Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
And having ended his tale, he commanded his boy to lay his cloth, which
done, he served them with fifteen messes of meat, having three dishes in
a mess; in the which were all manner of venison, and dainty wild-fowl;
and for wine there was no lack, as Italian wine, Hungarian wine, and
Spanish wine; and when they were all made drunk, and that they had eaten
their good cheer, they began to sing and dance until it was day. And so
they departed every one to his own habitation; at whose departing, Dr.
Faustus desired them to be his guests again the next day following.
CHAPTER XLIII.
_How Dr. Faustus feasted his Guests on Ash Wednesday._
Upon Ash Wednesday came unto Dr. Faustus his bidden guests, the students,
whom he feasted very royally, insomuch that they were all full and
lusty, dancing and singing as the night before; and when the high
glasses and goblets were caroused one to another, Dr. Faustus began to
play them some pretty feats, insomuch that round about the hall was
heard most pleasant music, and that in sundry places: in this corner a
lute, in another a cornet, in another a cittern, clarigols, harp,
hornpipe, in fine, all manner of music was heard there in that instant;
whereat all the glasses and goblets, cups, and pots, dishes, and all
that stood upon the board began to dance. Then Dr. Faustus took ten
stone pots and set them down on the floor, where presently they began to
dance, and to smite one against another, that the shivers flew round
about the whole house, whereat the whole company fell a-laughing. Then
began he another jest: he set an instrument upon the table, and caused a
mighty great ape to come among them, which ape began to dance and skip,
showing them merry conceits.
In this and such pastime they passed away the whole day. When night
being come Dr. Faustus bid them all to supper, which they lightly agreed
unto, for students in these cases are easily intreated; wherefore he
promised to feast them with a banquet of fowl, and afterwards they would
go all about with a mask. Then Dr. Faustus put forth a long pole out of
the window, whereupon presently there came innumerable numbers of birds
and wild-fowl, and so many as came had not the power to fly away again;
but he took them and flung them to the students, who lightly pulled off
the necks of them, and being roasted, they made their supper, which
being ended, they made themselves ready for the mask.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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