THE SECOND REPORT OF DOctor Iohn Faustus.
CHAP. I.
DOctor Iohn Faustus whose parentage howsoeuer hitherto informed, is knowen to be base, his father when he was at the best, but the sonne of a poore Farmer, his Mother the daughter of one of ye same condition, borne in a small village called Kundling in Silesia, brought vp in literature at Gracouia, after at Wittenberg, whose life made him famous, and death notorious: being thus tormented and torne in péeces, at the time appointed béetwixt the Diuels and him, mooued by this example woefull and lamentable enough, the hearts of the Students and Schollers which where witnesses of his distraughture, that with an inward terrour of conscience vexed and tormented, they departed and declared the whole volumes of his detestable life, which afore his Tragedy was thus acted, were not knowen. Christopher Wagner his familiar seruaunt vnto whom hée hadde committed the secrets of his bosome, and had intimated vnto him what euer his foure and twenty years familiarity with the black Art, and more blacke Diuels hadde taught him: Hée after the death of his thus slaine Master musing at euery thing thus done, euery thing thus done being wonderfull: (as men doe whome feare makes passionate and meditation of former losse, vrgeth a latter augment of fresh sorrowes:) in a distraughtfull furye (the company of Students being departed, which were eie witnesses of the Doctors lamentable end) conuayed himselfe vnto his Maisters Library, viewing with sorrowfull eies the onely Monuments of his life, the disputations betwixt him and Mephostophiles, his aunsweres and demaunds, and else whatsoeuer questions mooued or disputed off betwixt the Diuels and him, the memorials of his Heauens and Hells voyages, his conueaunce with many the like comicall iourneis. The boy of a soddaine fell into a déepe considering of his former meriments, sports and delights, [Page] in so much that in this conceipt he flung out of this study, as if hée meant to bury the remembraunce of these matters by contempte and negligence: comming into the same Hall wherein his Maisters latest Tragedy was perfourmed, sighing for his want, hée remembred (for as then he lately read it) how that one Article to the which his Maister had bound Mephostophiles was, that after his death he should be a spirite in nature and essence as others were. The Wag at this began to smile (oh how such thinges séeming pleasaunt make fooles harts merry) conceiuing with himselfe how to make his once Maister become his man, and to haue the number of his spirituall followers doubled, scorning the a lonely attendaunce of one seruaunt. To this therefore he determined a time for the raising of his Maisters spirite: and therewith he fel to reade earnestly of other matters, so long that he began to leaue as wearied and wearied began to muse. Sodainely the aire began to receiue an alteration and chaunge with a thicke foggye miste, as if it would haue shutte vp the d [...]red day from mans view, the windes raged, the thunder lifted [...]p his voice aboue the common straine, haile and raine immediatly following, and all these but the ordinary presages of an appearing Spirite. At this Kit began to tremble, not as afraide of that which came, but stroken with inward horrour of conscience, thinking that no other time had béene appointed to be his doomes day. Sodainly (for alwaies such haps are sodain) the dores slew open as if they would haue fled from flying, and in all pompe entred as it were the Prologue of a Comedy, a fellow so short and litle as if hée should be of one year, and yet not so briefe as ill fauored, in his hands a Club, on his head a Crowne of Lawrell, riding vppon a low Mule, his name was Gomory a strong and mighty Duke, the ruler of sixe and twenty Legions: next and next in brauery appeared Volac a great Gouernour, in the shape of a Boy with winges like an Angell of Hell, séeming to bee of olde rusty iron, riding vppon a Dragon with foure heads, in his hands he held a flaming Torch to giue light to the after-commers and beholders: next after him appeared Asmoday a King mightye and puissant ragged and brizled like a Bore on foote, bearinge a banner or a launce. After him issued Lucifer the King of the Orient with the foure Monarches of his dominions, betwixt them were two mighty Spaniels [Page] which drew in a fiery Cart Doctor Iohn Faustus, whome if reason had not better ruled Wagner would haue saluted, for so naturall was his semblaunce, so liuely his countenaunce, as if it had eyther beene a new Faustus, or not the olde murthered Faustus, but the feare which his maisters harme put him in, cast him besides the renewing of his olde acquaintance, after these came diuers others with trumpets and excellent melody.
This right maruailous triumph thus presented, each one did his humble obeysaunce, the best beginning (though good there were none) and in the end with huge tumult and ecchoing of trū pets they crowned him a King, which when they had done, with the like ceremonies they conuayed out againe the Doctor whom his wretchednes made a King, and his new King-ship nothing. Wagner started as if he had now begunne to maruaile, amazed at this merry Enterlude, hauing recouered his memory againe, he began softly to speake to himselfe in such like manner. Is this (quoth he) the honour my Maister hath in Hell? Is this the reuerence with which the Féends infernall vse to entertaine suche guestes? O yée Spirites of Hell, and yée euen now reuiued Emperours of great Limbus, from whence haue you drawne this extraordinary humanity, is it to skorne poore Faustus or to mocke Wagner that you shew such reuerence to a vile abiect, what then woulde they doe to Wagner who is worthy to haue a fitter seruaunt then their King? At these words he blusht excéedingly, and began to rage very grieuously with his consciences terrour, and with some few teares repenting his irreligious conclusion, rose vp from the ground, and supposing it to be but an illusion dreame, or a temptation, or else some conceite procéeding from his moiste and melancholicke fantasie, ouerprest with too many vapors, raised vp by continuall thought into his Pores: wherefore hee went forthwith into the stréetes, (so much he distrusted himselfe) and demaunded whether it rainde, hailde, or thundered, and it was aunswered that it neither raind, haild, nor thundered. Wagner, albeit he was newly reuiued from a feare, and scarcely throughly wakened from this his great terrours, yet with this comicall iest his decayed spirites began to recouer their olde strength and power, turning these great braueries of Diuels into a meriment, and his conceiued fear into a méere fansie. This was the first time [Page] that euer Faustus appeared vnto his seruaunt Wagner, who recited this vnto his companions as a matter of great truth and litle moment.
Hovv certaine drunken Dutchmen vvere abused by theyr owne conceite and selfe imagination, of seing the grand Doctor, Doctor Faustus. CHAP. II.
IT shall not be impertinent (my very good friends) to declare as I am bound by a Translatours duety, to shew what these my Dutch friends and students haue imparted vnto me, not for that I will be a King of your hearts to commaund you to beléeue, but that you may with the rest of the History conceiue the common opinion of him in the vulgars beliefe here in Germany, as concerning such the like illusions before pretended. About the same time, the next yeare wherein Faustus was thus handled betwixt sixe and seauen a clock in the morning, the fiue and twentith day of Iune, 1539 there chaunced certaine Schollers to the number of nine, and fiue other Marchants (called of them Copshmen) two being English, to walke abroad to a little village within foure English mile (which is about one of theirs) of Wittenberg called Shaftsburg to the intent to make merry, whither béeinge come they were excéeding pleasaunt, as Dutchmen are, especially when they be at their good Béere, for they are men very impatient of thirst, wherewith the Italian mocks them saying:
Vnto which they merrely aunswere.
So long they druncke, that at last they came to be within a litle of druncke, fetching ouer the Green nine Muses so often at sundry drafts, till they began to be excéeding merry and pleasant, til it being time to depart, so they set out for Wittenberg, and being within a mile or such a matter of the Cittye, they came to a thicke Groue called of them the Phogelvvald which is Birdes VVood in English, a place somewhat delightsome aboue anye there abouts, situated vppon a toppe of a very high Hill, but the [Page] armes of it spread themselues somwhat lower into the neighbour vallies and meddowes, full of very fine Christalline brookes and springes, which running through the large rancks of trées empty themselues into the Elue, a Riuer which kéepes his current by Wittenberg, in this place in a faire Sommer sun-shine day, gather together a great number of countrey maides seruants, and other of the female sexe, which they call Phogels (Birds) vnto thē there resort in such like daies, a great number of schollers to méet with these Birds, which exercise Venery either for pleasure, but indéede seldome but for gaine, with whom when they haue daunced a great while (after some odde tune, as after that which they call Robinsons delight, but more truly a iest, though somewhat tolerable) some 20. or 30. or 40. couple together, then here steps out one couple, and here another, and get them to such odde corners, as their continuall practise dooth make knowne: on the same day wherein this merry company were wandring, who if I should not much erre, I durst say they were most déeply drunk, being a Sun-shining day and haue no other way to passe to Wittenberg, but onely by this Phogelvvald where they determined to be lusty with some of the Phogels, they came at length to these fore-named places, where as to them it séemed sundry Women dancing, and amongst them diuerse Schollers, and verely they déemed Magister Doctor Faustus likewise, and séeing diuerse maids standing idle so many as would fit there many, they went to take them by the hands, and as their order is saluting them, to hope about or two (for all the high Dutchmens dances stands vpon hopping, turning, winding, and such odde gesture) and as they séemed they danced at great leasure till this saide Faustus came to them, requesting them not be amazed, for that it was reported he was dead, assuring them in very déede he was not in this world, but had chaunged it for a better, which if it did please them hee would shew vnto them, wher betwixt their delights and his were no comparison, at his request they were all contented, and he leading the formost, brought them down into a faire pleasant gréen, whereon in stead of certain flowres grew Pots ful of ye best béere, which they tasted on, finding them as good as any that euer they drunk in their whole liues, & farther into a most rich & sumptuous pallace, wherin as they séemed they dwelt many daies with great [Page] mirth and pleasure, til at length one more full of curtesie than the rest thanked maister Faustus for his good entertainement, at which wordes soddainely was heard so great a noise and howling especially of the poore Doctor, who was immediatly reared vp into the Aire, accompanied with such a sort of blacke cloudes and mistes, as therewith not onely the skie, but also their eyes were mightely darkened, and they brought into a déepe Cauern, wherin besides most soft beds they had nothing to comfort themselues, in which they wallowed and slept till they snorted, some of the Schollers that were present at their departure being in a soberer conceite than the rest, desirous to sée whither they would goe, followed them fast after, till they espied them on this durty ease, for in stead of beds they were all bewrapped, and some more than halfe sunck in déepe & yéelding mire by the riuers bancks. Whom when they saw in this more than miserable case, moued with pitty, conuayed them in Waggons home: and being demaunded in the morning (for then they were a litle wiser) the occasion of their so great and seldome séene disorder, they declared it from the beeginning to the ending, which they were so farre from beléeuing, that they counted it as canonicall, which when some Students reported vnto me, I could not abstaine from hearty laughter, not onely to sée how they had abused themselues, but also others by so fond beliefe. For I saide that in drunkennes, so thicke a vapour as riseth from so thicke a matter as their Béere, clambering vp and spreading it selfe so vniuersally in the fantasie, maketh it conceaue no other impression, but that which the minde afore it came to be ouerpressed was conuersant about, and it was euident that in all the talke they had, there was nothinge mentioned but onely Faustus, and Faustus merriments, and where a thing is amongst so many so agréeingly talked off, it is likely it should take effect aswell in all as in one. Well, I was content to subscribe to their folly rather to satisfie their selfe-willed conceites, than mine owne thoughte. Many odde prancks Faustus is made the father of, which are either so friuolous as no body can credite but like friuolous people, or so méerely smelling of the Caske, that a man may easily know the childe by the Father.
VVagners conference with Doctor Faustus, and how miserably they broke vp their disputations. CHAP. III.
VVAGNER one morning arose betimes and departed to Wittenberg, but a small mile from the house, and hauing puruayed himselfe of al necessaries, was admitted for a scholer (immediately after his Maister was departed out of this World) into the Vniuersity. Where, for that he was Faustus true and familiar seruaunt, he was both well and manifoldly acquainted, wherein he remained in all solace amongest a greate number of his companions, who then rather frequented his company, not onely for that he was Faustus his seruaunt, whose memory was very freshly continued among them, but that they were verely assured that he had a great part of his Maisters skill and science, which they honoured with more then lawfull reuerence.
Vppon a day Christopher Wagner (as manye times he did) seperated himselfe from his other companions and frends, to ruminate vppon his melancholicke conceites, erring farre in a place full of Trées and the fulnesse of Trées gaue it the name of a Groue, sodainely like as all such chaunces happe, Faustus or Faustus Spirite clapt him vppon the shoulder, saying: VVagner, good morrowe. VVagner auayled his Schollers Bonnet, thinking verily that he was some other Student, but beholdinge his Maister Faustus, he was most terribly affrighted, and stepping aside he began to mumble to himself a Benedicite, and crossing himselfe, rehearsing and saying CONIVRO TE IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII ET SPIRITVS SANCTI, &c. making a Circle &c. Faustus rowling his eyes and for méere fury and anger stamping bound (for so he séemed) with the vehemency of the Exorcisme ranne about most terribly the brimmes thereof, that therewith the neighbour ground did séeme to tremble, casting out a blackish s [...]omy sulphury smoake out of his mouth, wherwith the bright ayr was much darkned, at length appeased, either forced with necessity or knauery, he spake and that very distinctly. VVagner (qd. he) [Page] art thou afeard of me as of a Spirite, or infernall Ghost, am not (I vngratefull rascall) Faustus, am not I thy Maister Faustus? quoth VVagner very confidently, what thou wert I knowe, what also thou art who knowes not? though once my Maister [...]ow thou shalt be my seruaunt, though once my friend and familiar, now I may iustly tearm thée neither, the Lawes of Diuels hath not made me secure from thy tyranny, and howe may thy friendship auaile me? For how can that helpe which is not? affections are not amongest Féends, nor passions amongest Spirits. Wherefore Faustus if thou wilt that I be thy Maister, as whether thou wilt or no, I will Coniure thée, &c. to aunswere directly and truely to all my questions. Ah VVagner (quoth Faustus) is this the duety of a seruaunt? doest thou mistrust, that in mee which neither I meane nor thou of honest thought and duetye oughtest imagine? And as for affections in Spirites certainely there is none, but I am none, féele me my good VVagner, behold flesh, bloud, and bones, and Spirites haue neither flesh, bloude, nor bones. Beléeue me I shall teach thée the nature and essence of Diuels, I will teach thée that which neither thou canst desire of me or thinke Extra captum humanum. Then my good Boy VVagner come to me, and vse me not as a Spirite whose bodye is nothing but a Spirit, and as Logicians say Substantia incorporea, and I will open vnto thée the secretes of the World, and Hell, and else whatsoeuer in the workes of Nature. Come my VVagner my sonne, my darling, my swéete delight, and reioysing, the onely hope of my labours, boldly, louingly, curteouslye aboue all, which am the very same matter and substaunce I once was, and if thou doubtst as well thou maist reach thy hand to me, for I cannot mine to thée, and féele whether I am not as I say I am, flesh, bloud, and bones: VVagner halfe astonished at this his feruent spéech, yet rather hearing it then beléeuing it: Why Faustus, let me speake to you somewhat more considerately, thou saiest thou art substaunce, and all substaunce is heauy, and no heauy thing can ascend vpwardes, and as thy conference with Mephostophiles doth plainely declare the place of Spirites is in the Aire, in which nothing that is heauy can remaine, and therefore thou art not substaunce or not Faustus. Quoth Faustus that no heauy thinges is in the Aire is plainely fals, for thou séest that [Page] materiall bodies are in the Aire, as haile, snowe and other meteors: Whereto VVagner aunswered: Faustus they truly are in the Aire not of the Aire, and you know the causes of them are terrestrial vapors drawn from the earth by the attracttiue vertue of the Sunne, and therefore they fall downe because they are heauy, for were they of the Aire as are Spirites, then shoulde they still remaine in it, but briefly no violent motion may bee called naturall, as that heauy materiall Dew is carried from the earth by a violent and contrary motion: the Sunne therefore leauing the Zenyth of any Horison, and comming to the Nadir oppositely the materiall bodies of Dew, (as the causes alwaies faile with the effectes) and nextly the concretion of Snow and Haile, because they are substaunce, cannot remaine in the light and vnheauy Aire: Wherefore I haue aunswered thée that thou art either a Spirite or not substaunce. I wondred when I read this discourse, with what patience the Doctor could endure so long an argument, but it prooued otherwise, for the Doctor brake foorth into these speaches vnable to containe himselfe any longer.
