Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
Dr. Faustus travelled towards Evzeleben, and when he was nigh half the
way, he espied seven horsemen, and the chief of them he knew to be the
knight with whom he had jested in the emperor's court, for he had left
a great pair of hart's horns upon his head; and when the knight now saw
that he had a fit opportunity to be revenged of Faustus, he ran upon
him, and those that were with him, to mischief himself, intending
privily to slay him; which when Faustus espied, he vanished away into a
wood that was hard by them, but when the knight perceived that he
was vanished away, he caused his men to stand still; but where they
remained, they heard all manner of warlike instruments of music, as
drums, flutes, trumpets, and such like, and a certain troop of horsemen
running towards them; then they turned another way, and were also met on
that side; then another way, and yet were freshly assaulted, so that
which way soever they turned themselves, they were encountered, insomuch
that when the knight perceived that he could escape no way, but that his
enemies lay on him which way soever he offered to fly, he took good
heart, and ran amongst the thickest, and thought with himself better to
die than to live with so great infamy; therefore being at handy blows
with them, he demanded the cause why they should so use them? But none
of them would give him answer, until Dr. Faustus showed himself unto the
knight; whereupon they enclosed him round, and Dr. Faustus said unto
him, "Sir, yield your weapon and yourself, otherwise it will go hard
with you."
The knight knew no other but that he was conjured with a host of men,
whereas indeed they were none other but devils, yielded; then Faustus
took away his sword, his piece, and horse, with all the rest of his
companions. And farther he said unto him: "Sir, the chiefest general of
our army hath commanded me to deal with you, according to the law of
arms; you shall depart in peace, whither you please." And then he gave
the knight a horse, after the manner, and set him thereon, so he rode,
the rest went on foot, until they came to their inn where he being
alighted, his page rode on his horse to the water, and presently the
horse vanished away, the page being almost sunk and drowned, but he
escaped; and coming home, the knight perceiving the page to be bemired,
and on foot, asked where his horse was; who answered, that he was
vanished away. Which when the knight heard, he said, "Of a truth this is
Faustus his doing, for he serveth me now, as he did before at the court,
only to make me a scorn and laughing-stock."
CHAPTER LIII.
_How Dr. Faustus used Mephistophiles, to bring him seven of the fairest
Women he could find in all the Countries he had travelled the twenty
Years._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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