“I, Doctor Johann Faust, who apply myself to the Free Arts, having read many kinds of books from my youth, happened once to light upon a book that contained various conjurations of the spirits.  Feeling some desire to enlarge my ideas on these things, having, indeed, at the beginning, small belief that the prescriptions of that book would so soon be verified, I tried them only for an experiment.  Nevertheless, I became aware that a mighty spirit, named Astaroth, presented himself before me, and asked me wherefore I had cited him.  Then, hurried as I was, I did not know how to make up my mind otherwise than to demand that he should be serviceable to me in various wishes and desires, which he promised conditionale, asking to make a compact with me.  To do this I was at first not inclined; but as I was only provided with a bad circle, being merely experimenting, I did not dare to bid him defiance, but was obliged to yield to the circumstances.  I therefore made up my mind, inasmuch as he would serve me, and would be bound to me a certain number of years.  This being settled, this spirit presented to me another, named Mochiel, who was commanded to serve me.  I asked him how quick he was.  Answer:  ‘Like the wind.’  ’Thou shalt not serve me! get thee back to whence thou camest!’ Now came Aniguel; he answered, that he was as quick as the bird in the air.  ’Thou art still too slow,’ I replied; ‘begone!’ At the same moment a third stood before me, named Aziel; this one, too, I asked how quick he was.  ’Quick as the thought of man.’  ‘Right for me! thee will I keep!’ And I accepted him.  This spirit has served me long, as has been made known by many writings.”

Whether it was this quick Aziel, or Astaroth himself, who became Faustus’s travelling-companion under the name of Mephistopheles, or whether the prince of the lower regions in person condescended to play that part, we do not know; but in all popular stories of the Doctor, his servant bears the latter name,—­while in the various books in which, under the name of Hoellenzwang, the system of his magic is laid down, he is called Aziel.

In possession of such a power, Faustus soon became tired of his lonely study.  He craved the world for his theatre.  His travels seem in reality to have been very extensive, while in the popular stories a magic mantle carried him over the whole globe.  Conrad Gesner, the great physiologist, who speaks of him with some respect as a physician, comparing him with Theophrastus Paracelsus, reckons him among the scholastici vagantes, or fahrende Schueler, an order of men already considerably in the decline, and grown disreputable at that period.  As early as the thirteenth century, we find the custom in Germany, of young clergymen who did not belong to any monkish order travelling through the land to get a living,—­here by instructing in schools for a certain period,—­there by temporarily serving in churches as choristers,