Mediaeval Tales Part 32

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

_How the above-mentioned Knight went about to be revenged of Dr.

Faustus._

Dr. Faustus took his leave of the emperor and the rest of the courtiers, at whose departure they were sorry, giving him many rewards and gifts; but being a league and a half out of the city, he came into a wood, where he beheld the knight that he had jested with at the court with others in harness, mounted upon fair palfreys, and running with full charge towards Faustus; but he seeing their intent ran towards the bushes, and before he came among the bushes he returned again, running as it were to meet them that chased him: whereupon suddenly all the bushes were turned into hors.e.m.e.n, which also ran to encounter with the knight and his company, and coming to them, they enclosed the knight and the rest, and told them they must pay their ransom before they departed; whereupon the knight seeing himself in such distress, besought Faustus to be good to them, which he denied not but let them loose; yet he so charmed them, that every one, knight and other, for the s.p.a.ce of a whole month did wear a pair of goat's horns on their brows, and every palfrey a pair of ox's horns on his head; and this was their penance appointed by Faustus.

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

_How three young Dukes being together at Wittenburg, to behold the University, requested Faustus to help them at a Wish to the Town of Muncheon, in Bavaria, there to see the Duke of Bavaria's Son's Wedding._

Three worthy young dukes, the which are not here to be named, but being students all together, at the university of Wittenburg, met on a time all together, where they fell in reasoning concerning the pomp and bravery that should be in the city of Muncheon in Bavaria, at the wedding of the duke's son, wis.h.i.+ng themselves there but one half hour to see the manner of their jollity; to whom one replied, saying to the two other gentlemen, "If it please you to give me the hearing, I will give you good counsel, that you may see the wedding, and be here again to-night, and this is my meaning: let us send to Dr. Faustus, make him a present of some rare thing, and open our minds unto him, desiring him to a.s.sist us in our enterprise, and a.s.sure ye he will not deny to fulfil our request." Hereupon they all concluded: sent for Faustus, told him their minds, and gave him a gift, and invited him to a sumptuous banquet, wherewith Faustus was well contented, and promised to further their journey to the uttermost: and when the time was come that the three young gentlemen came into his house, commanding them that they would put on their best apparel, and adorn themselves as rich as they could. He took off his great large cloak, went into the garden that was adjoining unto his house, and set the three young dukes upon his cloak, and he himself in the midst: but he gave them in charge, that in anywise they should not at once open their mouths to speak, or make answer to any man so soon as they went out, not so much as if the Duke of Bavaria or his son should speak to them, or offer them courtesy, they should give no word or answer again; to which they all agreed.

These conditions being made, Dr. Faustus began to conjure, and on a sudden arose a mighty wind, heaving up the cloak, and so carried them away in the air, and in due time they came unto Muncheon to the duke's court; where being entered into the utmost court, the marshal had espied them, who presently went to the duke, showing his grace that all the lords and gentlemen were ready set at the table, notwithstanding there were newly come three goodly gentlemen with one servant, the which stood without in the court, wherefore the good old duke came out unto them, welcoming them, requiring what they were, and whence? But they made no answer at all; whereat the duke wondered, thinking they had been all dumb: notwithstanding for his honour's sake he took them into the court, and feasted them. Faustus notwithstanding spake to them, "If anything happen otherwise than well, when I say, Sit up, then fall you all on the cloak, and good enough."

Well, the water being brought, and that they must wash, one of the three had some manners as to desire his friend to wash first, which when Faustus heard, he said, "Sit up;" and all at once they got on the cloak, but he that spoke fell off again, the other two with Dr. Faustus were again presently at Wittenburg: but he that remained was taken and laid in prison: wherefore the other two gentlemen were very sorrowful for their friend, but Faustus comforted them, promising that on the morrow he should also be at Wittenburg.

Now all this while was the duke taken in great fear, and strucken into an exceeding dumps, wondering with himself that his hap was so hard to be left behind, and not the rest: and now being locked and watched with so many keepers: there was also certain of the guests that fell to reasoning with him to know what he was, and also what the other were that were vanished away? But the poor prisoner thought with himself, "If I open what they are, then it will be evil also with me." Wherefore all this while he gave no man any answer, so that he was there a whole day and gave no man a word: wherefore the old duke gave charge that the next morning they should rack him until he had confessed; which when the young duke heard, he began to sorrow, and to say with himself, "It may be, that to-morrow (if Dr. Faustus come not to aid me) I shall be racked and grievously tormented, insomuch that I shall be constrained by force to say more than willingly I would do."

But he comforted himself with hope that his friends would entreat Dr.

Faustus about his deliverance, as also it came to pa.s.s: for that before it was day, Dr. Faustus was by him, and he conjured them that watched him into such a heavy sleep, that he with his charms made open all the locks in the prison, and therewithal brought the young duke again in safety to the rest of his fellows and friends, where they presented Faustus with a sumptuous gift, and so departed one from another.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

_How Dr. Faustus borrowed Money of a Jew, and laid his own Leg in p.a.w.n for it._

It is a common proverb in Germany that, although a conjurer have all things at command, the day will come that he shall not be worth a penny: so it is like to fall out with Dr. Faustus in promising the devil so largely; but as the devil is the author of all lies, even so he led Faustus his mind in practising things to deceive the people, and blinding them, wherein he took his whole delight, thereby to bring himself to riches. Notwithstanding, in the end he was never the richer; and although during twenty-four years of his time that the devil set him he wanted nothing, yet was he best pleased when he might deceive anybody; for out of the mightiest potentates' courts in all these countries he would send his spirit to fetch away their best cheer.

