Act III, Scene i

Enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS.:

FAUSTUS. Having now, my good Mephistophilis,

Pass'd with delight the stately town of Trier,

Environ'd round<98> with airy mountain-tops,

With walls of flint, and deep-entrenched lakes,

Not to be won by any conquering prince;

>From Paris next, coasting the realm of France,

We saw the river Maine fall into Rhine,<99>

Whose banks are set with groves of fruitful vines;

Then up to<100> Naples, rich Campania,

Whose buildings fair and gorgeous to the eye,

The streets straight forth, and pav'd with finest brick,

Quarter the town in four equivalents:<101>

There saw we learned Maro's golden tomb;

The way he cut, an English mile in length,

Thorough<102> a rock of stone, in one night's space;

>From thence to Venice, Padua, and the rest,<103>

In one of which a sumptuous temple stands,

That threats the stars with her aspiring top,

Whose frame is pav'd with sundry-colour'd stones,

And roof'd aloft with curious work in gold.

Thus hitherto hath Faustus spent his time:

But tell me<104> now, what resting-place is this?

Hast thou, as erst I did command,

Conducted me within the walls of Rome?

MEPHIST. I have, my Faustus; and, for proof thereof,

This is the goodly palace of the Pope;

And, 'cause we are no common guests,

I choose his privy-chamber for our use.

FAUSTUS. I hope his Holiness will bid us<105> welcome.

MEPHIST. All's one, for we'll be bold with his venison.

But now, my Faustus, that thou mayst perceive

What Rome contains for to delight thine eyes,

Know that this city stands upon seven hills

That underprop the groundwork of the same:

Just through<106> the midst runs flowing Tiber's stream,

With winding banks that cut it in two parts;

Over the which two stately bridges lean,

That make safe passage to each part of Rome:

Upon the bridge call'd Ponte<107> Angelo

Erected is a castle passing strong,

Where thou shalt see such store of ordnance,

As that the double cannons, forg'd of brass,

Do match<108> the number of the days contain'd

Within the compass of one complete year;

Beside the gates, and high pyramides,

That Julius Caesar brought from Africa.

FAUSTUS. Now, by the kingdoms of infernal rule,

Of Styx, of Acheron, and the fiery lake

Of ever-burning Phlegethon, I swear

That I do long to see the<109> monuments

And situation of bright-splendent Rome:

Come, therefore, let's away.

MEPHIST. Nay, stay, my Faustus: I know you'd see the Pope,

And take some part of holy Peter's feast,

The which, in state and<110> high solemnity,

This day, is held through Rome and Italy,

In honour of the Pope's triumphant victory.

FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, thou pleasest me.

Whilst I am here on earth, let me be cloy'd

With all things that delight the heart of man:

My four-and-twenty years of liberty

I'll spend in pleasure and in dalliance,

That Faustus' name, whilst<111> this bright frame doth stand,

May be admir'd thorough<112> the furthest land.

MEPHIST. 'Tis well said, Faustus. Come, then, stand by me,

And thou shalt see them come immediately.

FAUSTUS. Nay, stay, my gentle Mephistophilis,

And grant me my<113> request, and then I go.

Thou know'st, within the compass of eight days

We view'd the face of heaven, of earth, and hell;

So high our dragons soar'd into the air,

That, looking down, the earth appear'd to me

No bigger than my hand in quantity;

There did we view the kingdoms of the world,

And what might please mine eye I there beheld.

Then in this show let me an actor be,

That this proud Pope may Faustus' cunning<114> see.

MEPHIST. Let it be so, my Faustus. But, first, stay,

And view their triumphs as they pass this way;

And then devise what best contents thy mind,

By cunning in thine art to cross the Pope,

Or dash the pride of this<115> solemnity;

To make his monks and abbots stand like apes,

And point like antics at<116> his triple crown;

To beat the beads about the friars' pates,

Or clap huge horns upon the Cardinals' heads;

Or any villany thou canst devise;

And I'll perform it,<117> Faustus. Hark! they come:

This day shall make thee be admir'd in Rome.

Enter the CARDINALS and BISHOPS, some bearing crosiers, some

the pillars; MONKS and FRIARS, singing their procession;

then the POPE, RAYMOND king of Hungary, the ARCHBISHOP

OF RHEIMS, BRUNO led in chains, and ATTENDANTS.

POPE. Cast down our footstool.

RAYMOND. Saxon Bruno, stoop,

Whilst on thy back his Holiness ascends

Saint Peter's chair and state pontifical.

BRUNO. Proud Lucifer, that state belongs to me;

But thus I fall to Peter, not to thee.

POPE. To me and Peter shalt thou grovelling lie,

And crouch before the Papal dignity.—

Sound trumpets, then; for thus Saint Peter's heir,

>From Bruno's back, ascends Saint Peter's chair.

