In Germany, over the town of St. Elzeben, was seen a mighty great comet, whereat the people wondered, but Dr. Faustus being there, was asked of certain of his friends his judgment or opinion in the matter; whereupon he answered: "It falleth out often by the course and change of the sun and moon, that the sun is under the earth, and the moon above; but when the moon draweth near the change, then is the sun so strong that it taketh away the light of the moon in such sort as she is red as blood; and, on the contrary side, after they have been together, she soon taketh her light from him, and so increasing in light to the full, she will be as red as the sun was before, and change herself into divers and sundry colours, of which springeth the prodigal monster, or, as you call it, a comet, which is a figure or token appointed of God as a forewarning of his displeasure: as at one time he sendeth hunger, plague, sword, or such like, being all tokens of his judgments, which comet cometh through the conjunction of the sun and moon, and begetteth a monster, whose father is the sun, and whose mother is the moon: moon and sun." CHAPTER XXV. _Another Question put forth to Dr. Faustus concerning the Stars._ There was a learned man of the town of Halberstat, named N. W., who invited Dr. Faustus to his table, but falling into communication before supper was ready, they looked out of the window, and seeing many stars in the firmament, this man being a doctor of physic, and a good astrologian, said: "Dr. Faustus, I have invited you as my guest, hoping you will take in good part with me, and withal, I request you to impart some of your experience in the stars and planets;" and seeing a star fall, he said: "I pray you, Faustus, what is the condition, quality, or greatness of the stars in the firmament?" Faustus answered him: "My friend and brother, you see that the stars that fall from heaven, when they come to the earth, they be very small to our thinking as candles, but being fixed in the firmament, they are many as great as a city, some as great as a province or dukedom, others as great as the whole earth, other some far greater than the earth twelve times, and from the height of the heavens there is scarce any earth to be seen--yea, the planets in the heavens are some so great as this land, some so great as the whole empire of Rome, some as Turkey, yea, some as great as the whole world." CHAPTER XXVI. _How Faustus was asked a Question concerning the Spirits that vexed Men._ "That is most true," said he to Faustus, "concerning the stars and planets; but, I pray you, in what kind or manner do the spirits use to vex men so little by day and so greatly by night?"