APPENDIX B

A Ballad of Faustus, about 1670, from the RoxburgheCollection in the British Museum. [Rox II. 235]

The Judgment of God shewed upon oneJohn Faustus,Doctor in Divinity

Tune ofFortune my Foe

All Christian men give ear a while to me,How I am plung’d in pain but cannot die,I liv’d a life the like did none before,Forsaking Christ, and I am damn’d therefore.At Wittenburge, a town in Germany,There was I born and bred of good degree,Of honest Stock which afterwards I shamed,Accurst therefore for Faustus was I named.In learning loe my Uncle brought up me,And made me Doctor in Divinity:And when he dy’d he left me all his wealth,Whose cursed gold did hinder my souls health.Then did I shun the holy Bible book,Nor on Gods word would ever after look,But studied accursed Conjuration,Which was the cause of my utter Damnation.The Devil in Fryars weeds appeared to me,And streight to my Request he did agree,That I might have all things at my desire,I gave him soul and body for his hire.Twice did I make my tender flesh to bleed,Twice with my blood I wrote the Devils deed,Twice wretchedly I soul and body sold,To live in peace and do what things I would.For four and twenty Years this bond was made,And at the length my soul was truly paid,Time ran away, and yet I never thoughtHow dear my soul our Saviour Christ had bought.Would I had first been made a Beast by kind,Then had not I so vainly set my mind;Or would when reason first began to bloom,Some darksome Den had been my deadly tomb.Woe to the Day of my Nativity,Woe to the time that once did foster me,And woe unto the hand that sealed the Bill,Woe to myself the cause of all my ill.The time I past away with much delight,’Mongst princes, peers, and many a worthy Kt.I wrought such wonders by my Magick Skill,That all the world may talk of Faustus still.The Devil he carried me up into the Sky,Where I did see how all the world did lie;I went about the world in eight Daies space,And then return’d unto my Native place.What pleasure I did wish to please my mind,He did perform as bond and seal did bind,The secrets of the Stars and Planets told,Of earth and sea with wonders manifold.When four and twenty years was almost run,I thought of all things that was past and done;How that the Devil would soon claim his right,And carry me to Everlasting Night.Then all too late I curst my wicked Deed,The Dread whereof doth make my heart to bleed,All daies and hours I mourned wondrous sore,Repenting me of all things done before.I then did wish both Sun and Moon to stayAll times and Seasons, never to decay;Then had my time nere come to dated end,Nor soul and body down to Hell descend.At last when I had but one hour to come,I turn’d my glass for my last hour to run,And call’d to learned men to comfort me,But faith was gone and none could comfort me.By twelve a Clock my glass was almost out,My grieved Conscience then began to doubt;I wisht the Students stay in Chamber by,But as they staid they heard a dreadful cry.Then presently they came into the Hall,Whereas my brains was cast against the wall,Both arms and legs in pieces torn they see,My bowels gone, this was an end of me.You Conjurors and damned Witches all,Example take by my unhappy fall:Give not your souls and bodies into Hell,See that the smallest hair you do not sell.But hope that Christ his Kingdom you may gain,Where you shall never fear such mortal pain:Forsake the Devil and all his crafty ways,Embrace true faith that never more decays.

All Christian men give ear a while to me,How I am plung’d in pain but cannot die,I liv’d a life the like did none before,Forsaking Christ, and I am damn’d therefore.

All Christian men give ear a while to me,

How I am plung’d in pain but cannot die,

I liv’d a life the like did none before,

Forsaking Christ, and I am damn’d therefore.

At Wittenburge, a town in Germany,There was I born and bred of good degree,Of honest Stock which afterwards I shamed,Accurst therefore for Faustus was I named.

At Wittenburge, a town in Germany,

There was I born and bred of good degree,

Of honest Stock which afterwards I shamed,

Accurst therefore for Faustus was I named.

In learning loe my Uncle brought up me,And made me Doctor in Divinity:And when he dy’d he left me all his wealth,Whose cursed gold did hinder my souls health.

In learning loe my Uncle brought up me,

And made me Doctor in Divinity:

And when he dy’d he left me all his wealth,

Whose cursed gold did hinder my souls health.

Then did I shun the holy Bible book,Nor on Gods word would ever after look,But studied accursed Conjuration,Which was the cause of my utter Damnation.

Then did I shun the holy Bible book,

Nor on Gods word would ever after look,

But studied accursed Conjuration,

Which was the cause of my utter Damnation.

The Devil in Fryars weeds appeared to me,And streight to my Request he did agree,That I might have all things at my desire,I gave him soul and body for his hire.

The Devil in Fryars weeds appeared to me,

And streight to my Request he did agree,

That I might have all things at my desire,

I gave him soul and body for his hire.