Wagner thou séemest to gather naturall arguments of Metaphysicall effectes, I say vnto thée Wagner sith thou art thus far entred into a Philosophicall discourse, that I being as I am Faustus, may be, for so I am, a dweller in the profound Abysse of the Aire, whose compasse is measurable in this, that it is not mesurable: For let vs speake according to men naturally the rather to fitte thy capacity, we sée that in the regiment of mans body, the man is of quality like to the predominant complexion and Element, as if Chollar abound, the man is light, nimble, and for a while furious, seldome strong, ready to meddle, and carried away with phanaticke illusions: If Bloud abound hee is ruddy, faire, gentle, &c. Et sic de reliquis. If therefore the predominant Element is able so much to change the nature of man, as to make it aboue the rest capable or incapable, the same reason maketh that this body of mine which thou séest, being gouerned and predomineirde by that quicke and ready spirite and soule which makes a man immortall is no hinderaunce why this corporal realty of me should accompany my spirite, not as a body, but as a parte of the same Spirite: and otherwise VVAGNER the whole world is in the Aire, and as it were the centre of the [Page] Heauens, and what substaunces soeuer is made, Fishes which dwell in the déepe Seas except (and yet not alwaies) are mooued in the Air, Kit beléeue me I am as thou séest Faustus and the same very same.
VVagner almost at the last cast, sayd, we dispute not what you are Faustus, but what by reason you may be. Well, answered Faustus séeing thou wilt not beléeue, nor giue any credite to my sayings, and which I prooue by argumentes, I hope thou wilt beléeue thine owne eyes, and if thou séest what I saye vnto thée, thou wilt neither be obstinate nor incredulous, and rather then VVagner (whome I doe loue as my selfe) should be carried away with so palpable an Heresie, beholde Wagner and beléeue, and streight waies he drewe his knife, the Prologue of his knauery, and looking first vppon Wagner, and next on the weapon which he had in his hand, as if with his eies he woulde haue mooued him to some pitty, and mooued them to be witnesses of the trueth, he strake himselfe into his thigh twise or thrise, and after his stroakes followed bloud so hastely, as if it woulde haue ouertaken the iniurious worker of his effusion: which bloude Faustus receiued in a siluer Bowle, and staunching his wound, but not vntill the bloud might be séene ouer the Cup brimmes, then Faustus lifted the bloude on high saying: Sée here the witnesse of the trueth, Wagner take it, looke how freshe it is, it is not that which comes from a Spirite, it is bloud both in nature and colour, and if this be not inough to make thée beléeue that which I doe tell thée, it bootes not, there is not any trueth at all.
I thought it enough for an extemporall Dis and controuersie, I thought the scholler had heard as well and as long as the Doctor had taught, but yet he had not ended. Wagner receyuing the Cuppe and looking on the bloud, beheld him without saying any thing, shewing by his silence his meaning. Faustus minding to reuenge and recompence VVagner his vnbeliefe, naye further (quoth he) féele my hand, tell me whether it hath not the naturall heate and essentiall solidity: then immediatly he stretched foorth his arme. Wagner with sodaine extasie of ioy carried away, ran to embrace his old Maister, as his newe friend, whome when Faustus had excircled he fell to beating the poore [Page] Scholler most miserably, that Wagners pittifull roaring, séemed to be an Eccho to the Doctors blowes, now (quoth Faustus) hereafter be learned either to be more wary or lesse mistrustfull, and therewith laughing effusedly vanished away, leauing Wagner to be a witnesse (yet almost halfe dead with his buffeting) of their conference, and that he was a good substantiall Burgesse of Hell: Wagner poore Boy for the space of seauen houres not able scarce of himselfe to sturre or to take breath, and without much sturring either of hand or foote, wherby any able life might be coniectured: At length lifting vppe his head and sighing a litle, (for a little was as much as he could doe at that time) he reared himselfe vp and laying his head vppon his hand and his hande vppon the ground, he after sighs sent out most sorrowful grones, and after groanes some féeble wordes, as he after reported it to his companions and familiar acquaintaunce: to accuse either his Maisters rigour or his owne folly, he thought as méerely vain as little preuailing: Wherefore comforting himselfe with his misery, because he was comfortlesse, rose vp, and looking for the cup of bloud (for the gaine of the siluer mooued him: In place whereof he found his Cap full of pisse, and all beraied, sore ashamed and soare withall, so well as he might, which was sorely inough, hée rose vppe, and what by créeping and going he gotte whome to his Chamber, where hee abode till he had recouered his health again.
Thus was his Philosophicall incredulity recompensed with rusticall cruelty, such was the good loue of the Spirite, that for a long space after he was not able to walke out of his Chamber. This did he affirme for most certaine truth, and to his saying added his beaten skin, a testimoniall and witnesse to his familiarly beloued acquaintaunce, one of the which recounted it all summarily in a Letter from Wittenberg to me, where I was at Lyptzip, knowing that I intended to certifie my friendes in England of a matter so notable and straunge, and worthy of memory, and augmented by Fame more then of very déed, for the idle headed fellowes hauing gotten such a notable fellow as Faustus to Father their lies vppon, ceased not daily and hourely to begette new children, but they cost very litle nursing and bringing vppe, they had the wide Worlde, a very good Grandam where they [Page] might féede their fill: As for the disputations betwixt those two in this place, and those which you shall finde in other places likewise aboundantly, consider from whose braines they procéede, for you must giue the Germane leaue to shew his Art, for witte for the most part they haue very little, but that which they toile for like Cart Horses. But in all their doings you shall easelye perceaue if any thing be in them excellent, either with how much liking and vrging they bring it foorth, or howe it is wetted ouer with dropping of the Tappe excéedingly.
Wagners coosenage committed vppon the sellers of his Masters goodes. CHAP. IIII.
ACcording to the Lawe of the countrey the goods of Faustus were to bee confiscate and applied to the Treasury, by an Edict published against Coniurers by Sigismunde Duke of Saxony. According ta the tenour thereof Faustus goods were to be alienated, but Wagner so handled the matter that the speare being stucke vp, and his goods set to be sold, Wagner had prouided bidders and money of his owne, the one were such as neuer were séene more, and the other but round counters.
The Messengers being thus coosened by Wagner, durst not for shame report it, nor he for feare of further punishment vaunt of it: the one contented to put vp the losse quietly, and the other to enioy them without further contradiction.
The description of Vienna. CHAP. V.
FAme had so farre carried the report of Faustus death, as it had the memory of his life, and for by continuall motion rumours encrease, as saieth the Heroicall fountaine of Latine verse Virgil.
In Austrich these newes were very frequent, beeing a Prouince [Page] mightely replenished with people, and marching vpon the hems of the Hungarian, is a neare neighbour to the most cruell Dog and tyraunt the Turke. In Vienna, a Citty of the same by which as the Thames by London the great, and often but neuer inough praysed Riuer of great Danuby kéepes his current the Citty it selfe (beeing euery way bigger then the faire Cittye of London) within the Walles, the head of the Citty resteth vppon the mountain of Orstkirken, the front displayeth the wide plains vppon the discendent of the same Hill, but shée washes her féet in the Riuer: her body and her brest couering the large valley lying betwixt Hill and Hil, not farre into the Citty the Danuby is deriued into two armes, which by running about a certaine Hil, of some halfe mile and more, méete at length againe in the same Channell: In this Iland is the Dukes Court, out of which are two and thirty maruailous goodly stone Bridges, intending to either side of the Citty: at the very promontories ends, standes two no lesse faire, then high and strong Castles, in this place did the Duke kéepe his Court, with very great royalty, vnto whom when this was reported, hearing of a certaine that Wagner had great store of his maisters skill and whatsoeuer, hee caused one that in such matters is commonly commaunded, to ride to Wittenberg, to the intent to heare the trueth, for many things more then the trueth were certified vnto him: the messenger without delay (because the iourney was long) departed and left the Court, and we him a while.
A long discourse betwixt the Diuell and VVagner, and ended with a good Philosophicall repast. CHAP. VI.
VVAgner solitary musing in his Chamber and conuersing with many multitudes of thoughtes, sodainely appeared Mephostophiles his masters Familiar, after him Akercocke, which was VVagners, and after all Faustus: Quoth Mephostophiles what cheare? Sirrha such as you sée, we are as wee were and neuer the better: and welcome Akercocke, but my very good Faustus, that you come at this time I reioyce. So then [Page] they all sate downe, and sate right against him. Then entred in diuerse delicate viands, and there not then to be ended with vnséen Symphonies of Musiike. Then spake Wagner and sayd Clauditeiam riuos, now we haue satisfied our appetite with meate, I pray you heare me with patience, for I haue a thing in my minde of which I would faine be resolued, but because you so fowly, and so often fowly entreated my Maister, for demaunding some questions, you shall ratifie this Article with me againe. 1. That in my demaunds you shall aunswer truly and patientiy, for what hurt can redound to you by aunswering of a question, séeing if you are sure of any thing you may hold fast, a question cannot take it away: Without delaye these good fellowes confirmed the Article with a great oath: but he would take their simple word without surety he knew their honesty so well. Then VVagner pulling downe his Cap into his eies, and leaning vppon his elbow a while, and throwing vp his eies to Heauen, and then sighing, at length folding his armes within themselues, sate still a litle time, then spitting a little and fetching a hearty hem with a good courage spake vnto them thus.
Sirs, it is not vnknown vnto you how deare I haue alwayes accounted of my Maister, whose condition is as farre from that it was as mine from yours, for which I haue more often lamented his departure then mine owne misery, beeing once euery waye a man, so throughly instructed with the weapons of all Sciences, that in all the world hardly his péere could be found, so that your victory ouer such a man is more to be wailed then euer manye a thousand such as I am. To be short that you may vnderstand whither I will goe without further Oration. Wherefore I desire you, I pray you, nay I by your Article commaund you, that you declare vnto me truely without collusion, whither that Faustus here present in that state wherein he now is, may come again to be a liuing man amongest vs, either his olde shape renewed, or he in a new: For some Philosophers say, and some Diuines, as Origines and Tertullian, and whither they say truely or no I know not, that no sooner the soule of man departeth from one but that it doth enter into another. Wherefore I considering with my selfe thus much, and often for his cause that he may not onely be Faustus, but also a liuing man and dweller vppon the earth, [Page] to enioy not onely those graces which through his great desarts he had lost, but also according to his infinit knowledge, multiply them through Gods fauors againe and again aboundantly. And though you shall perhaps deny that the same Indiuiduall cannot be againe so resuscitated, yet that Numero it may in spite of you al, I kno [...] [...] may: for we do not doubt that the same Indiuidual may Nu [...]ro be againe regotten, because that after seauen and thirty thousand yeares, the heauenly constellation shall be in euery point per totū, the same then that now it is, according to Plato and the Astronomers. And therfore we shal be ye same in Numero, and shall sit in this or that schoole or place as now we doe, that is in that Magno anno, in that great yeare: Whereuppon Plato said, that after the great yeare he should return to Athens, and should there read: Because the constellation shall happen so, therefore that returning, the same effects shal with them likewise return. Now hauing heard my resolution, answer me to my first proposition in ful & amply, as that I may be satisfied. At the conclusion of this spéech Fa. turnd his head aside laying it betwixt his hands hiding it, so sat a great while. Ake. he friskt vp & down for he had neither clog nor chain, because he was in the nūber of the wild ones, and ouer the table and backe again. Ak. was the familiar which F. gaue to W. who asked him in the fashion of an Ape. Such cranks, such lifts, caréers and gambalds, as he plaid there, would haue made a horse laugh. Meph. who as it semed was the speaker of ye Parliament in hel, rose & walked about very hastely, at length he came to the table and striking his fist on it (the print was séene 2. yeare after, and was carried to S. Margets church for a relique, to shew what a hot fellow the diuell is in his anger) and again beating said, thou, and then left, and came and went, & came and went again, here he takes me one booke and hurls it against a Cupboorde, and then he takes the Cupboord and hurls it against the wall, and then he takes the wall and throwes it against the house, and the house out at the Window. Pacifying his rage at the length, rowling his eyes, and séeming beate his téeth together, sate down further off, and thus quietly spake with a lowde voice. Were it not VVagner that our solemne vow, forbiddeth to disturbe or torment thée for any demandes, this thy fond pride shuld be rewarded with most intollerable punishmēts: [Page] As for the question I wil answer thée more substātially then such a foolish doltish one doth require. And for that we haue day inough before vs I wil trauail further in it then ye grauity of the argumēt can require, if it be but that thou maiest sée how great an Asse thou art, which canst imagine so grosse a matter in thy more grosse head: As for thy great Péere be it as you [...] to expect it you, in the meane we will enioy him and thée at our pleasure in despite of God and Heauen and all his imperiall armies of saints. Thy question is this: Whither the Spirite of a damned man can returne into the body of another man. To which I answer Negatiuely, it cannot.
1 If this were to them graunted, then they should obserue and kéepe the Embrious in the Wombe of the mother, that they might constitutiuely vnite themselues to it, to haue at the leastewise, sensuall consolation, and delectation.
2. Then secondly because it is common to reasonable creatures to fashion and informate the body, and to perfect it with some natural delightment, not to vexe it.
