Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
Wherefore one of them said unto him, "Ah! friend Faustus, what have you
done to conceal this matter so long from us? We would by the help of
good divines, and the grace of God, have brought you out of this net,
and have torn you out of the bondage and chains of Satan, whereas we
fear now it is too late, to the utter ruin both of body and soul."
Dr. Faustus answered, "I durst never do it, although often minded to
settle myself to godly people, to desire counsel and help; and once my
old neighbour counselled me, that I should follow his learning, and
leave all my conjurations: yet when I was minded to amend, and to follow
that good counsel, then came the devil, and would have had me away, as
this night he is like to do: and said, so soon as I turned again to God,
he would dispatch me altogether. Thus, even thus (good gentlemen and
dear friends) was I inthralled in that fanatical bond, all good desires
drowned, all piety vanished, all purposes of amendment truly exiled, by
the tyrannous oppression of my deadly enemy."
But when the students heard his words, they gave him counsel to do
nothing else but call upon God, desiring him, for the love of his sweet
Son Jesus Christ his sake, to have mercy upon him: teaching him this
form of prayer: "O God! be merciful unto me, poor and miserable sinner;
and enter not into judgment with me, for no flesh is able to stand
before thee; although, O Lord! I must leave my sinful body unto the
devil, being by him deluded, yet thou in mercy may preserve my soul."
This they repeated to him, yet he could take no hold; but even as Cain,
he also said, that his sins were greater than God was able to forgive,
for all his thought was on the writing: he meant he had made it too
filthy in writing with his own blood.
The students and the others that were there, when they had prayed for
him, they wept, and so went forth. But Faustus tarried in the hall; and
when the gentlemen were laid in bed, none of them could sleep, for that
they attended to hear if they might be privy of his end.
It happened that between twelve and one o'clock of midnight, there blew
a mighty storm of wind against the house, as though it would have blown
the foundation thereof out of its place.
Hereupon the students began to fear, and go out of their beds, but they
would not stir out of the chamber, and the host of the house ran out of
doors, thinking the house would fall.
The students lay near unto the hall wherein Dr. Faustus lay, and they
heard a mighty noise and hissing, as if the hall had been full of snakes
and adders. With that the hall door flew open wherein Dr. Faustus was.
Then he began to cry for help, saying, "Murder, murder!" but it was with
a half voice, and very hollow. Shortly after they heard him no more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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