Twice did I make my tender flesh to bleed,Twice with my blood I wrote the Devils deed,Twice wretchedly I soul and body sold,To live in peace and do what things I would.

Twice did I make my tender flesh to bleed,

Twice with my blood I wrote the Devils deed,

Twice wretchedly I soul and body sold,

To live in peace and do what things I would.

For four and twenty Years this bond was made,And at the length my soul was truly paid,Time ran away, and yet I never thoughtHow dear my soul our Saviour Christ had bought.

For four and twenty Years this bond was made,

And at the length my soul was truly paid,

Time ran away, and yet I never thought

How dear my soul our Saviour Christ had bought.

Would I had first been made a Beast by kind,Then had not I so vainly set my mind;Or would when reason first began to bloom,Some darksome Den had been my deadly tomb.

Would I had first been made a Beast by kind,

Then had not I so vainly set my mind;

Or would when reason first began to bloom,

Some darksome Den had been my deadly tomb.

Woe to the Day of my Nativity,Woe to the time that once did foster me,And woe unto the hand that sealed the Bill,Woe to myself the cause of all my ill.

Woe to the Day of my Nativity,

Woe to the time that once did foster me,

And woe unto the hand that sealed the Bill,

Woe to myself the cause of all my ill.

The time I past away with much delight,’Mongst princes, peers, and many a worthy Kt.I wrought such wonders by my Magick Skill,That all the world may talk of Faustus still.

The time I past away with much delight,

’Mongst princes, peers, and many a worthy Kt.

I wrought such wonders by my Magick Skill,

That all the world may talk of Faustus still.

The Devil he carried me up into the Sky,Where I did see how all the world did lie;I went about the world in eight Daies space,And then return’d unto my Native place.

The Devil he carried me up into the Sky,

Where I did see how all the world did lie;

I went about the world in eight Daies space,

And then return’d unto my Native place.

What pleasure I did wish to please my mind,He did perform as bond and seal did bind,The secrets of the Stars and Planets told,Of earth and sea with wonders manifold.

What pleasure I did wish to please my mind,

He did perform as bond and seal did bind,

The secrets of the Stars and Planets told,

Of earth and sea with wonders manifold.

When four and twenty years was almost run,I thought of all things that was past and done;How that the Devil would soon claim his right,And carry me to Everlasting Night.

When four and twenty years was almost run,

I thought of all things that was past and done;

How that the Devil would soon claim his right,

And carry me to Everlasting Night.

Then all too late I curst my wicked Deed,The Dread whereof doth make my heart to bleed,All daies and hours I mourned wondrous sore,Repenting me of all things done before.

Then all too late I curst my wicked Deed,

The Dread whereof doth make my heart to bleed,

All daies and hours I mourned wondrous sore,

Repenting me of all things done before.

I then did wish both Sun and Moon to stayAll times and Seasons, never to decay;Then had my time nere come to dated end,Nor soul and body down to Hell descend.

I then did wish both Sun and Moon to stay

All times and Seasons, never to decay;

Then had my time nere come to dated end,

Nor soul and body down to Hell descend.

At last when I had but one hour to come,I turn’d my glass for my last hour to run,And call’d to learned men to comfort me,But faith was gone and none could comfort me.

At last when I had but one hour to come,

I turn’d my glass for my last hour to run,

And call’d to learned men to comfort me,

But faith was gone and none could comfort me.

By twelve a Clock my glass was almost out,My grieved Conscience then began to doubt;I wisht the Students stay in Chamber by,But as they staid they heard a dreadful cry.

By twelve a Clock my glass was almost out,

My grieved Conscience then began to doubt;

I wisht the Students stay in Chamber by,

But as they staid they heard a dreadful cry.

Then presently they came into the Hall,Whereas my brains was cast against the wall,Both arms and legs in pieces torn they see,My bowels gone, this was an end of me.

Then presently they came into the Hall,

Whereas my brains was cast against the wall,

Both arms and legs in pieces torn they see,

My bowels gone, this was an end of me.

You Conjurors and damned Witches all,Example take by my unhappy fall:Give not your souls and bodies into Hell,See that the smallest hair you do not sell.

You Conjurors and damned Witches all,

Example take by my unhappy fall:

Give not your souls and bodies into Hell,

See that the smallest hair you do not sell.

But hope that Christ his Kingdom you may gain,Where you shall never fear such mortal pain:Forsake the Devil and all his crafty ways,Embrace true faith that never more decays.

But hope that Christ his Kingdom you may gain,

Where you shall never fear such mortal pain:

Forsake the Devil and all his crafty ways,

Embrace true faith that never more decays.

Printed by and for A. M. and sold by the Booksellersof London.

Back to Index Next