Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
At which words the great devil in his likeness sate him down by Faustus,
commanding the rest of his devils to appear in the form as if they were
in hell. First entered Belial, in form of a bear, with curled black hair
to the ground, his ears standing upright; within his ears were as red as
blood, out of which issued flames of fire; his teeth were at least a
foot long, and as white as snow, with a tail three ells long at the
least, having two wings, one behind each arm; and thus one after another
they appeared to Faustus in form as they were in hell. Lucifer himself
sate in a manner of a man all hairy, but of brown colour like a
squirrel, curled, and his tail curling upwards on his back as the
squirrels use. I think he could crack nuts too like a squirrel. After
him came Belzebub in curled hair of a horse-flesh colour, his head like
the head of a bull, with a mighty pair of horns, and two long ears down
to the ground, and two wings on his back, with two pricking things like
horns; out of his wings issued flames of fire; his tail was like a
cow's. Then came Astaroth in the form of a worm, going upright on his
tail, and had no feet, but a tail like a glow-worm; under his chops grew
two short hands, and his back was coal black; his belly thick in the
middle, yellow, like gold, having many bristles on his back like a
hedgehog. After him came Cannagosta, being white and grey mixed,
exceeding curled and hairy; he had a head like the head of an ass, and a
tail like a cat, and claws like an ox, lacking nothing of an ell broad.
Then came Anobis: this devil had a head like a dog, white and black
hair; in shape like a hog, saving that he had but two feet--one under
his throat, the other at his tail; he was four ells long, with hanging
ears like a blood-hound. After him came Dithican: he was a short thief,
in form of a large bird, with shining feathers, and four feet; his neck
was green, and body red, and his feet black. The last was called
Brachus, with very short feet, like a hedgehog, yellow and green; the
upper side of his body was brown, and the belly like blue flames of
fire, the tail red like the tail of a monkey. The rest of the devils
were in form of unreasonable beasts, as swine, harts, bears, wolves,
apes, buffes, goats, antelopes, elephants, dragons, horses, asses,
lions, cats, snakes, toads, and all manner of ugly odious serpents and
worms; yet came in such sort that every one at his entry into the hall
made their reverence unto Lucifer, and so took their places, standing in
order as they came until they had filled the whole hall, wherewith
suddenly fell a most horrible thunder-clap, that the house shook as if
it would have fallen unto the ground; upon which every monster had a
muck-fork in his hand, holding them towards Faustus as though they would
have run a tilt at him; which, when Faustus perceived, he thought upon
the words of Mephistophiles, when he told him how the souls in hell were
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