In their true shapes and state majestical,
That we may wonder at their excellence.
FAUSTUS. Your majesty shall see them presently.
Mephistopheles, away.
And with a solemn noise of trumpets' sound
Present before this royal emperor,
Great Alexander and his beauteous paramour.
MEPHIST. Faustus, I will.
[Exit Mephistopheles.]
BENVOLIO. Well, master doctor, you shall have me asleep presently. Zounds,
I could eat myself for anger to think I have been such an ass all this while.
To stand gaping after the Devil's governor and can see nothing.
FAUSTUS. I'll make you feel something anon, if my art fail me not. My lord,
I must forewarn your majesty that when my spirits present the royal shapes
of Alexander and his paramour, your grace demand no questions
of the king, but in dumb silence let them come and go.
EMPEROR. Be it as Faustus please, we are content.
BENVOLIO. Ay, ay, and I am content too. And thou bring Alexander and his
paramour before the Emperor, I'll be Actaeon and turn myself to a
stag.
FAUSTUS. And I'll play Diana, and send you the horns presently.
Sennet. Enter at one door the Emperor Alexander, at the other, Darius. They meet. Darius is thrown down; Alexander kills him, takes off his crown, and, offering to go out, his Paramour meets him. He embraceth her and sets Darius' crown upon her head; and coming back, both salute the Emperor, who, leaving his state, offers to embrace them, which, Faustus seeing, suddenly stays him. Then trumpets cease, and music sounds.
FAUSTUS. My gracious lord, you do forget yourself,
These are but shadows, not substantial.
EMPEROR. O pardon me. My thoughts are so ravished
With sight of this renowned emperor,
That in mine arms I would have compassed him.
But, Faustus, since I may not speak to them,
To satisfy my longing thoughts at full,
Let me this tell thee: I have heard it said
That this fair lady, whilst she lived on earth,
Had on her neck a little wart or mole;
How may I prove that saying to be true?
FAUSTUS. Your majesty may boldly go and see.
EMPEROR. Faustus, I see it plain,
And in this sight thou better pleasest me
Than if I gained another monarchy.
FAUSTUS. Away, be gone!
[Exit show.]
See, see, my gracious lord, what strange beast is yon,
That thrusts his head out at window?
EMPEROR. O wondrous sight! See, Duke of Saxony,
Two spreading horns most strangely fastened
Upon the head of young Benvolio.
SAXONY. What? Is he asleep, or dead?
FAUSTUS. He sleeps, my lord, but dreams not of his horns.
EMPEROR. This sport is excellent. We'll call and wake him.
What ho, Benvolio.
BENVOLIO. A plague upon you! let me sleep a while.
EMPEROR. I blame thee not to sleep much, having such a head of thine own.
SAXONY. Look up, Benvolio, 'tis the Emperor calls.
BENVOLIO. The Emperor? Where? O zounds, my head!
EMPEROR. Nay, and thy horns hold, 'tis no matter for thy head, for that's
armed sufficiently.
FAUSTUS. Why, how now, Sir Knight! what, hanged by the horns? this most
horrible... Fie, fie, pull in your head for shame. Let not all the
world wonder at you.
BENVOLIO. Zounds, doctor, is this your villainy?
FAUSTUS. O say not so, sir. The doctor has no skill,
No art, no cunning, to present these lords
Or bring before this royal Emperor
The mighty monarch, warlike Alexander.
If Faustus do it, you are straight resolved
In bold Actaeon's shape to turn a stag.
I'll raise a kennel of hounds shall hunt him so
As all his footmanship shall scarce prevail
To keep his carcass from their bloody fangs.
Ho, Belimoth, Argiron, Asteroth!
BENVOLIO. Hold, hold! zounds, he'll raise up a kennel of devils, I think,
anon. Good, my lord, entreat for me. 'Sblood, I am never able to
endure these torments.
EMPEROR. Then, good master doctor,
Let me entreat you to remove his horns.
He has done penance now sufficiently.
FAUSTUS. My gracious lord, not so much for injury done to me, as to delight
your majesty with some mirth, hath Faustus justly requited this
injurious knight; which being all I desire, I am content to remove
his horns. Mephistopheles, transform him. And hereafter, Sir, look
you speak well of scholars.
BENVOLIO. Speak well of ye? 'Sblood, and scholars be such cuckold makers to
clap horns of honest men's heads o'this order, I'll ne'er trust
smooth faces and small ruffs more. But an I be not revenged for
this, would I might be turned to a gaping oyster and drink nothing
but salt water.
EMPEROR. Come, Faustus. While the emperor lives,
In recompense of this thy high desert,
Thou shalt command the state of Germany
And live beloved of mighty Carolus.
[Exeunt omnes.]
