THE SOURCES OF THE FAUST TRADITION FROM SIMON MAGUS TO LESSING This page intentionally left blank THE SOURCES OF THE FAUST TRADITION FROM SIMON MAGUS TO LESSING BY PHILIP MASON PALMER and ROBERT PATTISON MORE I~ ~~o~~!~n~~~up LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 1936 by Frank Cass Published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OXI4 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright 1936 by Oxford University Press, New York, Inc. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 66-19729 ISBN 13: 978-0-714-62075-6 (hbk) PREFACE IN an experience of many years in conducting a course in Goethe's Faust, trying to present to students of varied types and training the background out of which the drama grew, the compilers of this text have constantly felt the need of a collection of source material which would make that background more real and conse­ quently more interesting. Whether a student is studying the background of Goethe's Faust, or any other subject, it is desirable, both from the point of view of holding his interest and of developing his power of judgment, that he get as much direct contact as possible with the original materials that make up his field of study. But the original ma­ terials that are implied in a study of the growth and development of the Faust legend are widely scattered and for the undergraduate often difficult, if not im­ possible, of access. Furthermore, knowing, as he fre­ quently does, "little Latin and less Greek," it is very questionable whether he can use them if he is able to find them. The authors have endeavored to bring together in usable form the materials in question. The content and form of the collection have been in part deter­ mined by its primary purpose of serving as an aid to students receiving their first serious introduction 10 Goethe's masterpiece and in part by the trend of Faust research. It is intended to be used as a supplement to the usual scholarly edition in the student's hands. The authors are deeply grateful to the many who have been helpful with friendly hints and counsel. They wish to acknowledge especially the assistance of v VI THE FAUST TRADITION Professors Charles J. Goodwin and Adolph F. Pauli in checking the translations of the Cyprianus and The­ ophilus selections respectively; the courtesy of the Committee on Rotographs of MSS. and Rare Printed Books of the Modern Language Association of America in supplying a photostatic copy of the British Museum text of the English Faust Book of 1592 ; and, finally, the kindness of Professor John A. Walz, of Harvard, who, with characteristic thoroughness and patience, looked over the manuscript and gave many welcome suggestions. P. M. PALMER R. P. MORE Bethlehem, Pa. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION . 1 II. THE FORERUNNERS OF FAUST 7 SIMON MAGUS 9 CYPRIAN OF ANTIOCH 41 THEOPHILUS OF ADANA 58 III. THE HISTORICAL FAUST 79 IV. THE FAUST BOOKS-THE ENGLISH FAUST BOOK 127 V. THE EARLIER FAUST DRAMAS AND PUPPET PLAYS 237 VI. LESSING AND FAUST . 271 INDEX 287 This page intentionally left blank THE SOURCES OF THE FAUST TRADITION FROM SIMON MAGUS TO LESSING This page intentionally left blank I INTRODUCTION This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION THE Faust tradition, which finds in Goethe's drama its loftiest and perhaps its final expression, owes its widespread interest to the fact that it became the vehicle of certain fundamental religious and philosophical problems which have ever fascinated and tormented mankind: the relationship between man and the powers of good and evil; man's revolt against human limita­ tions; the thirst for knowledge beyond mere informa­ tion ; the puzzling disparity between the sublimity and the misery of human life. These problems are by no means the exclusive property of the Faust legend for they form, individually or collectively, the background of much of the world's greatest literature. It was the good fortune of the Faust tradition that in its evolution it combined these elements in a peculiarly happy way and that it attracted and inspired the genius of one of the world's greatest poets. The history of the tradition in folklore and literature parallels that of many another epic theme. Its origin is obscure; the development irregular and spasmodic, sometimes halting for long periods and then again, as in Goethe's day, proceeding with seven league boots. Generation after generation works at the old story, widening its scope, reforming, reinterpreting until the master-hand gives it its present form. The beginnings of the legend so far as it concerns the notorious German magician, Doctor Faust, do not ante­ date the Protestant Reformation. It is in the reaction of the followers of Martin Luther to the unrestrained enthusiasm of the German Humanists, to the Human­ ist's attitude towards educational, religious and philo­ sophical questions that the beginnings must be sought. This reaction was natural enough in the intellectual dis­ location taking place in the Germany of 1500. 