FAUSTUS. These [153] gracious words, most royal Carolus,
Shall make poor Faustus, to his utmost power,
Both love and serve the German Emperor,
And lay his life at holy Bruno's feet:
For proof whereof, if so your grace be pleas'd,
The doctor stands prepar'd by power of art
To cast his magic charms, that shall pierce through [154]
The ebon gates of ever-burning hell,
And hale the stubborn Furies from their caves,
To compass whatsoe'er your grace commands.
BENVOLIO. Blood, he speaks terribly! but, for all that, I do not
greatly believe him: he looks as like a [155] conjurer as the Pope
to a costermonger. [Aside.]
EMPEROR. Then, Faustus, as thou late didst promise us,
We would behold that famous conqueror,
Great Alexander, and his paramour,
In their true shapes and state majestical,
That we may wonder at their excellence.
FAUSTUS. Your majesty shall see them presently.--
Mephistophilis, away,
And, with a solemn noise of trumpets' sound,
Present before this [156] royal Emperor
Great Alexander and his beauteous paramour.
MEPHIST. Faustus, I will.
[Exit.]
BENVOLIO. Well, Master Doctor, an your devils come not away
quickly, you shall have me asleep presently: zounds, I could
eat myself for anger, to think I have been such an ass all this
while, to stand gaping after the devil's governor, and can see
nothing!
FAUSTUS.
I'll make you feel something anon, if my art fail me not.--
My lord, I must forewarn your majesty,
That, when my spirits present the royal shapes
Of Alexander and his paramour,
Your grace demand [157] no questions of the king,
But in dumb silence let them come and go.
EMPEROR. Be it as Faustus please; we are content.
BENVOLIO. Ay, ay, and I am content too: an thou bring Alexander
and his paramour before the Emperor, I'll be Actaeon, and turn
myself to a stag.
FAUSTUS. And I'll play Diana, and send you the horns presently.
Sennet. Enter, at one door, [158] the EMPEROR ALEXANDER, at
the other, DARIUS. They meet. DARIUS is thrown down;
ALEXANDER kills him, takes off his crown, and, offering to
go out, his PARAMOUR meets him. He embraceth her, and sets
DARIUS' crown upon her head; and, coming back, both salute
the EMPEROR, who, leaving his state, [159] offers to embrace
them; which FAUSTUS seeing, suddenly stays him. Then trumpets
cease, and music sounds.
My gracious lord, you do forget yourself;
These [160] are but shadows, not substantial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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