What Doctor Faustus Bequeathed
What Doctor Faustus Bequeathed His Servant Christoph Wagner XXXIX Now during this whole time, right into the twenty-fourth year of his pact, Doctor Faustus had been keeping a young apprentice, who studied there at the University in Wittemberg and who became acquainted with all the tricks, sorcery and arts of his master. The two were cut from the same piece of cloth. Wagner was a wicked, dissipated knave who had gone about begging in Wittemberg but had found no kindness with anyone until he had met Faustus, who took the stripling in as his famulus and even called him his son, letting him enjoy his ill-gotten gains. Neither troubled himself with the price of them. When his twenty-four years were all but run out, Faustus called unto himself a notary together with several magisters who were his friends. In their presence he bequeathed his famulus his house and garden, which were located on the Ring-Wall in Scherr Alley, not far from the Iron Gate and indeed right beside the houses of Ganser and of Veitt Rottinger (since that time, it has been rebuilt, for it was so uncanny that none could dwell therein). He also left him 1, 600 guilders lent out on usury, a farm worth 800 guilders, 600 guilders in ready money, a gold chain worth 300 crowns, some silver plate given him by a man named Kraffter, as well as such other things as he had taken away from various courts--those of the Pope and of the Turk, for example. All these items together were worth many hundred guilders. There was not really much household stuff on hand, for he had not lived much at home, but at inns and with students, in gluttony and drunkenness. The Discourse Which Doctor Faustus Held With His Son Concerning the Testament XL The testament being drawn up, Faustus summoned his famulus, explained to him how he had made that person beneficiary of his estate who had been a trusty servant throughout his life and had never revealed any of his secrets, and how he would, in addition, like to grant this person one further request, if he would but name it. Wagner asked for Faust's cunning, but this fine father reminded his pretty son (who should have been named Christ less Wagner) that he would, after all, inherit all his books, and that he must diligently guard them, not letting them become common knowledge, but taking his own profit from them by studying them well (this route to Hell). As to my cunning (spake Faustus), thou canst win it if thou wilt but love my books, heed no man else, and follow in my footsteps. Hast thou none other request? --That thou be served by my spirit? This cannot be, for Mephostophiles oweth me no further debt, nor doth he bear affinity to any other man. But if thou art fain to have a spirit as servant I will help thee to another. Three days later, Faustus again called his famulus unto him, asking whether he were still of a mind to possess a spirit, and, if so, in what form he would have him. My Lord and Father, answered Wagner, in the form of an ape let him appear, for even in such a manner and form would I have him. A spirit immediately came bounding into the parlor in the figure of an ape, and Doctor Faustus said: Lo, now seest thou him, but he will not obey thee until I be dead. At that time my Mephostophiles will vanish forever, and thou shalt never see him more. Then, if thou wilt perform what is necessary--this being thine own decision--then canst thou summon thy spirit unto thee by calling upon Urian, for this is his name. In return, I do beg of thee not to publish my deeds, arts and adventures before the time of my death, but then to write all these matters down, organizing and transferring them into a Historia and compelling Urian to help thee by recalling unto thee whatever thou canst not remember, for men will expect these things of thee. What Doctor Faustus Did in the Final Month of His Pact
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