And on a time, being in his merriment, where he was banqueting with other students in an inn, thereunto resorted many Jews; which when Dr.

Faustus perceived, he was minded to play a merry jest to deceive a Jew, desiring one of them to lend him some money for a time. The Jew was content, and lent Faustus threescore dollars for a month, which time being expired, the Jew came for his money and interest; but Dr. Faustus was never minded to pay the Jew again. At length the Jew coming home to his house, and calling importunately for his money, Dr. Faustus made him this answer: "Jew, I have no money, nor know I how to pay thee; but notwithstanding to the end thou mayst be contented, I will cut off a limb of my body, be it arm or leg, and the same thou shalt have in p.a.w.n for thy money; yet with this condition, that when I shall pay thee thy money again, then thou shalt give me my limb."

The Jew, that was never a friend to a Christian, thought with himself, 'This fellow is right for my purpose, that will lay his limbs in p.a.w.n for money,' and was therewith very well content. Wherefore Dr.

Faustus took a saw and therewith seemed to cut off his leg, being notwithstanding nothing so. Well, he gave it to the Jew, yet upon this condition, when he got money to pay the Jew should deliver him his leg, to the end he might set it on again.

The Jew was with this matter very well pleased, took his leg and departed; and having to go far home he was somewhat weary, and by the way he thus bethought him: "What helpeth me a knave's leg? If I should carry it home it would stink and infect my house; besides, it is too hard a piece of work to set it on again: wherefore, what an a.s.s was Faustus to lay so great a p.a.w.n for so small a sum of money! And for my part," quoth the Jew to himself, "this will never profit me anything;"

and with these words he cast the leg away from him into a ditch.

All this Dr. Faustus knew right well, therefore within three days after sent for the Jew to make him payment of his sixty dollars. The Jew came, and Dr. Faustus demanded his p.a.w.n--there was his money ready for him. The Jew answered, "The p.a.w.n was not profitable nor necessary for anything, so I cast it away." But Faustus, threatening, replied, "I will have my leg again, or else one of thine for it." The Jew fell to intreat, promising him to give him what money he would ask if he would not deal strictly with him. Wherefore the Jew was constrained to give him sixty dollars more to be rid of him; and yet Faustus had his leg on, for he had but blinded the Jew.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

_How Dr. Faustus deceived the Horse-courser._

After this manner he deceived a horse-courser at a fair, called Pheifering: for Faustus, through his conjuring, had gotten an excellent fair horse, whereupon he rid to the fair, where he had many chapmen that offered him money; lastly, he sold him for forty dollars, and willing him that bought him, that in anywise he should not ride him over the water. But the horse-courser marvelled with himself that Faustus bade him ride over no water. "But," quoth he, "I will prove;" and forthwith he rid him into the river. Presently the horse vanished from under him, and he was left on a bottle of straw, insomuch that the man was almost drowned.

The horse-courser knew well where he lay that had sold him his horse; whereupon he went angerly to his inn, where he found Dr. Faustus fast asleep and snorting on a bed. But the horse-courser could no longer forbear him, but took him by the leg and began to pull him off the bed; but he pulled him so that he pulled his leg from his body, insomuch that the horse-courser fell backwards in the place. Then began Dr. Faustus to cry with open throat, "He hath murdered me." Hereat the horse-courser was afraid, and gave the flight, thinking no other with himself but that he had pulled his leg from his body. By this means Dr. Faustus kept his money.

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

_How Dr. Faustus ate a Load of Hay._

Dr. Faustus being at a town in Germany called Zwickow, where he was accompanied with many doctors and masters, and going forth to walk after supper, they met with a clown that drew a load of hay.

"Good even, good fellow," said Faustus to the clown, "what shall I give thee to let me eat my bellyful of hay?" The clown thought with himself, "What a madman is this to eat hay." Thought he with himself, "Thou wilt not eat much." They agreed for three farthings he should eat as much as he could.

Wherefore Dr. Faustus began to eat, and so ravenously, that all the rest of the company fell a-laughing; blinding so the poor clown that he was sorry at his heart, for he seemed to have eaten more than half of the hay; wherefore the clown began to speak him fair, for fear he should have eaten the other half also. Faustus made as though he had pity on the clown, and went away. When the clown came in the place where he would be, he had his hay again as he had before, a full load.

CHAPTER x.x.xVI.

_How Dr. Faustus served the Twelve Students._

At Wittenburg, before Faustus's house, there was a quarrel between seven students, and five that came to part the rest, one part stronger than the other. Wherefore Dr. Faustus, seeing them to be over-matched, conjured them all blind, insomuch that the one could not see the other, and he dealt so with them, that they fought and smote at one another still; whereat all the beholders fell a-laughing; and thus they continued blind, beating one another until the people parted them and led each one to his own house, where being entered into their houses, they received their sight presently again.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

_How Dr. Faustus served the Drunken Clowns._

Dr. Faustus went into an inn wherein were many tables full of clowns, the which were tippling can after can of excellent wine; and to be short, they were all drunken; and as they sate, they so sang and holloaed, that one could not hear a man speak for them. This angered Dr.

Faustus; wherefore he said to them that called him in, "Mark, my masters, I will show a merry jest."

The clowns continued still holloaing and singing; he conjured them that their mouths stood as wide open as it was possible for them to hold them, and never a one of them was able to close his mouth again; by-and-by the noise was gone; the clowns notwithstanding looked earnest one upon another, and knew not what was happened. One by one they went out, and so soon as they came without, they were all as well as ever they were, but none of them desired to go in any more.