3. Then thirdly because of the law and order of Nature, the soules from the places in their departure to them allotted, assigned and deputed of God, neither doe nor can depart at any time: for it is written: For the soule is a Spirite going and returning. And they which doe otherwise hold opinion are to be accused, nay condemned in this with Pythagoras, who did abstaine from all liuing Animals and creatures, beléeuing that in some the soules of some men did dwell and abide. Thus farre the Arrogonian named Bartholomew Sybilla a Monopolitane, who writ vpon this question being at Wittenberg, at the request of him that did set forth the Dutch Coppy shew himselfe, to be a good Philosopher and no worse Diuine. But marke what followes, this is written according to men in faith: the Diuell was out of the first stréete of Coany when he was past this last period. For that Pythagorical opinion, if that were: this absurdity would follow: (I will speake plainely the rather to fitte thy capacity) and if the soule should passe out of the dead into the liuing, then should mortality be the cause of the soules immortality (this is pretily spokē) and by that meanes make it corruptible, which cannot be. And séest thou Wagner? for I will teach thée by demonstrations, and [Page] therwith he tooke a coal of fire, & held it to him so long that it came to be but a coale, now thou séest Wagner, that so long as fire was in this subiect it had life, but the quality being remoued from the quantity, neither is the quality found or séene or known whither it vanisheth, nor can the same fire though fire may return into another body or subiect albeit the quantity remaineth. Thus may the soule of man be compared to the fire in the coal, as concerning his entraunce and departure, but not réentrance, for that coale may take life againe, that is fire, but so cannot humane body because one spirit can be vnited but to one body, and not two to one, nor one spirite to two bodies: Wherefore that spirite being departed it is irreuocable because of the vnity, and the impossibility of returning in the one, in the other of receiuing any other. As for other reasons directly by circumstaunce, if the Soule goeth either to ioy or paine immediatly, then I am certaine that that hope which thou hast is so méerly vaine, as any thing which may hap vnder that title: For proofe behold, and then through the Wanscot doore of VVagners study entred in two Kings, which drawing their swords did there in presence combate together fiercely & couragiosly, one of them shortly after fainting vnder the aduersaries stroakes fell downe, the other victorious, yet wounded, very canonically as a man may say, staggerd immediatly, as if hée would faine haue not fallen, yet for all that he fell: then entred two men carrying Torches with the snuffes downwards, with great solemnity (more then is here néedfull to bee recapitulated, for I sée nothing but that this might haue béene very well left out for any thing worthy the grauity of the matter) which when they had carried out the first slaine combattant, with armed men, and a dying stroake of the Drum, clothed all in the colour which best notes by his external hew, the internall sorrow: Then next there entred two Pages all in siluer white crownd with Baies, carrying their Torches aloft declaring the height of their glory by the height of their flames: next to them diuerse Trumpetters and all in white, vrging forth into the wast aire their victorious florishes, next a great standard bearer, and I cannot tell what, but the conclusion was, that the triumph was excéeding great and pompous, adorned with as many ceremonies as such a victory might or could be, the Spirite when they were all gone began to speake [Page] and sayd, this was the battaile which was fought for the greate Realme of Asia, by Hercules and Orontides, where Orontides was slaine, and Hercules sore wounded, but yet recouered after which he atchieued his 12 labors, & the 13 of which the Poet speaketh the hardest of al.
This History is as I doe thinke in the Chronicle of Hel, for I did neuer heare of it before, nor any body else, I appeale to all the Histories. Marry it may be this was when Hercules was a little Boy, and then peraduenture in déede the recordes make no mention of it, but yet we haue that recorded which he did whē he was lesse then a little Boy, as his killing of a Serpent in his Craddle, and such a History as I do remember is enrould in the golden Booke of the seauen wise Maisters of Roome, an autenticall author. But let that passe and let vs draw more neare vnto the cause: For as the diuell was afore our daies, so by authority he may alledge experience, and we must of necessity beléeue that it is either true or a lie. Mephostophiles continued his spéech for all this Aparenthesis, declaring VVagner his meaning in this point, for (quoth he) as you se these two champions contending for the title of victory, one of thē must néeds if they try the extreamest as they did receiue the dishonor, the other the glory, so in the combat wherein the dying body battaileth with the liuely soule, the soule if grace hath made acceptable shall enioy those euerlastinge pleasures of Paradise, and dwell in heauen blessed and glorious amongst the beautifull Angels, but if it be counted as reprobate & outcast of God, then according to that punishmēt which his great sins did deserue, he can haue no other place but the continuall horror of hell, wherein we miserable dwell, and the vgly company of black diuels and his frightfull Angels. There is no other meane but honor or dishonor in this case, no other meane but ioy or pain, no other meane but heauen or hell perpetually: there is no place left for a third. I could more copiously dispute of this matter, but that I wil not be too tedious in so exile a question. For where it is said in an author to which I am witnes, for I stoode by his elbow when he writ the lines. Animae sunt in loco certo & expectant iudiciū, ne (que) se inde possunt cōmouere. Which place as appeareth in the precedent chapter is heauen or hell: again it is sayd Anima [Page] quae pecauerit ipsa morietur. Of necessity then the soule to whom the Lord imputeth not his sin shall liue, for they are immediat oppositiōs, for the soule that is in ioy wil not come to these troubles, nor that which is in torment cannot: therefore it is said: Et reuertatur puluis in terrā quemadmodum erat, & spiritus reuertatur ad Dominum qui dedit illum, so there is no mention in any scripture of the soules returning, but to a certain place deputed of God to him. But before I goe any further in ye declaring of that which is here to be set down, I know they that haue their consciences more of the precise cut, will say, that there was a learned diuell, true it is he is learned, strong, and aboue all humaine conceit, subtill and crafty: and if they say it is blasphemously done to haue the word spoken to the world by so vile a mouth, first they know how mightely the diuell is conuersant in holy writ, in any thing to ouerthrow a christian thought, knowing that as ye word of God is a word of power to attaine saluation to whom grace is giuen: and to worke eternall damnation where that gift is wanting, knowing it is the onely meanes to debell and conquere the christian thought, for as a man is gouerned by a law & by it liues, so if any thing be euidently directed against him in it, it slayes his hart, it ouerthrowes him, it takes away his power for euer, nor is it more blasphemous to be speake to vs men, then to God himselfe, as it is in S. Alathero, where the diuell was not afeard, to assayle his creatour with most terrible argumentes of the diuine letter. They which haue right mindes can perswade themselues accordingly: but otherwise they may cauill as long as they will, which they may do to their small profit, assuring them this that in coueting by fault finding to séeme learned, they make themselues the notes and reproach not only of the learned, but euen of the absurd and barbarous rude fooles, and that they are the onelye spirits of error & contention, and the chiefe causes of vnbeliefe by vayn reasonings and questions to the vnresolued christian. But as for this spéech which is but Humile dicendigenus in very truth, let them thus thinke, that if there were any such controuersie betwixt VVagner and his spirit, as is here mentioned, that those are not the words which were spoken, but that they doe procéede from a yong Scholler who gaue me this coppy, and not of a diuell, of whose familiarity & frequency & of other circumstantiue [Page] causes, I will God willing in the Catastraphe and conclusion of this Booke deliuer vnto you my poore opinion. In the mean while I will follow the matter into which we are fallen my good frends & without further adoe I pray without any more excusiue phrase, patiently expect the good houre wherein the death of this volume is prepared: Mephostophiles taking breath a little, presented his spéech saying: it is said likewise. Factum est autem vt moreretur mendicus. &c. And it came to passe that the begger dyed, and was carried away of Angels into Abrahams bosome, and that rich man died and was buried, and he being in Hel lifted vp his eies, when he was in torments, and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome. Nor nothing doth that impugne which is said of the Papist, that he cannot come into Gods presence nor be one of the elect vnlesse they be purified from their sins, for which purification, they ordain a place so terribly stucke with pins, néedles, daggers, swords, nailes, &c. so soultring with hote burning surnaces, and so euery way formidable with materiall sulphury fires, that no tongue can expresse, nor any heart imagine, wherein the sinfull soule must be many times and often clensed, but I hope if this were true then Lazarus should haue bin likewise so drest in their terrible imagined terrors, which he was not, vnlesse they will be so impudent to say that he had no sinne. I shall not néede to dispute how absurd it is to say that the sin of the soule in the body committed, must be extirpated and purified by a materiall substaunce and rigour, nor of the matter of the like argument. And hereupon he semed to sigh as if some sodain thought had ouerprest his stomacke. I can quoth he largely discourse of al diuine and humaine propositions, but as the vnlearned Parrat who speaketh oft and much, and vnderstandeth neuer any thing to profite himselfe. Ah that vnto vs Spirites no secrets are secret, no doings of man vnhid, and yet wee Diuels cursed of God are incapable of any of Gods mercies, though through them we were created. We know repentance is the way to attaine the celestiall sauour: we know Gods mercies how great they are, & that we ought to dispaire of nothing, yet there is nothing (such is our séeing blindnesse) so it appertaine to God and godlinesse, of which we doe not dispaire. No Wagner wee are so farre from liuing againe, as we are from certainty to bee saued. But in stead [Page] of that we are crossed with all kinde of vexation, for since the first time that I with my Maister and fellowes fell downe from Heauen being of the most royall order of Angels, Potestates, Cherubins, and Seraphins, riding vppon the winges of the Winde in all bright shining Maiesty, and enioying the most glorious and uiuine presence of our Creatour, till for our heart swelling pride, and hawty insolency, within as little space of time as wee were created in, with his dreadful lightning threw vs downe headlong into the bottomlesse Abysses of the Aire, wherein wee endure these tortures and like wicked souls with vs, as our manifold deserts haue brought vppon vs. And for that we know that the way to mercy is vtterly denied, and that we are as much hated of our selues as of God, we thinke it the swéetest remedy in these manifolde miseries to haue partakers of our common woe with vs. Wherefore it is most expedient for vs to be thus enuiously malitious against all mankind, making them too as far in Gods dreadfull curse as our selues.
VVagner melting at these words, his eies vndid the great burthen of his sorrow, strayning himselfe so long that he wept, & yet could say nothing, but onely a small volley of sobs hastily following: Mephostophiles séeing how VVagner was drowned in so déepe a melancholy, told him pulling him by the sléeue that he would be still demaunding of such foolish questions which will profite him so little as mought be. Knowest thou not (quoth he) that all the Rhetorickes are the seruaunts of my tongue, or that we can moue pitty or hatred when we please, foole as thou art forget these vaine conferences, perswade thy selfe that they are but the effect of speach, long canst thou not liue, and yet doest thou liue as if thou didst not long: youthly should be thy thoughts, and fraught with the ranck lustines of conceite and amorous delight, if thou wilt aske questions let them be such as appertaine to loue and wealth, to pleasure, to pastime, and to merriment. Howe saiest thou to such a one, naming a Gentlewoman the most beautifull Lady vnder the cope of Heauen? thou shalt enioy her, nay any one so she be one whome thou lists to call beautifull, whosoeuer thy eies shall lay their delight vppon. And presently Musick was hearde so swéete, so plenteous, and so rauishinge, as if on Musicke depended all swéete, all plenty, al rauishment. The doors [Page] conuaying thēselues aside, as giuing place to so diuine a fairenes, entring in a blew Veluet Gowne rased, and thickely beset in the gards with most pure Doches of gould, not altogether ignorant of precious stones, sued with royall Ermines, loose about her: her heads ornament, (though greater ornament to her head then her head there could not be) was a kind of atirde Caule (such as I haue séene none in England according to their description) raised vp at the corners with stiffe square wiers of beaten gould, on that a Chaplet or frontire of Roses, on the Chaplet a vaile of Lawne, which couered all her faire body denying the sight of such an Angell, but onely through a shadow: In briefe shée was such a one as would haue roused the basest desire in the whole Worlde to attempt wondrous enterprises, in her hands silken soft, shée helde a Lute, discoursing swéetelye vppon the solemn stringes with her nimble fingers. A maide carrying a blew waxen Taper in a siluer white Candlesticke made in fashion of a Censor, but it was deriued into two seuerall branches, in whose ends were curiously wroght two most beautiful places to pight tapers one. The maid bir Lady would haue well contented a reasonable proper Squire, it was a pretty rancke lasse, round about as plump as a Bladder, which being yet smoaking new is blowen vp with Winde: well I will not trouble you with these rude descriptions any longer, but desire you to conceaue the excellency of this fair Lady, for it is farre more copious in the Dutch Coppy then is here necessary to to be recapitulated. Wagners heart leaping at this sight looked about him, as if he would haue no body priuy to himselfe but himselfe, and so it was in déede, for Faustus, Mephostophiles, and Akercocke were gone, and thereupon with a boone courage aduancing himselfe vppon his toes, and wéeding himselfe in the best Germane fashion, as he could very well, began to trauaile vnto her, but remembring his bad apparell stept backe and blusht, and hid his face, but sodainely retourning againe as if he had known now how rather to become his wéedes, began to fewter himselfe, but O wonder, his habite was changed with his thought, and he was now no more Wagner but Armisuerio the Ladies Lorde. And to be short this new Armisuerio and old VVagner mette with the Lady, and saluting her in the best kinde of Bon noche, vsed her as he would doe his Lady, and shée him as her Lord. So [Page] passing auer their weary night in such pleasure as I could find in my heart to enioy or any man (vnlesse an Euenuch beside.)
The arriual of the Messenger at Wittenberg, and the description of VVagner. CHAP. VII.
IT is time to winde about another furrow with our swerting Téeme and bring our spéech to another matter, entring out of one into another, for change is swéet. Not forgetting by the way the Purceuant or as we may better call him a Messenger who lately departed from Vienna in Austria, and I thinke by that time this disputation was finished, had almost ouertaken all the way betwixt him and home, which was some fiftéene daies trauaile, after fiue Germane miles to the daies labour, and arriued at Wittenberg, by enquiry came to Wagners chamber, which was in the way as yée goe to the Publicke Schooles, as yée goe from Melancthons house, a pretty house & of a reasonable large sise built of hewen stone, and enuironed with a good thicke Wall, of some thrée foote and a halfe thicke and twenty high, at the bottome guarded about with a good broad Mount of seuen yardes ouer, and round about very large and secret walkes, farre from al company and resort, and there he might talke without feare with the Diuel and his Dam to, thither this fellow comming knocked peremptorily at the doore, Wagner was euen now gone to his study, & rising vp in a Pedlers chafe, that he should goe to his booke, especially if it were goodnesse not once in a moneth, and yet then to be troubled, he swore a litle thing would make him neuer study more, it should not, but putting one his cloake and his hat, came downe and vnbolted the doore: Vnto whome the Messenger séeing such a pretty iolly fellow did some little of reuerence, Wagner as yet scarce hauing let downe his choller, stept backe, and perceiuing him weare such a Wéede as Serieants there doe vse to weare, thinking with himselfe that some had come frō the prince for coosening of his seruaunts, shut the doore vppon him and went powting and swearing and pittifully chafing, that if the knaue ofered to sue him he would surely kill him at the least, downe hee fetcht a good Bastinado and set it behind the doore and opened it againe, and demaunded somewhat mildly what he had to say vnto [Page] him, to whom the Messenger sayd, that he came from the Arch-Duke of Austria from Vienna, who willing to heare some certainety of his Maister, did send for him assuring himselfe, that not onely he could satisfie his desire in that matter, but also shew him as much skill as euer his maister had. Wagner hearing the purpose of his message with good effectual words, thankt him agayn, and rendred most seruiceable reuerence to his good Lord and Master for remembring so gently of his poore seruant &c. Desiring him to tarry vntill he might set euery thing in due order and hee would not faile to goe with him. The Messenger did not denye him, and so they went vp together into their Chamber, whome euer after the Messenger loued dearly for his proper behauior and personage, for in déede Wagner was a very goodly young man, being about the common stature, streight and reasonably slender, well trust, his haire very yellow and his face faire, his bearde which did but now expresse the blossomes of his lusty courage of ye like yellow, wel mannered, as hauing bin brought vp amongst the finest and best sort of Diuels: hauing a pleasant filed tong, and would make the dainty Rhetoricke come as smoothly out of his mouth as an arrow out of a péece of paper, well could he talke of amorous deuices, & entreat the brauest Ladies with swéet entertainment, in truth by report he was a Gentle-like man, and accomplished with as many fine partes as a better man than hee might iustly vaunt of: he could play vppon any fine Instrument, and was not ignorant of any laudable exercises, carrying a braue lusty conceite euen to his death: and furnished with many proportions of art, ther was nothing wanting in the man but a godly mindo.
The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus seene in the Ayre, and acted in the presence of a thousand people of Wittenberg. An. 1540. CHAP. VIII.