[A flourish while he ascends.]

Thus, as the gods creep on with feet of wool,

Long ere with iron hands they punish men,

So shall our sleeping vengeance now arise,

And smite with death thy hated enterprise.<118>—

Lord Cardinals of France and Padua,

Go forthwith to our<119> holy consistory,

And read, amongst the statutes decretal,

What, by the holy council held at Trent,

The sacred synod hath decreed for him

That doth assume the Papal government

Without election and a true consent:

Away, and bring us word with speed.

CARDINAL OF FRANCE. We go, my lord.

[Exeunt CARDINALS of France and Padua.]

POPE. Lord Raymond.

[They converse in dumb show.]

FAUSTUS. Go, haste thee, gentle Mephistophilis,

Follow the cardinals to the consistory;

And, as they turn their superstitious books,

Strike them with sloth and drowsy idleness,

And make them sleep so sound, that in their shapes

Thyself and I may parley with this<120> Pope,

This proud confronter of the Emperor;

And, in despite of all his holiness,

Restore this Bruno to his liberty,

And bear him to the states of Germany.

MEPHIST. Faustus, I go.

FAUSTUS. Despatch it soon:

The Pope shall curse, that Faustus came to Rome.

[Exeunt FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS.]

BRUNO. Pope Adrian, let me have right<121> of law:

I was elected by the Emperor.

POPE. We will depose the Emperor for that deed,

And curse the people that submit to him:

Both he and thou shall<122> stand excommunicate,

And interdict from church's privilege

And all society of holy men.

He grows too proud in his authority,

Lifting his lofty head above the clouds,

And, like a steeple, overpeers the church:

But we'll pull down his haughty insolence;

And, as Pope Alexander, our progenitor,

Trod on the neck of German Frederick,

Adding this golden sentence to our praise,

"That Peter's heirs should tread on Emperors,

And walk upon the dreadful adder's back,

Treading the lion and the dragon down,

And fearless spurn the killing basilisk,"

So will we quell that haughty schismatic,

And, by authority apostolical,

Depose him from his regal government.

BRUNO. Pope Julius swore to princely Sigismond,

For him and the succeeding Popes of Rome,

To hold the Emperors their lawful lords.

POPE. Pope Julius did abuse the church's rights,

And therefore none of his decrees can stand.

Is not all power on earth bestow'd on us?

And therefore, though we would, we cannot err.

Behold this silver belt, whereto is fix'd

Seven golden seals, fast sealed with seven seals,

In token of our seven-fold power from heaven,

To bind or loose, lock fast, condemn or judge,

Resign or seal, or what so pleaseth us:

Then he and thou, and all the world, shall stoop,

Or be assured of our dreadful curse,

To light as heavy as the pains of hell.

Re-enter FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS, in the shapes of the

CARDINALS of France and Padua.

MEPHIST. Now tell me, Faustus, are we not fitted well?

FAUSTUS. Yes, Mephistophilis; and two such cardinals

Ne'er serv'd a holy Pope as we shall do.

But, whilst they sleep within the consistory,

Let us salute his reverend fatherhood.

RAYMOND. Behold, my lord, the Cardinals are return'd.

POPE. Welcome, grave fathers: answer presently

What hath<123> our holy council there decreed

Concerning Bruno and the Emperor,

In quittance of their late conspiracy

Against our state and papal dignity?

FAUSTUS. Most sacred patron of the church of Rome,

By full consent of all the synod<124>

Of priests and prelates, it is thus decreed,—

That Bruno and the German Emperor

Be held as Lollards and bold schismatics,

And proud disturbers of the church's peace;

And if that Bruno, by his own assent,

Without enforcement of the German peers,

Did seek to wear the triple diadem,

And by your death to climb Saint Peter's chair,

The statutes decretal have thus decreed,—

He shall be straight condemn'd of heresy,

And on a pile of faggots burnt to death.

POPE. It is enough. Here, take him to your charge,

And bear him straight to Ponte<125> Angelo,

And in the strongest tower enclose him fast.

To-morrow, sitting in our consistory,

With all our college of grave cardinals,

We will determine of his life or death.

Here, take his<126> triple crown along with you,

And leave it in the church's treasury.

Make haste again, my good Lord Cardinals,

And take our blessing apostolical.

MEPHIST. So, so; was never devil thus bless'd before.

FAUSTUS. Away, sweet Mephistophilis, be gone;

The Cardinals will be plagu'd for this anon.

[Exeunt FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHILIS with BRUNO.]

POPE. Go presently and bring a banquet forth,

That we may solemnize Saint Peter's feast,

And with Lord Raymond, King of Hungary,

Drink to our late and happy victory.