Chapter 39

_How Doctor Faustus began to practise his devilish Art, and how he conjured the Devil, making him to appear, and meet him on the morrow-morning at his own House._

You have heard before that all Faustus's mind was to study the arts of necromancy and conjuration, the which exercise he followed day and night, and taking to him the wings of an eagle thought to fly over the whole world, and to know the secrets of heaven and earth, for his speculation was so wonderful, being expert in using his vocabula, figures, characters, conjuration, and other ceremonial actions, that in all haste he put in practice to bring the devil before him, and taking his way to a thick wood near to Wittenburg, called in the German tongue, Spisser Holt, that is in English, the Spisser's Wood, as Faustus would oftentimes boast of it among the crew, being in jollity, he came into the wood one evening into the cross-way, where he made with a wand a circle in the dust, and within that many more circles and characters; and thus he past away the time until it was nine or ten of the clock in the night, then began Dr. Faustus to call on Mephistophiles the Spirit, and to charge him in the name of Belzebub, to appear there presently, without any long stay.

Then presently the devil began so great a rumour in the wood, as if heaven and earth would have come together, with wind, and the trees bowed their tops to the ground, then fell the devil to roar, as if the whole wood had been full of lions, and suddenly about the circle run the devil, as if a thousand waggons had been running together on paved-stones. After this, at the four corners of the wood it thundered horribly, with such lightning, as the whole world to his seeming had been on fire. Faustus all this while, half amazed at the devil's so long tarrying, and doubting whether he were best to abide any more such horrible conjurings, thought to leave his circle, and depart, whereupon the devil made him such music of all sorts, as if the nymphs themselves had been in place: whereat Faustus revived, and stood stoutly in his circle, expecting his purpose, and began again to conjure the spirit Mephistophiles in the name of the Prince of Devils, to appear in his likeness: whereat suddenly, over his head hung hovering in the air a mighty dragon; then calls Faustus again after his devilish manner, at which there was a monstrous cry in the wood, as if hell had been open, and all the tormented souls cursing their condition.

Presently, not three fathoms above his head, fell a flame in manner of lightning, and changed itself into a globe; yet Faustus feared it not, but did persuade himself that the devil should give him his request before he would leave. Oftentimes after to his companions he would boast that he had the stoutest head under the cope of heaven at command. Whereat they answered, They knew no stouter than the Pope or Emperor. But Dr. Faustus said, "The head that is my servant, is above all upon earth;" and repeated certain words out of St. Paul to the Ephesians, to make his argument good, "The Prince of the World is upon earth and under heaven." Well, let us come again to his conjuration, where we left him at the fiery globe; Faustus, vexed at his spirit's so long tarrying, used his charms, with full purpose not to depart before he had his intent; and crying on Mephistophiles the spirit, suddenly the globe opened, and sprung up in the height of a man, so burning a time, in the end it converted to the shape of a fiery man. This pleasant beast ran about the circle a great while, and lastly appeared in the manner of a Gray Friar, asking Faustus what was his request.

Faustus commanded, that the next morning at twelve of the clock, he should appear to him at his house; but the devil would in no wise grant it. Faustus began to conjure him again, in the name of Belzebub, that he should fulfil his request; whereupon the spirit agreed, and so they departed each on his way.