IN a braue sommer Sun-shine day, the whole people of Wittenberg being gathered together, to beholde certaine matches for the Garland who could drinke most, and also to sée a match shotte at a pair of Buts with Harquebushiers, as their order is in a low meddow hard by the Elue: which now being on his freshest pride [Page] was full of fine and swéete flowers, being in the latter end of the moneth wherein the Sunne departs from the last embracings of Gemini. On a sodaine there was séene a maruailous bright and glorious Rayne-bow, spreading the wide armes ouer the wide World, and streight was there hard a noise of Trumpets, soundinge a short florish, and then another, and by and by another all alike short, at the which the assembly was wonderously affeard, and listned, desirous to sée the effect of this wonder and straunge miracle, some of them fell to their Aue maries lustely, thinkinge that the vniuersall Doome had béene at that instant, as thus they beheld with admiration, they might distinctly perceiue a goodlye Stage to be reard (shining to sight like the bright burnish golde) vppon many a faire Pillar of clearest Cristall, whose féete rested vppon the Arch of the broad Rayne-bow, therein was the high Throne wherein the King should sit, and that prowdly placed with two and twenty degrées to the top, and round about curious wrought chaires for diuerse other Potentates, there might you sée the ground-worke at the one end of the Stage whereout the personated diuels should enter in their fiery ornaments, made like the broad wide mouth of an huge Dragon, which with continuall armies of smoake and flame breathed foorth his angry stomackes rage, round about the eies grew haires not so horrible as men call brissels, but more horrible as long and stiffe speares, the téeth of this Hels mouth far out stretching, and such as a man might well call monstrous, and more then a man can by wordes signifie: to be short his hew of that colour which to himself means sorrow, & to others ministers like passion: a thicke lampe blacke, blacker then any paint, any Hell, blacker then it owne selfe. At the other end in opposition was séene the place wherein the bloudlesse skirmishes are so often perfourmed on the Stage, the Wals (not so pleasaunt as old wiues woulde haue their tales addorned with) of Pasty crust, but Iron attempered with the moste firme stéele, which being brightly filed shone as beautifully ouer the whole place as the Pale shiminge Cynthia, enuironed with high and stately Turrets of the like mettall and beautye; and hereat many in gates and out-gates: out of each side lay the bended Ordinaunce, shewing at their wide hollowes the crueltye of death: out of sundry loopes many large Banners and Streamers [Page] were pendant, brieflye nothing was there wanting that might make it a faire Castle. There might you sée to be short the Gibbet, the Posts, the Ladders, the tiring house, there euery thing which in the like houses either vse or necessity makes common. Now aboue all was there the gay Clowdes Vsque quaque adorned with the heauenly firmament, and oftenspotted with golden teares which men call Stars: There was liuely portrayed the whole Imperiall Army of the faire heauenly inhabitauntes, the bright Angels, and such whose names to declare in so vile a matter were too impious and sacrilegious. They were so naturally done that you would haue sworne it had béene Heauen it self or the Epitome of it, or some second Heauen, and a new Heauen it was, from thence like dewy drops wherein the Sun layes his golden shine, making them to appeare like small golden teares, the swéete odours and comforting liquor streamde, and séemde alwaies to raine from thence but they neuer fell, but kept a beaten path from downe on high wherein the descending Angell might reioyce. I should be too long if I should expresse this rare Stage, especially in such sort and such like words as the like occasion in a more worthy subiect wuld require, but of necessity we must barely apply our descriptions to the nature of the whole History. Wee must not faile in the first principle of Art, according to that of Horace.
I shall not néede to turne backe to declare the déepe astonishement of the people, who are alwaies in most small manners induced easely to wondering, but now this excellent faire Theator erected, immediatly after the third sound of the Trumpets, there entreth in the Prologue atttired in a blacke vesture, and making his thrée obeysances, began to shew the argument of that Scenicall Tragedy, but because it was so far off they could not vnderstand [Page] the wordes, and hauing thrice bowed himselfe to the high Throne, presently vanished. Then out of this representaunce of Hels mouth, issued out whole Armies of fiery flames, and moste thick foggy smoakes, after which entred in a great batell of footemen Diuels, all armed after the best fashion with pike &c, marching after the stroake of the couragious Drum, who girded about laid siege to this faire Castle, on whose Wals after the summons Faustus presented himselfe vppon the battelments, armed with a great number of Crosses, pen and incke hornes, charmes, characters, seales; periapts &c. who after sharpe wordes defled the whole assembly, séeming to speake earnestly in his owne defence, and as they were ready to reare the Ladders, and Faustus hadde begun to prepare for the counterbattery, determining to throw downe vppon the assemblies heads so many heauy charmes and coniurations, that they should fall downe halfe way from the ascendant, whilst these things began to waxe whot from the aforesayd Heauen, there descended a Legion of bright Angels ridinge vppon milke white Chariots, drawn with the like white stéeds, who with celestiall diuine melody came into the Towre, to the intent to fight for the Doctor against his furious enemies, but he wanting pay-money, and voide in déede of all good thoughts not able to abide their most blessed presence sent them away, and they returned frō whence they came, sorrowfully lamenting his most wilfull obstinacy, whilst he had all be nointed the Wals with holy Water, and painted with bloud many a crimson Crosse. At length the Alarme was giuen, and the Ladders cleaude to the Wals, vp the assaylants climbde, vppe they lifted their fearefull weapons. Faustus not able (destitute of helpe) to withstand them was taken prisoner, and his towre down rased to the earth, with whose fall both the large Heauen and World shooke and quaked mightely, whom when they had fettered they left ther, they marching out and the forenamed Chaires were presently occupied with all the Imperiall rulers of Hell, who clothed in their holyday apparel sat there to giue Iudgement vppon this wilfull Faustus, whom two Hangmans of Hell vnloofed, and there in presence of them all the great diuell afore his chiefe péeres, first stamping with his angry foote, and then shaking his great bushe of hair, that therewith he made the neare places and the most proud [Page] Diuels courages to tremble, and with his fire burnt scepter, and his like coloured Crown, all of gold, setting one arme by his side, and the other vppon the pummell of his Chaire, shooke a prettye space with such angry fury, that the flames which procéeded from his frightful eyes did dim the sight of the Wittēbers béelde. Ther was in this sayd Wittenberg a gallant faire Lady and a virgin, which now following her mother accompanied with sundry gallant Germane Gentle-men, had euen nowe entred out of their Barge, and séeing the whole world of people as they thought gasing vp into the Heauen so very strangely, were partly stroken with wonder, some with feare, and some with sodaine merryment, and hasting down the hill more then a round pace, asked some what was there to doe, and they bid them looke vp (for here is to be noted that they looked vp afore but could sée nothing but as alwayes they were wont vntill they shewed them it) which they did, and at the same time wherein the great Diuell was in his red whot anger, this young Gentlewoman looked vp, whose most vgly shape so seared her, that euen then there shée fell downe in a sown, whome they conuaied away very spéedily, yet ere they could come home shée was welnigh dead, and so shée lay for two yeares without hope of life, or certainty of death: great sorrowe to her parents, and as cruell paine to her: But shée at length recouered hir Spirite, and if by your patience I may I will tell you how. There was a most learned and excellent Doctor dwelling in the Towne who had great knowledge in the blacke Art, who being requested to vse some Phisicke to aide her in her greate extremity, being promised for reward fiue thousand Dollars. This Doctor perceiuing the cause of her malady was not caused of any distemperature of her body, but only of the afore sayd feare, knew that Phisicke might well make her body sound, but her mind neuer. Wherefore not onely for the reward, but also to becom gracious and famous at once, procéeded in his cure on this manner. One night hauing made his Orisons and nine times combed his haire with teares of a pure maide, and nine times gone about a fire made all of pure Heben coale, and thrice nine times called vppon the name of the most dreadfull Hecate, he laide himselfe to sléepe vppon a pure white and cleane vnspotted maidens smocke, and couered himselfe ouer with the ashes of a white Hind rosted [Page] and burned altogether, he slept, and the next morning apparelled in white robes, hauing often and often called, recalled, and exercised the thrée Fairies Millia, Achilya, and Sybilla at length the ground opened, and with them they brought a milke white Stéede, and did put vpon his finger the ring of inuinsibility, when they were vanished, he mounted vp vppon his Horse, who with more swift flight then the winged Pegasus carried him throughe the wide Aire so fast and so long, that hauing passed ouer Bohem, Hungary, Thracia, all Afin Minor, Mesopotamia, & at length to Arabia, Foelix, where he alighted vppon a most high Mountaine, all the way from the top to the bottome of a iust bredth and stéepenes, so that he that were on that would thinke himselfe not in the world, and they beneath would déeme him to be in heauen, vpon the brims of it round about grew the high Pines, the stately Cedars, and alwaies so gréene as the most fresh Meddow: the height of this huge rocke was two and twenty miles in euen altitude and halfe a mile of iust circuit all the way: there he tied his Horse to a Trée and knocked at the Castle gate, where afore was neuer séene any, so that no path could there bée séene, so that a man might iustly haue called it the house of little Hospitality, to him there came Neglectment an old Lady, and demanded what he would, who told her his errand, and withall a ring of fine gold from the thrée Fairies, shée knew the ring and his errand, & conuayed him into many a fair roome, wherein shée shewed him many a worthy Knights memorials, many an antique Monument heaped vp, but inner roomes so monstrous darke and nightly, that no humaine eie could perceiue any thing, and foorth shée brought him vnto a Garden, out of the midst whereof rose a little Hill frō the summity whereof, there was a paued way of pure Christall stone, from along whose bosome trilled a small Water: This water an olde man helde, and in déede he had it as a Patrimony, for therefore he could shew many an auncient euidence, and worne Charter, his haire was all fled to his front, as if some enemy had scared the hinder locks from his scalpe, on his backe hung a paire of Wings which flagged downe, as if either they had béene broken or he weary, and thus he ouer stroad a round Worlde, from out if euery part whereof gushed out this small Riuer which was conuayed downe in this Christall pipe, in his hand he held a long [Page] sithe, and in the other an houre glasse, here the Doctor séeing the old ruines of this sumptuous house, and all the faire Walles and buildings ouergroan with a deadly Mosse was much amased, but because he could not tarry, he dipt a small Violl in the spring and departed, and for because he was so peremptorily warned not to tarry, he could not behould the most stately Galleries, in which he might sée the Worlds chiefe pleasures and Monuments, some wholly worn away, some halfe, and some euen now beginning, and some wholy quite ouer-groane with a thicke earthye fur, for as he came by an old Wall he chaunst with his elbow to rub off the thicke Mosse, and then might hee sée a faire péece of Parchement gilded and painted curiously, wherein was truely described the auncient tokens of a most braue and worthy Gentleman, so hauing sped of his iourney he came by the same way againe as he went, Neglectment shut the doors vpon him, whilst he mounted vppon his white swift footed Horse and by the like time ariued at his owne house, where hauing with the bloud of a new slain heyfer, thrice annointed the féet of his Cauallo, and tying at his eare with a string of fine silke spunne by the hands of a pure maid, the receiued ring of inuisibility vnto his eare, with many a Crosse, and many open Aue Maria, dismissed him, who in the same moment returned to the place from whence he came. With this water the Doctor came to the maide, and hauing vsed a certaine incantation, gaue her to drinke of the water of déepe Obliuion, which she had no soner tasted of, but streight waies she had forgotten the terrible picture of the Diuell, and was reuiued out of all her infernall feares, the Doctor called winning him credite, fauour and fame, and richly rewarded for his medicine, departed, & running whome threw his Violl into the déepe Riuer buryinge obliuion with obliuion, the parents of the young Lady reioysing excéedingly at their daughters recouery, for euer after caused the place wherein their daughter was thus scared, to bee vnaccessable for man or beast, compassing it in with a high wall, and ouerthrowing the banckes, so that now there is no mention of the medow nor of the Wall.
The Diuell, the great Diuell Lucifer hauing finished his briefe Oration, descended downe out of his Iudgement seat, and pointing vnto all his Nobles, tooke Faustus by the hand, and placed [Page] him iust before him, taking him by the chinne séemed to them to bid him speake fréely, hee mounted vp againe vnto his high Throne, and with a more milde madnesse expected the spéeche of the Doctor, who hauing bowed himselfe submissiuely vnto these damnable company, he began to speake, and yet not long, then he began to walke vppe and downe and to shew straunge gestures, when sodainely for some bugs words escaped by Faustus, all the Diuels there rose vp, and with their swords drawen threatninge with them the poore Doctor, turning al their bodies and directing their faces to the King, who with a sterne countenaunce commaunded silence. When Faustus hauing long raged, of a soddaine howling lowde, and tearing his haire, laide both his arms vppon his necke, and leapt down headlong of the stage, the whole company immediately vanishing, but the stage with a most monstrous thundering crack followed Faustus hastely, the people verily thinking that they would haue fallen vppon them ran all away, and he was happiest that had the swiftest foote, some leapte into the Riuer and swam away, and all of them with greate affright ranne into the Citty and clapt the Citty gates together, streight, and to encrease this feare they thought they hard a thing fall into the riuer as if a thousand houses had fallen downe from the toppe of Heauen into it. But afterwards this was knowen to be VVagners knauery, who did this to shew the Purceuaunt some point of his skill.
CHAP. XI.
THe messenger had not tarried aboue three dayes, when as Wagner had trust vp his baggage, and was now readie to depart when on the third day at night he cause his boy Artur Harmaruan, (who was the sonne of a wealthy boore, wittie aboue manie, and praised for his notable waggery: his father dwelt at Malmesburg a town hard by Wittenberg in Saxony in high Dutchland, with whome Wagner being acquainted had obtained him of his father to serue him, and hee to be taught of Wagner) him he cause to go to diuerse schollers of his acquaintance, to suppe with him at his departure, who being inuited to this hated farewell, came spéedily where they had a banquet and other curtesies which in such a time both custome and lawes of [Page] their fellowship doe prescribe: In the supper time the schollers moued many questions, and amongest the rest one desired the purseuant to describe vnto them his Lord and maister, for they heard say that the Duke Alphonsus, was a maruellous qualified Gentleman: The purseuant not willing to refuse their request told them that seeing their demand procéeded of a common good zeale, he could not but wrongully refuse to satisfie: notwithstanding the trueth might be better knowne of another then of him, when duetie bids to be partiall, if anie defect might breede partialitie, but so much as I will tell you, the enemie will not disdaine to affirme: And there hee tolde them the very stature, proportion, and particular lineamentes, concluding that hee shewed the vprightnesse of his minde by the proportion of his bodie, and keeping in his outward shape, the vertue which philosophers would haue kept in the minde. There hee tolde them the feature of his countenance, the colour of his haire, eyes, face, chéekes, &c. He tolde them his stature, fauour, and strength, which was such, that with pure cleannesse of his force, hee hath foyld a gentleman in wrastling, who beside wightnesse of bodie, was very firme without affection, not as some doe which in performing any thing will with such a ridiculous sourenesse act it, as if the force of the bodie must be personated vppon the Theater of his face: He declared vnto them that the giftes of his minde were such as then he could not for the number recken vp, but euen as occasion should serue might méete with them, being all suche as were more ready to be admired then imitated, as if all vertues were gathered in him together, magnanimity, magnificence, affability, modesty &c. briefely (hée saide) there were in him all those Graces, which adorne the subiect with the title of Vertuous. He likewise recounted vnto them his studies, vnto which he accommodated himselfe at vacant houres, were partly the Poetry. A Poem of his he saide he had by chaunce gotten, (and by greater chaunce had it there at that instant) which hee had made in praise of his excellent Lady when he was but of young yeares, his Father liuing I dare say he would not for ten thousand florens haue it séene, being such a one as on a dreaming passion he had let fall from his penne and of many the most abiect, but such as this is deserues commendations, because a Prince made it, but if you saw [Page] his reall deuises, you would then say they were Princelike. And then he read it, which I was loath my good friends either to translate or translated to present it here, for that it was not worthie your censure, considering the nice buildings of Sonnets nowe a daies, but according to Aristos vaine you shall finde it very confirmable, as also for that I knew that if I should haue left it out, it would haue béene more wisht for then now admirde. Yet for that I preferre your well knowen good wils afore any vain fear, take this with the rest if they be any with such fauor, as if I were by you at the reading.
