How Doctor Faustus gathered together a great armie of men in his extremitie agaynst a Knight that would haue injured him on his iourney. Chap. 52
DOctor
Faustus trauelled towards
Eyszleben, and when he was nigh
halfe the way, he espied seuen horsemen, and the
chiefe of them hee knew to be the knight to whome he had plaied a iest in the
Emperours Court, for he had set a huge payre of Harts hornes vpon his head: and
when the knight now saw that he had fit opportunitie to be reuenged of
Faustus he ran vpon him himselfe, & those that were with him, to
mischiefe him, intending priuily to shoot at him:
which when Doctor
Faustus espied, he vanished away into the wood which
was hard by them. But when the Knight perceiued that he was vanished away, he
caused his men to stand still, where as they remayned they heard all
manner of warlike instruments of musick, as Drummes, Flutes, Trumpets, and such
like, and a certaine troupe of horsemen running towards them. Then they turned
another way, and there also were assaulted on the same side: then another way,
and yet they were freshly assaulted, so that which way soeuer they turned
themselues, hee was encountred: in so much that when the Knight perceiued that
he could escape no way, but that they his enemies layd on him which way soeuer
hee offered to flie, he tooke a good heart and ranne amongst the thickest, and
thought with himselfe better to die than to liue with so great an infamie.
Therefore being at handy-blowes with them hee demaunded the cause why they
should so vse them: but none of them would giue him answere, vntill Doctor
Faustus shewed himself vnto the Knight, where withall they inclosed him
round, and Doctor
Faustus sayde vnto him, Sir, yeelde your weapon, and
yourselfe, otherwise it wcill goe hardly with you. The Knight that knew none
other hut that he was inuironed with an hoast of men, (where indeede they were
none other than Diuels) yeelded: then
Faustus tooke away his sworde, his
piece, and horse, with all the rest of his companions. And further hee said
vnto him; Sir, the chiefe General of our armie hath commaunded to deale with
you according to the law of Armes, you shall depart in peace whither you
please: and then he gaue the Knight an horse after the maner, and set him
theron, so he rode, the rest went on foote, vntill they came to their Inne,
where being alighted, his Page rode on his horse to the water, and presently
the horse vanyshed away, the Page being almost suncke and drowned, but he
escaped: and comming home, the Knight perceiued his Page so be myred & on
foote, asked where his horse was become? Who answered that he was vanished
away: which when the Knight heard, he said, of a truth this is
Faustus
his doing, for he serueth me now as he did before at the Court, only to
make me a skorne and a laughing stock.
