a--Gross Festivities--The
Devil's Apostrophe
thereon--Descent of the Pope into
Hell, and Death of Caesar Borgia
CHAPTER V. 261
Faustus's Consolation for his
Crimes--Philosophy of
Voltaire--Faustus's portentous
Dream--Apparition of his
Father--Baseness and Ingratitude
of Man--Flight of the Devil and
Faustus to Mayence--Death of his
Son, and Destruction of his
Family--Retrospect of his
criminal Career--Accursed Destiny
of Faustus, and Triumph of the
Devil--Descent of Faustus into
Hell
CHAPTER I.

Faustus, having long struggled with the shadows of Theology, the bubbles
of Metaphysics, and the _ignes-fatui_ of Morality, without being able to
bring his mind to a firm conviction, at length cast himself into the dark
fields of Magic, in the hope of forcing from Nature what she had so
obstinately withheld from him. His first attainment was the remarkable
invention of Printing; but his second was horrible. He discovered,
almost fortuitously, the dreadful formula by which devils are called out
of hell, and made subservient to the will of man. But as yet he had not
exerted his power, out of love to his immortal soul, for whose welfare
every Christian is so anxious. At this period he was in the full bloom
of manhood. Nature had favoured him in his person, and had given him a
noble and expressive countenance. Here was enough to bespeak his
happiness in the world; but she superadded pride and untamable
impetuosity of mind, which displayed itself in deep determination of
purpose, and in the constant workings of a heated imagination, which was
never satisfied with the present, but affected to discover the emptiness
and insufficiency of the acquired object, even in the zest of its
enjoyment.

Faustus soon lost the path by which moderation leads frail mortals to the
abode of true happiness. He soon felt the narrow limits of humanity, and
endeavoured to burst their bonds. By what he had learnt and believed in
his youth, he entertained a high opinion of the capacity and moral worth
of man; and, in comparing himself with others, he naturally laid the
greatest part of the sum-total to his own account. Here were fine
materials for greatness and glory: but true greatness and true glory
generally fly from him who is on the point of attaining them, just before
he can separate their fine pure forms from the mist and vapour which
delusion has shed round them. It appeared to Faustus that, in his
sit