From that time the myths grew in number and detail; in 1590, they had reached England, and inspired Marlowe with his best-known drama. It is probable that he obtained his knowledge of the story from an English translation (circa 1589) of the "Faust-Buch" of John Spies, published in 1587. Some of the details of these myths are striking in themselves, and as being retained or adapted by Goethe in his Faust, may, with propriety, be given here.

"Concerning the grievous life of Dr. Faust, and his yet more grievous end, and how it beseemeth Christian men to think thereon.

"I will that, if I speak heavy and dismal things, I be forgiven of you; for truly tales of mirth and words of joyance avail but scantly to make men think on their latter end and judgment to come. Moreover, there be many who are tempted even as was this Dr. Faust of whom I speak; yet God forefend that they should fall away from God as he did; many too there be that doubt of Satan and his works, knowing or heeding not what thereof hath been seen in the eyes of men at Wittenberg, and at Leipzig, and at Rimlich, whereof, when they have heard from me thus speaking, let them beware, lest by some one of his many devices the devil do entrap them, till in that place where all hearts be heavy for ever and ever, they and Dr. Faust do meet at the last.

"It was, I trow, by means of profane learning and curious arts that this man won power over things that be in the air and on the earth, yea, and over those more fearful things that be under the earth. For after that he had many days studied in Cracow, he took not any more delight in theology, whereby God is known unto men; but forsaking altogether God's Holy Word, he joined himself to the company of them that by art-magic do foretell things to come, and do bring up spirits

and read the fates of men by the stars. Nor yet was he learned in magical arts only, but by skill in medicine, simples, and herbs, he cured many of divers diseases. And in process of time he aspired even to subject unto him the Evil Spirit himself, whom he affirmed to be the highest head on earth; forgetting how it is written that the prince of this world is judged. And in a thick wood, nigh unto Wittenberg, by his enchantments, and amid strange clamour of invisible demons and marvellous lights, he conjured to his presence the Evil One. Who first in a fiery form, and then in shape of a grey Friar, came unto Faust: and they made there between them a covenant, that for twenty-four years the Devil, under the name Mephistopheles, should serve Faust as a master. Now Mephistopheles is by interpretation one that loveth not the light, because his deeds are evil, as St. John Evangelist saith. And when twenty-four years should be ended, Faust should be given over to him that had served him, for ever and ever. And the covenant was written in blood, and Faust took the blood from a vein in his left hand. Now when these things were done, the Devil brought strange visions of things pleasurable to Faust, and the sound of singing spirits, whereby his sense was deluded and beguiled. And unto the house in Wittenberg where Faust dwelt with his disciple Wagner, were brought by Mephistopheles rich wines and cates and costly raiment and money, so as to satisfy him with earthly joys but marriage was forbidden unto him by Mephistopheles, inasmuch as this is a state well-pleasing unto God. And when the third part of his appointed time was fulfilled, he desired to see hell and heaven, and far-off regions of the earth and was by art-magic borne according to his desire through hell and heaven, and afterwards unto Rome, where he dwelt in the Pope's palace three days, invisible, and grievously tormented the Pope by enchantments, so that he could neither eat nor drink, but the food and the wine

were ever snatched from him. Moreover there was given unto Faust an evil spirit in the form of a dog, that should fetch all things and go upon all messages at his desire: and a magical horse, upon which he rode through the air. Whereon coming from Prague unto Erfurt, he joined himself to certain men who ate and drank, and after a while, by art-magic, he caused divers wines to flow from the table, to their astonishment and great delight. And at Leipzig this same thing he did also, and afterward by subtile device caused a cask to carry him forth from the cellar into the street, and the spirit in the form of a dog was with him. In memory of which act of grievous sorcery the walls of the said cellar do bear to this day pictures of Faust, and of them he drank with, and of the dog that was no dog, and of the cask which by art-magic was ridden into the street. Such power was given unto Faust by the Evil One, over the fruits of the earth and the wood that is thereon. But of the evil beings that were brought unto Faust in the shape of women, for his evil living, I say only that they were so brought, seven evil witches in all; of whom two bore the similitude of Flemish women, and one was of Hungary, and one of England, and one of France, and two of Suabia. And outwardly they were fair to look upon, but inwardly were full of all wickedness, being children of devils. And when the twenty-four years were well-nigh ended, he desired that Helena of Greece, for whom the Greeks and Trojans strove at Troy, should be brought unto him; and she abode with him a space, and some say that she bore him a son.

And when the last year drew to an end, there fell heavy sadness upon Faust: and he told them that were with him of his dealings with the Evil One, and how the time granted unto him would be ended at midnight. And at midnight a great wind arose, and beat upon the house; and they that slept therein heard dismal and hellish sounds, as of snakes

hissing, and Faust crying for mercy. And in the morning his dead body was found, grievously torn, without the house. Such meed was his from the devil, to whom he had given himself. These things were done at Rimlich, near to Wittenberg; and he was buried there. But there be they who say that after his death, his ghost was seen to look forth from the windows of the house where the devil had rent him in pieces. This was the end of the bodily part of Doctor Faust: but of that part of him which endeth not, I dare not to think how it fareth. God assoil us for the evil that we have done, and take us unto his service!

The end of the grievous history of Dr. Faust."

It remains only to point out how almost every detail in these legends has been utilised by Goethe in Part I. of his Faust. The early theological studies, the skill in medicine, the desire to evoke spirits by spells, etc., the famulus Wagner, the magical means of travelling, the mysterious dog, the wine drawn from the table, the singing spirits, the sensuality instigated by the attendant Mephistopheles, all these have been re-introduced, mutatis mutandis, in Part I. The Helena episode, and other legendary incidents omitted, or lightly touched upon, in the above history, as irrelevant to Part I., occur in Part II.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE COMPOSITION OF "FAUST." 305

II.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE COMPOSITION
OF FAUST.

THE subjoined table represents the dates, certain or approximate, at which the various episodes of Faust (Part I.) were composed. It will be well to observe that two considerable portions-the Prologue in Heaven and the Theatre Prelude, as well as the Dedication—which stand at the very beginning of the work, were among the last to be written. The Walpurgis Night and the Scene of Valentine's Death were not written till a good deal of Part II.—notably the Helena— had been composed. From these facts, and others shown by the table, the cause of the occasional slight discrepancies and of a certain admixture of early with mature feeling and language will be made abundantly clear. The biographical interest thus attaching to a poem, the composition of which extended over so long a period of Goethe's life, will be readily discerned :