Thus haue I harshly Englished them verbally.
This Sonnet was ended with as much praise as it beganne with desire, and one of them coppied it out, and so it was made common to the rest, & made a good sort of them Poets, rectifying their grosse conceits, with so swéete a matter. He tould them that this was but a preparatiue to wondering in respect of his choise makings. Then he shewed them this Epigram, which he made when as before the Duke his Father, a brace of faire Englishe Grey hounds fell down at the Harts héels starke dead, (the Hart also lying not aboue sixe yards off dead to) with chasing, hauing out stript the rest of the dogs aboue halfe a mile.
Then he reckonned vnto him the delight he tooke in Lymming, and shewed them very many fine deuises of his own handy worke. The scollers singularly delighted with the viewe of the reliques of so great a Prince, approued by silence that excellency which by spéech they could not. In fine there hee reckoned by enough to be praysed, and peraduenture more then was true, but not more then is desired. There he set forth with greate and ardent Emphasis other qualities, as his skill and hardy demeanour at the Tilt turney, how he could menage the sturdy steade, leape, run, vaunt, dance, sing, play on diuerse Instruments, and talke with amiable spéech amongest faire Ladies which wee call courting, in all his actions full of gentle familiar affability, still reseruing to himself the due honor belonging to his personage. He concluded in fine that he was the most qualified Prince and absolute Gentleman that day in all Christendome: saying if they knew his humanity, iustice and liberality, you would say in him were all humanity, iustice and liberality: And as the greatest thing that the world can shew is beauty, so the least thinge that [Page] is to be praised, in him is beauty, you would say no lesse then I haue spoken could be in his person if you did but sée him. Thus far the digression came in the commendations of this Alphonsus which truely I was weary of, fearing the great insufficiency of the description, but yet he had not done. I would to God (quoth he) you would come to Vienna and I promise you such lodging & entertainement, that next to the sight of him should be worthiest of your thankes. Wherefore you shall not sorrow that your frend Wagner departeth vnlesse you will séeme to enuy rather his felicity then his departure. I would we were euen all of vs as wée sitte at the Table in the Dukes Court, and here againe with a wish, and herewith their knockt one at the doore, Wagner craftely fayning that he himselfe would rise to sée him that knockt so, desiring them all to sit still in any case, and opening therwith the doore, there entred two young Lords of Tergeste and Morauia, bearing Torches, & next there came the Duke of Austrich, as they thought, & Wagner talked with him bare headed (the Purceuant thinking verily it had béene his Maister, would haue done his duty vnto him, but that the rest hindered him: on his heade he wore a little Hat of blew veluet, with a rich band of pearle, stone and gould, and a long white feather, his cloake of blewe veluet, round garded with gould lace, edged with Orient pearle, and betwixt the gards oylet holes whereout hung by small silke thredes long bugles, all the sléeues in the like order: by his side a golden hilted Rapier, and on his Rapier his hand, his Buskins of the fine Polonian leather, richly embrodered, on the turnings down with costly Gold-smiths worke, al his apparell whatsoeuer most beautiful and princely, he had no sooner passed by (which was not vntill he was distinctly viewed of them) but that Wagner spake vnto them in such manner: saying that that Honorable this mans Lord had sent for him, whose commaundement I will in no wise repugne. Wherefore I beséeche you to take it as you would my greatest aduancement. This his description of his feature, iudge how rightly he hath saide, for my part I confesse that they are rather lesse then the trueth, then not as he hath reported, and herein to satisfie you the more I haue caused my spirite Akercocke to take his shape vppon him.
Now (quoth he) it is time to depart, but because it shall bee [Page] the last night of our méeting none of you shall depart, for I haue lodging enough for you all, and for you shall not be forgetfull of Wagner when he is gone, let euery man wish his woman, and so to bed my maisters. They began all to laugh merrely, not as hoping or wishing, but as if they had heard a merry purpose, and therefore they laughed because it was merry, and such mirth they alwaies liked off. VVagner was almost angry, and yet for that he was almost he was not angry, sending out a great oath as the Prologue of his Comedy, bidding his Boy goe prepare theyr beds and chambers, and bid them wish whom they woulde, hée would their wishes should be perfourmed. Then rose vp one of the schollers perswading himselfe of VVagners earnest, and yet doubting, because he feared he was not in earnest. Why (quoth he) if you meane in very déede my friend Kit. I would I had such a woman, I beléeue beside her selfe there is none fairer then the fairest in this towne. Why wéenest thou I iest (quoth Wagner, goe thy waies, yonder shée is vppon paine of my head, and so it was in déede: then euery one stroue who should wishe first, and he that wisht last had his first wish, so euery one tooke his Damzel and for that night departed to their beds, who are witnesses of that nights great pleasures, & in the morning they arose wishing that euery morning were the morrow of such a night. Euery one gate him a Hackney, and brought him on the way a daies iourney, where they with great griefe left him, who rode til he came to Vienna, and they till they arriued at Wittenberg. Thus still you sée these Potte méetings, are ended emongst these puft-chéekt Hannikins with bed daliaunces, rightly describing their liues most bestiall and Epicure-like.
A lamentable history of the death of sundry students of Wittenberg. CHAP. X.
NOt long after it was reported and blased abroade that Wagner was departed, diuerse Schollers gessing that he had left his Bookes or the most part behinde, determined to send for Harmaruan, which they did, who by no perswasions could be wonne to let them haue his maisters Keyes, so they deuised amongst thē selues to bind the Boy as he should goe home to his Inne, where [Page] as his Maister had put him to boord till his returne. And night drawing on Harmaruan went to his lodging, by the way schollers to the number of seauen mette him and bound him, and beat him sore vntill he gaue them all the Keyes, which he carefully caried about him sowed in a wide Germane sloppe, which when they had (they being all muffled and disguised strangely with vizards) they loosed, and then they ran hastely to VVagners house, as if they had fled from followers, or else followed some hastelye flying, wher being come, they opened the gates, and being entred shut them again, this being about eleuen of the clocke in ye night, & in they went, where they found two Barrels of mighty strong March English Béere of two years old, which they broched, and sate so long drinking till they were all well druncke. And then downe they get into a backe Court, and hauing lighted Tapers, hauing iniuriously framed all the circles, squares, triangles, &c. and apparelled with all the coniuring roabes that the Art requireth, there they begin in a most dreadfull confusion of hellishe sillables to enforme the Féend, and after these words followed as if there néedes must such thinges follow after such words, a terrible roare, and then so bright a smoothring thick fiery fume ascended out of the earth as if it woulde haue made an eternall night, then a vehement flame followed which with continuall motion, ran about the brims of the circle, vntill as weary it left moouing, (all this while they continued reasonably constant, and continued their inuocations without any feare) then from beneath was heard most lamentable outcries, from aboue huge trembling, thunder, and round about nothing but feare and death in a thousand terrible diuerse shapes, then they began to quaile a little, but yet by encouragement grew hardy by reason of the number, then round about was sounded alarms with drums, and onesette with Trumpets, as if there all the World had conflicted, then ye flame which all this while ran about the circle became a body, but suche a body, as if it had béene but a Picture woulde haue madded any one. At whose sight they wholy ouercome with deadly fear forgat the vse of their Pantacles or any such geare, but euen submitted themselues to the small mercy of the Féend, who with great violence rent them and fore them most lamentably. Harmaruan who had raised a great many to the intent to follow them suspecting [Page] that which in déede was, was after long wandring (for they had caused a Diuell discrier to voide all within a certain circuite) with his company brought to the house, where rounde about they might sée in the Court wherein these seauen were coniuring, huge flames as if some great pile had béene made to the buriall of a noble Heroie, climing vp in huge volumes vppe into the Aire, or if some great store of stuble had béene fired, so vehemently furious was the flame that no man there (and there were aboue thirty) was able once to draw neare to any part of ye house, the cry was carried into the Citty of this fire, whereuppon the whole towne was assembled with hookes, buckets, ladders, &c. where in vaine they emptied many a large Well, till diuers learned Preachers falling downe submissiuely on their knées, with good faith appeased this séeming fire which in déede was none, but a méere diabolicall illusion, then they entred into the house, wher they found the Barrels brought a bed and deliuered, the cups, the whole furniture cleane destroyed, broken, and throne about the House, but drawing neare vnto the most ruefull and lamentable spectacle of all, comming into the yeard or groue which was moted about and enclosed with a thicke Wall of trées very excéeding high, as Firre trées are, so very thicke that no light was pearceable into it, in the very midst whereof was a round plot of some one hundred foote any way from the Centre, there found they the religious Circles, there the strange Characters, names of Angels, a thousand Crosses, there founde they the fiue crosse hilted Daggers for the fiue Kings of Hell, there many a strong bulwarke builded with rowes of Crosses, there found they the surplesses, the stoles, pall, miters, holy water, pots broken, their periapts, seats, signes of the Angels of the seauen daies, with infinite like trash and damnable roggery, the fruites of the Diuels rancke fansie. But the most lamentable sight of all the seauen Schollers vtterly torne in péeces, their bloud hauing chaunged the colour of the ground into a darke Crimson, al their bodies as blacke as any coale as if they had béene scorcht with a materiall fire, their flesh violently rent from the bones, and hanging down in morsels like the skirts of a side coate, their bones all broaken, their vaines cut in sunder, and their bowels broad shed vppon the earth, their brains powred out and couering the red grasse all ouer, [Page] their notes stimtyed, their eies thrust out, their mouths widened and slit vp to the eares, their téeth dasht out, and their tongue starting out betwixt their gums, their haire cleane singed of, in briefe imagine with your selues in your minds, and propounde a p [...]cture in your thought, the most deformed, borne, and ill fauoured that you can thinke on, yet shall it not compare to the moste lachrimable sight and shew of them, surpassing as much all credite as my skill dewly to describe them, whom when they had buried without tarriaunce, raced the house to the ground, and filled vppe the moates with earth, heaping vppon the place of this murther the stones of the house defaced, then they returned home discoursing with lamentable iudgement vppon the high and seuere reuenge of Gods indignation vppon them which durst presume to tempt his glorious Maiesty. And finally vnlesse repentaunce bréede a more spéedy remorse such is the fatall end of suche proude attempts. And surely this is most true, for I my selfe haue séene the ground wher the house stood, and yet the moates damde vp and the Water breaking throw ths stones euen to this day, there did I sée a skull and a shancke bone of them not yet rotten: and there did I sée the huge heape of stones wherewith they are couered, a fearefull example of Gods wrath and iustice agaynst such infidell Christians.
CHAP. XI.
THe great Turke called Souldan, Alias Cham, comprehending as many victories in his sworde as some Emperours in their thoughts arriued at length afore Vienna, hauing made his preamble with the destroying and burning of the countrey before him, thinking vpon the ancient pollitick rule, Better it is to haue a spoyled countrey then a lost, with a braue prepared Army of two hundred thousand Saracens, horse and foote, and so many it is certain he had, because they doubted not but ther were 300000 The mighty Cham hauing erected his royall Pauilions, and entrenched himselfe to besiege the noble Vienna, munified his camp with Artillery and déepe ditches, and then he sent a Letter of destaunce vnto the Honorable Alphonsus, as being principall in his owne Citty, who was enuironed within the wals of the citty expecting the day of battell, for to this entent the states of Italye [Page] and the Emperour of Germany, with the Dukes of Saxony, Bauaria, and the other Prouinces neare assembled (for now necessity bred vnity) with a braue company of Souldiers to exterminate this monster out of their confines: vnto the Duke of Austrich onely (for he had no intelligence of their assembled forces) he directed his Letters with defiance, meaning to conclude his long trauailes with a certaine victory: fearing neither the peril which so many gallant souldiers throughly resolued might bring, nor that euer God or fortune (as they call it) would once shew him any disfauour, whose onely fauour is onely in shew. Nor yet that the heauens great God would not with seuere reuengement chastise the Leuiathans insolency and slaughter of so many Martirs, rather deferring then forgetting so iust a punishment.
CHAP. XII.
ABout this time the Messenger and Wagner arriued at Vienna very late in the night and passed through the Turkishe Sentinels, and arriuing at the Citty, and for that night they lay at the Purceuants house, no sooner had the approaching Sunne sent afore him the marshals of the morrow light, and a new morning ministred occasion of new matter, but vp those two arose & being ready departed for the Courte, and now the day was almost in the greatest beauty, when the Messenger was admitted into the Dukes presence, vnto whom he recited what euer was séene, and done in that time of his absence, (only I forgot to tell you how Wagner raged and stormed, and thundered, when Akercocke brought him word of the destruction of his House at Wittenberg as he was in the way to Austria) wherewith the Duke was wonderfully both delighted and astonished. And hauing wellcommed Wagner very graciously and accordingly rewarded, he dismissed them till further leasure, commaunding the Purceuant to shew him all the pleasure he mought.
CHAP. XIII.
AFter al these most excellent Princes were come into the counsell chamber, the Herrald sounded his trumpet after the Turkishe summons then did all the states draw into the great Hall, wherin a high Imperiall throne richly ordered with shining cloth [Page] of Gold, euery noble and estate placed correspondently to his degrée, where in presence of them all the Herralde was admitted, who comming with his coate of Armes lying vppon his right arme into the bottome of the Hall, made thrée obeysances downe with the right knée vnto the ground, with a loud & distinct voice spake vnto the Duke onely, telling him that his soueraigne and Maister Soultan Alias Chan, the sonne of Murad Chan, the son of Rabeck Chan, the sonne of Mahomet Chan, and so vpwards till he came to their great Prophet Mahomet, God on the earth, and Emperour of all the East. And then he began to reckon fiue hundred titles, with a long &c.. Vnto thée Alphonsus Arche-Duke of Austrich, and there he declared the whole effectes of his message, and at last with a great Brauado ended, and then he did one his gaie coate of Armes expecting their aunswere. When as the Duke crauing licence of the Emperour to speake answered ye Herrauld in most gallant and triumphing tearms, commanding him to say vnto the proud Turke his maister, that ere fiue dayes came about he would trample his victorious horns vnder his féet, and ride in triumph vppon his stubborne necke, and that in defēce of himselfe and of braue Christendome hee woulde léese the vttermost drop of his bloud, & to make it good hee would not be in quiet till he had met his maister in the midst of the field, and therewith he drew out his sword, and all they with him, crying God & Sainct Michaell for the right of Christendome: then stoode vppe the Emperour and auowed all that they had saide afore him, commaunding moreouer the Herrald to say to the proude Vsurper, that séeing the quarrell would bréede great effusion of bloud, and yet he neuer the nearer, that he a man euery way equall to himselfe, not onely for the spéedier aduaunce of his battels, but also to haue a certaine end to such an vncertaine enterprise, hee woulde fight with him body to body, armed at all points after their owne guise at any time within this fortnight, and Herrald bring mee word (quoth he) that he will so doe, and by my Honor I promise to giue thée for thy tidings 10000. Duckets. Then the Herralde being highly rewarded was dismissed, and reported their braue aunsweres vnto the Turke, with all the great maiesty of the Christian Princes, who presently went to counsell together, and so continued till other like necessary busines called them away.
