FAUSTUS: Was this the face that
launched
a thousand ships
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
World's Greatest Books - Volume 17 - Poetry and Drama
Here he comes;
belike the feast is ended.
[_Exit. Enter_ FAUSTUS; MEPHISTOPHILIS _follows_.
FAUSTUS: Accursed Faustus! Wretch, what hast thou done?
I do repent, and yet I do despair.
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast;
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?
MEPHISTOPHILIS: Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord!
Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh!
FAUSTUS: I do repent I e'er offended him!
Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption;
And with my blood again I will confirm
The former vow I made to Lucifer.
MEPHISTOPHILIS: Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.
FAUSTUS: One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee:
Bring that fair Helen, whose admired worth
Made Greece with ten years' war afflict poor Troy;
Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean
Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep my oath I made to Lucifer.
MEPHISTOPHILIS: This, or what else my Faustus may desire,
Shall be performed in twinkling of an eye.
[_Enter_ HELEN, _passing over the stage between two cupids_.
FAUSTUS: Was this the face that launched a thousand ships
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss!
[_Kisses her_.
Her lips suck forth my soul; see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again!
Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars:
Brighter art thou than naming Jupiter,
When he appeared to hapless Semele:
More lovely than the monarch of the sky,
In wanton Arethusa's azured arms!
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
SCENE II. --_The same_. FAUSTUS. _Enter_ SCHOLARS.
FIRST SCHOLAR: Worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are changed!
FAUSTUS: Oh, gentlemen!
SECOND SCHOLAR: What ails Faustus?
FAUSTUS: Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived
with thee, then I had lived still; but now must die
eternally! Look, sirs; comes he not?
belike the feast is ended.
[_Exit. Enter_ FAUSTUS; MEPHISTOPHILIS _follows_.
FAUSTUS: Accursed Faustus! Wretch, what hast thou done?
I do repent, and yet I do despair.
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast;
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?
MEPHISTOPHILIS: Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord!
Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh!
FAUSTUS: I do repent I e'er offended him!
Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption;
And with my blood again I will confirm
The former vow I made to Lucifer.
MEPHISTOPHILIS: Do it, then, Faustus, with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater dangers do attend thy drift.
FAUSTUS: One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee:
Bring that fair Helen, whose admired worth
Made Greece with ten years' war afflict poor Troy;
Whose sweet embraces may extinguish clean
Those thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep my oath I made to Lucifer.
MEPHISTOPHILIS: This, or what else my Faustus may desire,
Shall be performed in twinkling of an eye.
[_Enter_ HELEN, _passing over the stage between two cupids_.
FAUSTUS: Was this the face that launched a thousand ships
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss!
[_Kisses her_.
Her lips suck forth my soul; see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again!
Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars:
Brighter art thou than naming Jupiter,
When he appeared to hapless Semele:
More lovely than the monarch of the sky,
In wanton Arethusa's azured arms!
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
SCENE II. --_The same_. FAUSTUS. _Enter_ SCHOLARS.
FIRST SCHOLAR: Worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are changed!
FAUSTUS: Oh, gentlemen!
SECOND SCHOLAR: What ails Faustus?
FAUSTUS: Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived
with thee, then I had lived still; but now must die
eternally! Look, sirs; comes he not?