3 4 THE FAUST TRADITION Throughout the fifteenth century forces had been at work which, with much else, tended to uproot, or at least reorient many of the intellectual sign-posts of the Middle Ages. There was the break with traditional ways of thinking; the renewed interest in secular learn­ ing ; the establishment of the northern universities; the rise of individualism; a general widening of the horizon. But the older Church and the new Protestant group both viewed this development with consternation and something resembling fear. However, it is from the Lutheran circle that the protest arose against inordi­ nate ambition and ungodly speculation,-a protest which found its most popular expression in the old Faust books. That the archconjuror and blowhard Faust should have been selected as the awful example of the results of an attempt to transcend human limi­ tations is perhaps mere chance. The growth of the legend is an interesting chapter in the history of myth development. For the Faust of the sixteenth century was merely the lodestone about which gathered in time a mass of superstition which in turn is the deposit of centuries. Many of the stories told about Faust are found in the accounts of earlier magicians. Part of the material, like the compact with the devil, is common property of the Christian Church. Other elements can be traced back to Hebrew and Persian sources antedating Chris­ tianity. On the whole, the progress of the legend in folk­ tale, letter, ballad, novel, and play from the earliest Faust book down to Goethe is reasonably clear. Some links in the chain are missing, it is true, as, for example, the text of the old stage play. But even in this case, it is possible, on the basis of the puppet plays and theater programs extant, to piece together the probable action. INTRODUCTION 5 On the other hand, the development of the magic elements in the legend, and of the compact with the devil, or perhaps better, the connection, if any, of these elements with earlier legends about magicians, is by no means as clear. Numerous predecessors of the six­ teenth century magician were credited with magic pow­ ers, among them Solomon, Simon Magus, Virgil, Cyprian, Merlin, Roger Bacon, Robert the Devil, Zyto, various popes, and many lesser lights. Superstition ex­ plained the magic powers, which these individuals were reputed to possess, by a compact with Satan or some other evil spirit. The compact takes actual form in the legend of Theophilus and the legend of Proterius. The origins of both the conception of magic and of the compact are dimmed by time and lost in the mazes of occultism and demonology. How much of all this is directly connected with the Faust tradition is a moot question. N one of the problems of larger import which distinguish the later forms of the tradition, with the possible exception of the relationship of man to good and evil, are to be found in the so-called predeces­ sors. However, the influence of blood pact and magic art is· unmistakable, indirect perhaps but none the less potent. Medieval Europe delighted in tales of ma­ gicians and legends of saints who had made compacts with Satan. Witness the large number of tales which contain these motifs and the popularity of such collec­ tions as the Legenda Aurea. To map out the course of the tradition in all its ramifications is an almost impossible task owing to the mass of material involved. It is, perhaps, enough if the broad outlines are sketched and the most important documents presented. It is the characteristic which is important and it is to the characteristic that this col­ lection is to be confined. No attempt is made to go into the history of demonology or to trace the develop- 6 THE FAUST TRADITION ment of the devil myth. These are the fields of the folklore specialist or the theologian. Lack of space alone accounts for the omission of the younger Faust books, and the Fausts of Weidmann, Klinger, and Maler M tiller. II FORERUNNERS OF FAUST This page intentionally left blank FORERUNNERS OF FAUST AMONG the legends which have been regarded as pos­ sible forerunners of the sixteenth century Faust tradi­ tion the legends of Simon Magus, Cyprian, and Theophilus in particular have attracted the attention of Faust scholars. These legends were widely known throughout medieval Europe and the question of the possible connection of these older legends with the Faust legend has been the subject of much discussion, some scholars arguing for a direct derivation of the Faust legend from the earlier ones, others just as vigor­ ously denying any such derivation.