CHAP. XIIII.
IN this Chapter (Gentlemen) parte of the Dutch coppy was wanting, and the other part so rent that it could not be red, yet by some circumstances I coniecture that the Duke of Austriche had diuerse and dangerous conflicts with the Turke, yet beeing supported by the Englishe men and other Christians, with the help of Wagner, who standing in a high towre to see the conflicts, caused by his Magicke such a storme to arise that no man was able to abide, the Turke was stil discomfited.
The giftes of Wagner to the Duke, and three Diuels retaind for Souldiers to the same Prince. CHAP. XV.
IN the next morning VVagner presented himselfe to the Duke in presence of all the whole Princes of the Christians, whom very graciously he entertained as he might for his good seruice, & there in presence of them al he desired the Duke to take at his seruants hands a small gift, which hee condiscended vnto, and then VVagner caused a Chest to be brought in of fine Iron, wrought and inameld with gould and colour most curiously, then hee opened it and tooke out a whole armour of fine bright stéele so light as a common Dublet, but so subtelly and excellently framed, that it passed all comparison of hardnesse, there was a Musket shotte at euery péece whereon remained no great notice of a blow, but as of a little touch, plaine without any broider worke or otherwise carued, but so excéeding bright as would well haue dazeled the long beholders eies, a shield of the same fashion, made like a tortoyle shell, a sword of the like fine temper, with all the furniture of a souldier, then tooke he out a Plume which hee had no sooner put into the crest, but he that stoode behinde coulde not sée no part of his backe, nor he that stoode before of his brest, so that thus it made him inuisible, ther he told him it was fetcht out of the great Turks armory, which they say was Mahomets, but I say more truely Alias Chans, which for himselfe caused it to be made, hauing called together the most excellent Philosophers and workemen that were to be found in all his wide Empire. The great rewards the Duke would haue giuē him for it he refused, he was only contented with thankes and fauor. And then might they see [Page] from the doore of the chamber thrée most gallaunt men to enter, which were his thrée Familiars, whom VVagner taking by the hands presented vnto the whole assembly of Princes, but more directly to the Duke, assuring them that they were the most fortunate, most valiant, strong, hardy, and puissant men that in the World were to be found, and in déede they séemed to be as goodly swart men as any eie beheld, he tould their seuerall names Mephostophiles he tearmed Mamri, Akercocke he tearmed Simionte, Faustus hee called Don infeligo, shewing that they were borne in those fortunate Ilands, wherein the Poets fained the Elysian fields to be, ioyning by West vpon the end of Barbary, being from Vienna to those fortunate Ilands 35. degrées of lō gitude and eight minutes, and 48. degrées and 22. minutes from the Aequator or Aequinoctiall, in latitude not then founde out. So were they most graciously entertained of all the Nobles, and entertained in the Dukes most Honorable pay. VVagner said that they thrée left their countrey and sought aduentures, and by chaunce comming this way, I knowing of it by secrete intelligence, met them and certainely assured of their high valours, thought good to shew them to you, for hee that first had spoake to them had béene first serued, nor cared they whether to serue vs or the Infidell.
CHAP. XVI.
I Spake before of a challenge made by the Emperour vnto the Turke, which when the Herrald had reported vnto the Soultan (who certainely was a verye honorable Souldier) but there he vowed to performe it, and to set the Emperours head vppon his highest pauilion in view of all the Citty. And thereuppon the next day after this skirmishe, he sent the same Herrald with purpose and commandement to declare in excellent gallant tearmes the acceptance of the combate, knowing that it depended vppon his honor to shew his small feare, in not refusing so equall a Foe, whose profer procéeded from a most Honorable resolution: when it was reported vnto the Empepour that the same Herralde returned, he caused the Hall to bee adorned with most braue furniture, his high Chaire of estate placed, and all about seates for the other Princes. The Emperour hauing seated himselfe, full of [Page] braue thought and gallant hardyhood, expecting the aunswere of the enemy in such sort as it was in very déede. In all braue maner the Herrald in proud phrase vttered the purport of his message, requesting that a peace being concluded on both partes for the space of thrée daies, and frée egresse and regresse for the Nobles on both parties the one to viewe the Campe, the other the Court, and on the third day he would armed in his countrey maner méete him in the listes, to shew that he neuer refused the combate of any Christian Emperour, albeit he knew his calling far superior to that of his. So then the message was accepted, the Herrald had his 10000. Duckets carried to the Turkes campe on horse, and they in the Citty began to kéepe feasts, and entertained the Turkish Nobles in excéeding brauery, and they theirs in the like without damage or thought of treason.
CHAP. XVII.
DVring the time of this truce, these foure companions, Infeligo, Wagner, Mamri, Symionte, cast how to abuse the great Turke most notably, and Akercocke otherwise called Symionte he would begin first, and lead them the dance. Then he leaues them and gets me vp vnséene to the Turkes Campe, and in his Campe to his own Pauilion, & so into the place where the great Infidell himselfe sate, he being then gone into the Lauatory, which is a place wherein he thrée times a day doth bathe himself, which by so doing he doth verily beléeue that all his sinnes are remitted and washed away be they neuer so horrible, diuelishe, or wicked, then Akercocke or Symionte, which yée wil, goes inuisibly into the Lauatory, where the great Villaine was bathing himselfe amongest thrée of his most faire Concubines starke naked, swimming as much in their dalliance as in the water, mingling his washing with kisses and his cleansing with voluptuousnesse, Akercock in the shape of a bright Angell appeares vnto him, and with a proud magnifico presented himselfe vnto the slaue, who straight waies very reuerently fell downe vppon his knées, and with his hands high lifted vp, worshipped towardes him in great humility, whilst Akercocke with good deuotion fell a boord the Concubines, and there acted them before his face one after another: when he had so done, he takes the greate slaue by [Page] the tip of his pickenouant, agd shaking him fiercely (who al this while with great dreade and feare lay halfe astonished and al naked on the ground) told him that hee had prepared a more brauer place for his so good a seruaunt then so base a bathe, and no fairer Concubines. (Now the Turke had séene how like a lusty rancke fellow this Simionte had behaued himselfe, at which he wonders not greatly, because Faustus whom he thought to haue béen Mahomet (as well as he did thinke Akercocke) had also shewed the vertue of so great a God as Mahound, twēty times more beauty then Iupiter.) Then the Turkish Emperour with halfe dyinge hollow voice, as if his breath had béene almost gone or else but now comming, said that he was all at his commandement, and so followed Simionte starke naked as he was born, who led him by the hand rounde about, and through euery Lane and place of his Campe, to the great wonderment & laughter of his people, who verily thought Mahound had commanded him to do penance before he fought with the Christian Emperour. But for al this the people fell into such laughter that some had welnigh giuen vp the Ghost at the same instant, diuers Christian Nobles saw him all this while, who effusedly laughed at so apparaunt foolery. The Turke for all this not moued, for indéede hee heard all and sawe nothing, went about wonderfully mannerly: like as you shall sée a Dutch Frow with a handkercheife in her hand mince it after ye hopping Germane. Could a man deuise a more notorious kinde of abuse, then to make that man which will not bee séene but in great secrecy, and aboundantly and richly clad, to bee not onely séene openly but also starke naked, & becom their laughing stocks whose terrour he is alwaies, but Akercocke had not yet so lefte him, but downe he runs to Danuby (where there was readye Mamri or Mephostophiles to receiue him) and there hauinge turned himselfe & the vilest part of himselfe to the Turks mouth, making him kisse and kisse it againe, he tooke him and hurld him violently into the Water, and then Akercocke vanished away.
The second mocking. CHAP. XVIII.
NO sooner was he in but he saw then apparantly how hée had béene mis-led and abused, and there for very shame woulde [Page] haue drownd himselfe in very déede, had not Mamri come swiftly flying ouer & gaue him a terrible blowe on the noddle with a good Bastinado, that he almost made his braines flye out, and rapte him vp by his long haire out of the water vnto the land, wher he buffeted him so long till at length he came to himselfe againe, thē Mamri fewtred himself to abuse him kindly, and there with swéet and compassionatiue spéech comforted him, desiring his reuerend Maiesty not to take any griefe séeing it was doone in the sight of all his men, in the knowledge of none. And therewith to shew ye more pitty of his misery he séemed to shed aboundance of teares, desiring him to goe with him and he would put vpon him his soft raiment. The Turke (who then had his crowne vpon his head or else it had not béene halfe in the right Qu) séeing one lamenting his case so affectionatly, condiscended vnto him and promised him most large honorable promotion and reward. Mamri set him vpon his legs and led him to a little muddy place by the riuer side, and there varnished the Emperour ouer with most thicke, terrible, and excrementall mud, not sparing either his face, nose, eies, mouth, nor any thing, whilst he miserable man thought hee had béene in most diuine contentment. Thus he led him in the viewe of fiue thousand people (for here is to bee noted that all that euer saw him both knew him to be the great villain Turke, and could not but laugh most entirely at him, nor his owne men could do any other nor once thinke of any rescue or remedy, by the working of infernall instinct) vntill he came to Vienna, and in Vienna to the most faire gates and where greatest resort of people are alwaies together, there at the Citty gate he drew out a long taber and a pipe and strikt vp such a merry note, as the foolish ornamēt of all London stages neuer could come neere him, no not when he wakte the writer of the newes out of Purgatory, with the shrill noise. Ther at the gate stood a Carpenter who was then carrying a Coffin to a certain house to bury one in, him Mephostophiles beate till hee laie on the could ground, and tooke the Coffin and caused the Turk to hold it in his hand. Memorandum that none of all these Spirites were séene of any one, but felt of them which saw them. Then from the gate he began to play, the Turke and the Coffin skipt and turnd, and vaunted, and bounded, and leapt, and heaued, and sprung so fast and so thicke together, that the coffin [Page] rapping the misserable man sometime on the shinnes, breast, thighes, head, face, that the durty colour was almost wipte away with the streames of bloud. At this straunge fight and the vnheard noise of that kinde of Instrument, al the boies, girls, and roags in the town were gathered with this troupe, & this mirth, he conuaied them round about the stréets, and al the way as they went, such egs, such chamber pots emptyings, such excrements, odoure, water, &c. were throwne down on their heads, that it séemed all those vile matters were reserued for that Tempest, vntill such time (then it being about two of the clocke in the afternoone when euery one is busied in some plesaunt pastaunce) as all this faire company came to the Court, whereout at diuerse windows lay the chiefest of all the Nobility, and the most braue Gentlewomen, who séeing such a huge crowd of Boyes, the great Turke and a Coffin dauncing, and a taber and pipe playd vppon, they were almost amased, thus hee marched finely round aboute the whole Court, till comming to the Court gate he entred in, (but the Boyes were excluded) with this merry Morris there in presence of them all the Turke fell downe dead, whom Mamri layd in the Coffin, and then vanished away.
The thirde. CHAP. XIX.
THen came Infeligo or Faustus and touching him reuiued him to the great wonder of the beholders, and couering him somewhat shamefastly, went into his chamber with him, and there benotted him round vpon the head and the beard, which is the fowlest reproch and disgrace that can be offered to the Turke, which done he conuaied him into the presence of the Emperour, where hee made them such sporte, that vnneath they could recover their modesty in thrée houres space, to sée the proud Villaine plaistered ouer with such muddy morter, all euer his head and face, his eyes and téeth shewing like black Moores, or as a paire of eies looking through a Lettice, or as they cal it a Periwig, wherein if the eies had féete they might be set in she stocks: All his lineaments were lineamented with this pariet, he stood quiuering and shaking eyther for could or feare like an Aspine leafe (as they say) whilest euery man buffeted him, he standing with a sturg [...]stice and an old [Page] shooe, as they doe at blind man buffe to sée who he could hit. Thus long he made them sport, till one tolde the Emperour that it was the great Turke, at which he was excéeding wroth and sorry.
The fourth and last. CHAP. XX.
VVHen Wagner séeing him grieued, came and knéeled downe before him, declaring that he would vndertake to heale all his wounds and other gréeueances whatsoeuer, yea & make him vtterly forget al that was passed as if it had neuer béene, and promised more to carry him home himselfe safe and sound, which the Emperour thanked him highly for, requesting him to performe it presently, for hee would not for halfe his reuenews that his Foe should haue any occasion to alledge against him, for to excuse the Combate. Then went Wagner vp into his chamber, and apparelled himselfe in white tafita made close to his bodye, and there where they vse to weare round hose halfe a foote déepe, stuck with swans feathers, like the skirts of a horsmans coat, his hose, shoos, (for all were together) of the same white tafita, and within with white leather, at his héeles two fine siluer wings, & on his shoulders two maruailous large bright siluery wings, and on his head an vpright little stéeple hat (with a white feather of two or thrée ranges) of white tafita, and in his hand a Caduceus or a Mercuriall Rod in the same white siluer colour, hee entred into the Presence Chamber afore all the assembly to their singular contentation, for in his Personated garments he séemed to be a very Angell, for it was in doubt whither Mercury was halfe so beautiful or no. And there opening a large casement (as there they are very large) with a braue R'ingratio departed from them taking vp his flight in the view of them all into the aire, as if hee woulde haue beate the Azure firmament with his wast wings. Thus he carried him lower and lower till he did light vpon a great Elme, and there he opened his sight to sée in what plight he was. The Turk séeing in what a traunce he had béene, began to sweare, to banne and curse, and was euen then ready to haue thrown himself down headlong, but Mercury hee stept to him and bad him bee of good chéere, for it had pleased the great God Iupiter, whose seruaunt Mahomet was, to shew him those great abuses, to the intent he [Page] should be more wary in his actions, and take héede how to tempt the Christians with vaine battels and such like spéech, but nowe (quoth he) come and giue me thy hand, and thern will I lead thée to thy Pauilion, where as yet thou art not missed of the Nobles, for in the place where thou wast taken away, hath Ioue sent one to beare thy shape. Then againe he tooke his flight & all the way as he went he rapt his héels against the tops of the high trées, and beat him pittifully vppon the shins al the iourney, vpon the tents tops. Now they arriued in the same place from whence hee was tane. and there he laide himselfe domn who presently recouered his former strength in ful perfectnesse, and not onely not felt it but vtterly forgat it. Then he continued his wonted solace and prepared himselfe to the battaile, whilest hee was made a laughinge stocke of the world, Wagner returned through ye same path which he had made in the aire before, came not yet to the Court before they had done laughing, for there the matter from the beginning to the end was rehearsed.
The processe to the combate. CHAP. XXI.
THe two daies of the truce were passed and the third morning was come, in which time many gallaunt feates of armes and actiuity were performed on both parts. Now the time of the combate was come. There was in the Riuer of Danuby a pretty Iland of a quarter of a mile long or more, as euen as ground might be all the way, in this place were the lists prepared, and a scaffold richly hanged for the Iudges to determine in. In the euening about foure of the clocke (being then reasonable coole) The Christian Emperour issued out with aboue 100000. Christians, the rest being aboue 60000. were left to defend the Citty (for both the Christian and especially the Turkes were increased) wher he entred into the wide plaine, and comming to the bancks side hee entred into a broad Ferry boate leauing his whole Armye on the other side of the Riuer whilest he laboured to attain to the Iland. The Duke of Austria with his attendants Mamri, Simionte, Infeligo, and Wagner, the Dukes of Clebe, Saxony, Campany, and Brabant, with the like number all brauelye and gloriously mounted: The Duke of Austria in his bright armour marshalled [Page] the field, and of the Christian sate as Iudges the kings of Luscitany and Arragon with their Herralds: Now the Emperour is landed in the Island and is mounted into his rich saddle, armed in armour so costly, strong, curious, and resplendescent, that it semed al the beauty in the world had béene gathered together in it, his courser so firme, nimbly ioynted, tall and large, such a one might haue béene the son of Gargantuas more for his Giant-like proportion. Then tooke he his strong and large Asken lance, bearing in his stéele head Iron death, at the top whereof hung a fair and rich pennion, the whole shaft of the speare double g lded ouer and curiously enameld, about his necke hung his horne shield, artificially adorned with his owne atchieuement, the belt whereon his sword hung of beaten gold, his caparison of pure cloth of gold, whereon the rich stones were so ordinary that they tooke away ye glittering of the mettall onely as if it had béene the Sun beames, trailed along betwixt precious gutters. On his helmet was fixed a rich Crown of the most excellent mettall. In briefe for I would faine haue made an end of this idle newes, there was all the richnes in his Empire in that all the beauty of his richnes, in them al ye desire of each eie: when he had saluted ye iudges he trotted twice or thrise about the lists, and then lighted at his Pauilion which was there erected of cloth of gold, where he sate with conuenient company and refreshed himselfe. Now in the meane the Turke he set forward with an army double the christian, and 100000. and aboue still left in the Campe. And here I must néedes leaue to tell you of his excéeding preparation vnlesse I shoulde make a whole volume, for beside the wondrous furniture of his Souldiers, the most rare choise of ornaments, there was nothing could be deuised, nay more then of set purpose could be deuised was ther. But briefely I will turne to the Turke himselfe, where if I had art according, I should sooner weary you with delight thē words: But 100000. of his men hauing marched before to the banckes and there embatteled themselues by the riuer all along, with such hideous noise of Trumpets horns (for so they vse) drums of bras, fluites &c. that there was more heard then séene by farre, then aproached the great Turke himselfe, before him rode 4000. Ianissaries armed in their fashion, with a long Gowne of Scarlet red laced with gold lace, & long sléeues of a verye narrow bredth, [Page] which was girt close vnto him, vnder that a good armour, with a long high cap like a milke pale for all the world, of white Satten or some such like gear, with a long feather enough to come down to a tall mans hams, very thick laced in the brims with gold and pearle, in his hand a short Iauelin, at his side his Cemiter, at his backe a great Quiuer of broad arrowes, and by a string of silke hung his stéele bow, ouer euery 100. of these is a Boluch Bassa a Centurien as we call him, and these be of the Turks guard, and are called Solaquis Archers, and they rode fifty in a rancke, then came following the about 200. Peicher or Peiclers, all in one liuery of very rich tissue after their fashion, and these are of the Turkes Laqueis which haue a sharpe téene Hatchet sticking at their girdels, and the hast of Brasill, with this they will stande 30. paces off and cleaue a penny loafe or hit it some where, they will commonly sticke an inche and halfe déep into a very tuffe Ashen wood, or a Brasill, or such like hard wood: there in great triumph vppon an Elephant richly trapped, stood a Towre of two yardes and a halfe high of pure siluer, in the top whereof stood an Image of beaten gold, representing their Mahomet, rounde about which vpon Mules Azamoglans or Iamoglans, who are children of tribute exacted vpon the Christian captiues, and contributary, fine, swéete, and the most choise picked Gentlemen brought vp to sundry dainty qualities, who with heauenly melody followed this Elephant, the religious men going round about singing swéetely together: afore all these next to the Ianissaries went aboue 200. Trumpets, and as many followed the greate Turke, who then approached, hauing his Chariot of pure siluer of aboue 20000. pound weight, drawne with eight milke white Elephants, round about rode and went bare headed, Azamoglans Peyclers most gorgeously and resplendescent appareled, vnder the Turkes féete lay a pillow of cleare Christall embossed at the ends with huge golden knobs, on his head a wreath of purple with a most rich diadem as it is comely knowen the order of it, the stage can shew the making of it, but other thinges they differ mightely in. Here you must suppose the excéeding glory of his apparell, there he sate vpright in the Chaire with such a maiestical, proud, seuere, warlike countenaunce, as iustly became so high a throne, before him went Aga which is the great Captaine of his [Page] Ianizaries, with the Hali Bassa, the Captaine of his nauall expeditions, Bianco Bassa the Captaine of his Ianissarie Harquebushiers, the Zanfyretto Bassa captaine of his guard, with other of great authority bare headed. After his Chariot came swéete melody, and then fiue Elephants of War (an Elephant is welnigh as big as sixe Oxen gant and slender like a horse in ye franks, and of more swift foote then a man would thinke for, his fashion is like no beast in England, but the ridge of his backe is like that of an borse, his féete hath fiue great horny toes, and a very longe snoute of aboue two yards in length, with which he will draw by onely snuffing vp a good pretty big lad, and deliuer him to the Rider this long trunck fals downe betwixt a large paire of teeth or tushes of aboue an Ell and a halfe long (as yee may commonlye sée at the Combe makers in London) bending like a Bores vpward, his eares welnigh from the top to the neither tippe of the hanging downe aboue seuen foote long.) And after these fiue Elephants, sadled and ordered for a man to ride on, came trūpets, and all in the like manner as before, and then marched 500. in a ranke, 100000. footmen, and by their sides for wings 40000. horsemen, so that he came to the combate with 240000. fighting men, well accomplished in armes: then was the great Turke carried vnder a goodly canapy vpon a blacke Waggon on mens shoulders into the Ferry, which was richly prepared, where in the view of both Campes he landed, whilest the warlike instruments ecchoed wide in the Aire. In the Island for Iudges sat (in armour as did the other) the king of Rhods and the king of Pamphilia, now called Alcayr. When the Turke was landed there was brought to him by the hands of two kings a gret Elephant of an Ashe colour white embossed very glittringly, where on the great Turke mounted by a short ladder of siluer, armed verye strongly and most beautifully, then tooke hee his Iauelin in his hand, and vibrated it in great brauery (as hee coulde handle his weapon well) and hung his quiuer of long Dartes at his backe, then his cemiter &c. and so hauing saluted the Iudges retirde vnto the vttermost part of the field, then mounted vp the braue and puissant Emperour so lightly in his heauy armour, as if eyther his gladnesse had lessened his waight, or the goodnes of his cause, to the great reioysing of the Christian and amazement of ye turk, [Page] at whome the Christians yeld so vniuersallye and hallowed, and other infinit kinds of gladsome tokens that the Turke astonished stood stone still till the Christian had done, & then as men new risen to life, with such an horrible shout, that their voice rebounded to the aire, at which same time the Christian shouted againe with them, as if they would haue committed a battell with voices, and surely their voices did fight in the wide coasts & shoares of the aire. This done the Emperours prepared themselues to the fight.
The Combate, CHAP. XXII.
ANd when they were sworne that neither of them had any magicke hearbe, charme or incantation wherby they might preuaile in their fight on their aduersary, and had solemnized the accustomable ceremonies in like matters of combat. The Herralds gaue their words of encounter, then with loude voice and shrill Trumpets couragious blast, whilest all the people were in dead night expecting the demeanour of these renowmed Princes. Now we haue brought you to behold these two champions, arriued thither with their braue followers, ready to proue their valiaunce in the face of so great a multitude. Now if you will stand aside leaste their ragged speares endamage you, I will giue you leaue to look through the Lattice, where you shall euen now sée the two Emperours with their braue shocke, presse Doubt betwixt their cruell encountrings. Now you may sée the two combattants, or but as yet champions, comming from the ends of the field, the excellent Christian Emperour with incomparable valour, visiting his Horse sides with his spurs, carrying his speare in the rest with an euen leuell, so that the thundering of the braue Stéede presaged ye dint of the great thunderclap. When Ali Chan, gently galloping with his huge beast came forward with more swift pace still as he drew nearer to the Emperour. All this while you may behold thē hastening in their course, like as you sée two great waues gallopping from the corners of the sea driuen by contrary windes, meeting together by long randome, to make the neighbours shoares to quake and dimbde with their boysterous carrier. The Emperour being now with his greatest fury ready to fasten his launce vppon his aduersary, and his aduersary ready to fasten his Iauelin [Page] on him, when the Turke suddainely stept aside, and the Emperour thrusted his voide launce into the Aire, (for he mought easely do it, for though the Elephant be but low, yet he was higher then his horse by a yard, and yet his horse was the fairest and tallest to be found in all Christendome, so that néedes hee must laye his speare in an vneuen height to breake it on him. Sodainely ye Turke stopt and with his nimble Beast followed the Emperour as he had fled, whereat all the whole army of Turkes showted horribly clapping their hands, & the Christian stood still in great silence, stroken with iust wonder of this strange Quidity in combate, and ere the Emperour could make his stoppe with a shorte turne, the Turke had hit him vpon the shoulder with his Iauelin, which being denide entraunce, for very anger rent it selfe in forty péeces, and chid in the Aire till they broake their neckes on the ground: and had not then the Horse started the monstrous Elephant had ouerthrowne him with his rider to the earth. But then the Horse incenst with ire for this iniury, and his maister more hotely burning with disdaine and furious gall, leapt, bounded, and sent out at his mouth the fomy arguments of his better stomacke, but so fast the vile Turk followed that he had spent 3. long Darts vpon the barbed flanckes of the Horse, which all in vaine returned to their Maister. The beholding Turkes so egerly pursuing the stroaks with shouting, as if with a hidden Sympathy their trayning had augmented the violence of the blowes. At lēgth the good Emperour sorely ashamed came now to make him amends for his pretty falsery: and with great scope thronging his lance forward iust vpward vppon the Turkes face, and when he was almost by him, the Infidel as if he but made a sport of the fight, stept aside very deliuery, thinking that he should haue made him run in the like order as before, but hee more cautelous marking of purpose which way he ment to decline, turned with him and his learned Horse could well doe it, and indéede desire of reuenge had so seated it selfe in his braue couragious breast, that now he euen followed him as he had béene drawne with Cartropes, the Turke séeing how he was circumuented, fetcht a prety compasse and troad a round, the Elephant flying from ye horse and the horse following the Elephant, as you might sée Seignior Propspero lead the way in Mile end Greene in the ringles, this [Page] was a pretty sport to sée the matter turnd to a play. Nowe the Christians hauing like occasion to shew their gladnes, gaue such an Applaudite as neuer was heard in any Theater, laughinge so effusedly that they dasht their aduersaries cleane out of countenance, tickling againe with the long loud laughter: When they had run not passing twice about, the Turke séeing his time, conuaied himselfe out of the ring, and then got againe on his backe, spending his cowardly Darts vppon his strong enemies armor, and so fast he followed and so quickely the good Emperour turned backe againe, that his horses barbe of Stéele out stickinge in his front, met iust vppon the out side of the right eye of the Elephāt, that it sticking out a foote entred in aboue an inche, which ye horse perceiuing made the rest follow into his head vp to the hiltes (as to say) laying out his fore féete out straight, and his hinder legs in like manner, went poaking, and crowded himselfe forewarde still gathering vppon the Elephant, so that not so much with the Horses force as the great beasts cruell pain, the Elephant swaid backe aboue 100. foote. Now was the Emperour glad and with both his hands lifting himselfe vppon his stirrops, tooke his lance and stroake with the point the Turke full on the visard so thicke and so many times, that some bloud followed, with an hue and cry out of the windowes of the Helmet, to find the worker of his effusion: till the villaine slaue drawing his fine sword smoate the launce very brauely in two, and casting his shield afore him, receiued the last stroake on the truncheon of it, which the gentle Emperour with fell fury threw at him, that he made him decline almost to the fall. The Turke sitting on the Elephants backe could not with his Semiter reach the Christian, nor he the Turk with his Curtilax, so that now they sate and lookte one vpon the other, and the people at them, and all at this straunge copeing. The good Horse Grauntier by chaunce being gored a little vnder the maine betwixt the bendings of the barbs with the sharp tusk of the Elephant, neied with great stomacke, and leasinge from the beast which he had welnigh forced to the lists end, being therto forwarded with the sharpe spurs with so excéeding fury, that it was not onely a maruell how the good Prince could sit him so assuredly, and also that he spoild not himselfe, and with more eager fury began to gallop vppon the Elephant again, his mouth wide [Page] open, and horrible with the salt fume which in aboundance issued from his great heart: for by how much the more a thing is gentle and quiet, by so much the more being moued he is iracund & implacable. But the Emperor turning his rayns carried him clean contrary to the lists end, where stood launces for the same purpose as the manner is, of which he choose the two stiffest, longest, and rudest for their stature and came softly pacing to the Turke: who stoode euen there still where hee was the Elephant bléedinge in sunch aboūdance, that by the losse of so much bloud his méekenes turnd into rage, and began to rise and bray, and stamp, and with an vncertaine sway to moue, so that with much adoe the Slaue staied and appeased him, then the braue Emperour lifting vp his visour not onely to take breath but the more fréely that his spéech might haue passage, he told the Turke that he had in a base cowardly manner by false fraud and vnequall fight dishonored himselfe and endangerd him, for which he told him Malgrado suo he would be gloriously reuenged: and now that they had spent a good time in vncertaine Fortune, hee had brought two launces choose which he would, and either begin the fight a new or make an end of the old, promising vppon his Honor that if he refused so to doe, he would fasten one in his beast and another in his heart. And if hee dared to doe that, hee bad him come downe on foote and there breake a staffe with him. The Turke as he was an Honorable souldier then presently slipt of his Elephant, brauely answering that hee came to conquer him in sport, and not meaning to make a purposed battaile, but sith hee was so presumptuous as to dare him to his face, he should soone perceiue how lightly he wayed his proud words, and then skipping to him straight a Launce out of his hand, and went 100. paces backewards, so did the Emperor very ioyfully, when they were come so far as they thought, they might trust to their breath, houlding their Launces in both their hands, began to run very swiftly, and desire brought them together so fast and outragiously, that their Lauces somwhat too malapert not suffering thē to come together hurld the Turke aboue seuen féete of the Lances length, so that not one there but thought he had béene either slaine, or his winde dasht out of his belly: the Prince réeld backeward aboue two paces and yet fel down much astonished. The people on both sides excéedingly amazed and affrighted, [Page] especiallye the Turkes who sent out such a dolefull Sauntus that it would haue moued the stones to ruth, but the dolor of the Christian was not so great for the mouing of the Emperor reuiued their spirites much. In a cause on which the behoulders safeties doe depend the ill successe is much feared, for it maye bee séene by this, that they wil with a certaine alacrity and Sympathy séeme to helpe or to pitty as the cause requires. On a soddain the Emperour lift vp his head, at which the Christians gaue such an vniuersall shoute, as if euen nowe they would paue frayed the mountaines adiacent. The two couragious beasts hauing lately heaped vp red hote rancor in their disdainefull stomackes, assaulted the one the other with all the weapons of nature, that it had béene enough for to haue delighted anye one, but the Horse had some small aduantage by reason of the Elephants right eye was couered with the trayling downe of the bloude. By this time the Emperours rose againe, and the one went to his Horse the other to his Elephant, hauing first splintered their speares, and fenced so long as any vertue remained in the slaughtered Launces. When each had gotten to their beasts they beganne to forwarde them, who with equall ire moued néeded no encouragement, thē did the Emperour comming with ful scope vpon the Turk, smoat the Elephant iust vppon one of the téeth, while with greate rage the Horse had fastned his pike again in the Iaw bone, so that the Elephant still swayed backe, but neither of them being able to reach the one the other, the excellent Prince casting his goulden shield before him and drawing his glittering Curtelax, leapt vppon the necke of his Horse, and laying one hande vppon the one tooth of the Elephant, with the other hand vpon the thong, that went crosse his forehead, vauted vp and setling his féete vpon the tuskes and his hand on the head of the beast, cast vp himselfe, and laide his sitting place where his hands were, and there rode by litle and a little till he might buckle with the insedent. No sooner came he within the reach of the Turke, but hee smote the Turke so fréely, who was ready prepared for him that hee made him decline a little, there they fought so long that the Elephant driuen through paine was thrust vp to the lists, hereupon all the people Christian in a more frée manner then euer at any time before, all the while their hard mettald swordes plaied vppon eache others [Page] shield, so that the glory of their rare fight was so wonderfullye pleasing to the eie, and so honorable to the combattants, that if they had tested one would well haue béene contented to viewe all the long day: but the good Prince was too hard for the other, for with his ready blowes he vrged the great Slaue out of his cell, & made him sit behinde the arsonne of the saddle, and if this chance had not happened he had surely made him sit behinde the arsonne of his Elephantes Taile. For as soone as the Elephant had but touched the lists, the Christian Marshals of the field came galloping and parted the Combattants, holding the Turke as vanquished, whilest betwixt the contrary and aduerse part ther was foure Negatiues, so that welnigh they had fallen to blowes, for ye case séemed to the Christian plaine, to the Turke vniust. That because the Beast whereon he rode went to the Lists end, therefore the stopper should be blamed. Well, Herraldes whose office it is to deale in such royall matters, had the discussing of it, and it was deferred to arbiters, with this condition, that if the Turke was found vanquished, he should be yéelded as recreant (& miscreant he was.) So the matter was posted of whilest it neuer was concluded, and both the parties departed, the one to ye camp the other to the citty, in no lesse solemne pompe then they entred accompanied into the sands, where so rare a chaunce fortuned betwixt so puissaunt Emperours. And because the matter was as strange as trew, I haue soiourned a little too long in it. But in the next Inne you shall haue a better refreshment or a newer choise.
CHAP. XXIII.
BY chaunce a Knight smoate Faustus a boxe on the eare in the presence of a great company of braue Ladies, wherefore hee swore to be egregiously reuenged on him, giuing him the Field, which the knight refused not, so the weapons, the place, the time were ordained, and Faustus went out to the field, and no sooner was Faustus gone out of the presence but Signior di Medesimo who was well knowen to be a valorous and couragious man in his kinde as any was about the Court, on a soddaine fell downe on his knées before all the Ladies, shaking and quiuering with a face as pall as him which was new risen from a moneths burying, [Page] desiring them if euer they tendred any Gentlemans case, to intreate Mounsier Infeligo to forgiue him his trespasse. At this the whole assembly burst out into a lowd laughter, to sée the man that was euen now in his braue tearmes & vanting words to come in all submissiue manner to intreate for a pardon so ridiculously. He yet not desisting with many a salt teare and handes lifted vp toward the Heauens, from whence his pitty came, whē Faustus came blowing in like aswash-buckler with his Rapier by his side and his hand on his Poynard, swearing all the crosse row ouer. But when he saw the Knight in such a pickell, he satte himselfe against a wall and laught so loude and so heartely, that all the whole rout could not choose, but laughe with him, and here was laughing, and here and ther and euery where. At length 2. Ladies rose to whom perhaps this knight owed some particular seruice, and desired Don Infeligo with very milde sermon to bee friends with Medesimo again, he told them that they could not demaund the thing which he would not readily fulfill, marry he requested this, that as the disgrace which hee had receiued was too great to bee forgotten without some such equall reuenge, that he might vse some like iniury, whereby he might be satisfied and he might againe come into his grace: which they graunted. Faustus came to Medesimo and reard him vp vppon his féete, & then got vppon his baccke, and so rid twice about the Chamber, and when he had done he tooke him by the chin, who had not yet forgotten how to wéepe, shaking worse then any schoole boy whē he feares to clime the horse, and gaue him a good boxe on the eare and went his way. So the Knight was vtterly disgraced, and for shame durst not be séene all that day after. They which were ther had sport aboundance, and Faustus was feared for his braue valour and with his continuall delight in knauerye got him foes enough to.
CHAP. XXIIII.
ANother time he by chaunce ouer hearde a Gentleman which was talking to a Lady, and sayde that whatsoeuer shée commaunded him to doe hee woulde doe it, if shée would graunt him grace. The Gentlewoman belike willing to heare him speake, so not to her required him to build in that place with one worde a [Page] Castle of fine siluer, at which the Gentleman amazed went away confounded, Faustus followed him fast, and sayd to him that he had ouer heard the Ladies vniust demand, wherefore goe say (quoth he) thou wilt doe it with one word. And so the Gentleman did and it was done, whilst he ran laughing in to many nobles & lusty gallants, telling them he would shew them the straungest thing that euer they sawe, & all they came running into the garden together, where they founde the Gentleman fast lockte in a paire of stockes, & an vgly fowle kitchin wench in his armes. O Lord what wondrous sport did he make them there. And when they had laughed their fill, he lewsd the gallaunt, who went and swore all that he could he would bee reuenged on him. In such monstrous intollerable knaueries Faustus tooke especial felicity.
CHAP. XXV.
THese foure honest fellowes Faustus, Akercock, Mephostophiles, and Wagner went out together into the stréete, and walking there by chaunce espied foure Gentlewomen seeming to be sisters, them they cast to abuse, and they were neuer content to play any merry pranckes for honest sport, but they must be so satirically full of gall, that they commonly proued infamous, sparing neither their good name on whom they committed them nor any kind of villany, so it might procure mirth: when they had talked sufficiently with them, they did so much that they were contented to ride abroad with them, and so each fetched his horse and came to them masked, & the Gentlewomen were wimpled likewise (for the men as well as women vse there to were maskes.) Thus they rode to the cōmon furlong where many Italian gentlemen were playing at the Baloun, and there they rode round about whole armies of shouts accompanyng them, they riding stil backward and forward, whilst these men women had sowed their coats to their dublets, and pind vpon their backes thinges of vile reproch amongst them, then rode they to the Court not yet satisfied, wher they were entertained with more merriment & laughter. And when these men-women saw the greatest multitude that was there likely to be, euen vppon a péece of grounde which was higher then all the rest, they leapt down, & by reason of the friendship betwixt their peticoats and their doublets, they haled them al [Page] downe one after another, the horses ran away, and they lay vpon them to their great confusion & reproch, yet they thought al well sith they were personated and masked, but the women stripte off their womens garmentes and their head attires, and there they were well knowen to be foure braue noble yong Gentlemen brethren, and ech of them rent off the maskes of Meph. & his mates, and detected them to their gret shame, who neither durst reuenge themselues for feare of further displeasure, nor of reuealing what they were, nor could be moaned of any one for their notable abuses afore hand, so that where as in others it had béene but a common iest, on them it was wonderfull strange and ridiculous. So they with shame enough went fretting in vaine to their lodging.
CHAP. XXVI.
THe Emperor being some 5. or 6. daies in rest within his wals mused as floath cannot dwell in true noble breasts, the whole Army to set forward, leauing a conuenient Garrison within the Citty of 30000. men, marched into the fields in sundry embattails with aboue 130000. men. And there in the view of the Army Meph. Aker. Wag. Fau. prickt vp to the Turkes campe, armed in compleat harnes, and there challenged any foure to break a staffe with them, then came their forth four Ianissaries horesemē armed at all assaies, and there they ran altogether to the singular delight of the beholders, so gallantly they demeaned themselues, but in the cope all the 4. Ianissaries were runne quite throw, and throw (as they say) & there lay on the could earth, then made these 4. fellowes in Arms their stop and expected a fresh reuenge: which came immediatly thundering out of the entry of the Campe, with whom to occur in time they met with the like successe as before, to their singular commendations & high praises: then gan the Turk to stampe and fret, and commanded foure of the best in his whole campe, and foure more with them to run at these villaines and to captiue them, where they should rue the rashnes of their presumption with long eternall torment. These 8. came with all their power together & broake their lances very hardly vpon their faces, and so did they 4. on theirs, then they drew their swords committing a braue turnay, till two of the Turks were slaine, and the 6. fled, which were immediatly hanged, at which ye christiā laughed [Page] heartely, and these four returned thanked highly, and for that the Enemy would not aduance himselfe to the generall Fortune of the fight, they marched in againe into the Citty.
CHAP. XXVII.
ABout 2. a clocke in the night the Turke approached with all his whole army vnto the wals of the citty, causing particular bands and Pyoners to dig through the countermure, the Sentinels which were on the wals priuily espying by reason the Moon gaue some slender lighte, though shée was but thrée dayes olde, gaue warning without any alarme to the chiefe commaunders. so that the whole power of the Cittye almost was gathered into Armes, without any stroake of the Drum. The place wherein the turke was entring, was right against a stréets end of aboue two yards ouer and not aboue thirty yards from the breach, they had digged a déep trench and placed on the scarfe nine double canons throughly round and charged with chaine and murderinge shot, and on each side of the crosse stréete they had erected fortes of grauell &c. like our Barricadoes now, in each of which they placed aboue fiftéene Culuerin and Cannon. Now the brech being sufficient the Turke hauing entred aboue 2000. men gaue ye onset, and sounded the bloudy alarm, when sodainely the Flanckers discharged and the bulwarkes shot fréely together, and vtterly cut of all them that entred beyond the ditch, & betwixt those thrée mentioned Forts with their terrible shot, they swept them all out of the place, then began the Turke to thrust his men forward vppon the breach (hauing lost in this assault aboue 2100.) and euer as they came vp to the breach the Cannon heaued them of, and the small shot frō the loopes, so galled them that they durst not approach. But the Turke cared not, for the murthering of his men, might weary the Cannons insatiate cruelty at length. Then was the alarme giuen through the Citty, and euery one fell to their Arms, getting to the wals, and the rest to the assembling places, whilest the Turke freshly filled the breaches with murthered men, he enforcing himselfe to his power to enter, and they to kéepe him out. When he saw that how hee had stopt the breaches so with dead bodies, which almost made a newe red sea with their bloud, in a great rage transporting aboue 30000. mē [Page] ouer the Danubie, furnished them with scaling ladders, whilst he with great store of cannon beate his owne slaine men off the forenamed breaches, for he was a mercilesse tyran, & caused them to assault the wall it selfe, which they did. Nowe began the morning to appeare, and ye Christian came iust vppon the backs of the assailants, with the greatest part of the whole power of the citie, and put them al to the sword, saue those that escaped from them by water, but killed of their owne felows. Then the Christian marched vpon the Turke, who séeing his power greatly weakned, hauing lost at his vnluckie assault aboue 23000. men, cursing and banning his disastrous fortune, and his Gods the giuers of it, retyred in a flying pace to his campe, whilst the plentious spoile made rich the Christian, for vpon the dead carcases were found store of iewells and golde in great plentie.
Chap. 28.
THis new victorie gladded the Christians excéedingly, as much as it grieued the Turke. The breaches now were freshly repayred with all expedition. The Christian Princes séeing the inconuenience that followed their kéeping within the citie, and how great shame it were for them to abstain from the enemie, considering their power to be not much inferior to that of the Turks in number, much more in braue souldierie, wherefore they made a generall muster, and determined to offer the battell to them in the plaine field, which if they refused, they would giue them in their campes, concluding all vnder one dayes valiaunce, then marched foorth the English archers, of whom Wagner desired he might bée with his fellowes, which when they had taken theyr stond, they brought store of fletcherie to them in cartes, which were there disburdened, so euerie archer beeing fiue double furnished, the number of them now was nine thousand, the pike being conuerted into them, being thereto desirous, and hauing therfore made great suite, for the Emperour was verie loth to forgoe theyr first good seruice: Faustus counselled the Captaine to chuse a plot of aboue one hundreth akers square, where it was open to each horse man, which they meruailed at greatly, but [Page] yet they easily granted to stand anie where: they were so wel placed, that they stood as wel to defend the friend, as to offend the foe. Then in due order marched out the whole enemies of the Christian, and so setteled themselues, whilest the Turke brought forward his thicke swarmes. Now it had bin a braue sight, to see the greatest princes of the whole worlde East and west, attended on by theyr whole forces set in araie, theyr gorgeous and bright armours and weapons casting vp long tramels of golden shine to the heauens, the noise of clarions, trumpets, &c. incouraging the fainting souldier, and increasing the boldnes of the resolute There was at once in this field all the terrour of the world, accompanied with all the beautie. In the Citie you might haue séene the remainders at the churches at prayer, solemne procession round about the towne with great deuotion, &c. Well, the time was come that the horsemen began to assault the pike, and attempting the ruptures of theyr araie, and the forlorne hoaps fiercely skirmishing, whilst with loude outcries the whole vse of hearing was taken away: aboue you nothing but smoake, round about you the thundring cannon, and sharpe horrors of sundrie weapons, and at your féet death. There might you sée the great vse of the eughen how for the horse no whit fearing the musket, or caliuer, as vsed to it, nor yet respec [...] the pearcing of a bullet, by the thick tempest of arrowes, hiding their eyes, and hurting their bodies, ouerthrew the horse master to the ground, on that side could not one horse man appeare, but straight they fetch him downe, so that of thirtie thousand horsemen of one assault, there was not one that came within fiue spears length of the battel on foot. The great Turke cursing heauen and earth, and al trées that bore such murthering fruit as bowes and arrowes, caused a troup of fiue hundreth barbed horse with twentie thousand more to runne vpon the archens altogether, which they did, but when they came iust vpon a little ridge, not one horse but sodaynely stopt, and the riders which now had rested their stones, lying close vpon the saddle pommels, were throwen quite out of the saddle, and either their backes broken, or quite slaine. All the whole archerie with the camp wondering hereat, as ignorant of the matter, euerie one suspending his seuerall iudgement, [Page] but Faustus laughed heartily, who knew the matter plaine, for there had they buried in sand all the waie wolues guts, which by naturall magicke, as authors affirme suffers not the horse to come ouer it in anie case, nor any force can carrie him ouer with a rider on him. For the Archers drue iust vpon, and so vniuersally shot together, that all the troups were put to flight, and aboue halfe spoiled and murthered. To be briefe, so much the Christian preuailed vpon the Turke in thrée houres and a halfes fight, that all them were turnd and fled, each one aduancing forward in his flight, there were slaine in this battel & flight aboue seuen score thousand Turkes, the great Turke himselfe fighting manfully on his Elephant, was by the Emperors owne handes slayne, all his chiefe Bassas and men of honour, to the number of thrée hundred died manfully about him: now the retrait was sounded, and they marched home in most glorious pompe and reioycing, where the soldiers made rich with the great spoile of the campe, were dismissed, and the princes returned home, and due order taken for the safetie of the citie. So the Duke of Austria rid of his enemies, gaue him selfe to his forepassed life, and the other princes with great ioy caused generall feasts and triumphs to be performed in all theyr kingdomes, prouinces, and territories whatsoeuer.