Of still greater effect was Faustus’s history on the stage.  Through the whole of the seventeenth, as well as the first half of the eighteenth century, it remained one of the favorite subjects of puppet-shows, popular melodramas, exhibitions of ombres chinoises, and pantomimes.  The more the awful event, with its moral lessons, receded into the background of time, the more it lost its serious and impressive character, until it became a mere burlesque, and Hanswurst and Casperle its principal figures.

The “Historie” had scarcely appeared, when it was translated into Dutch, and the later publication of other similar works did not prevent the demand for several new editions.  These Dutch books were illustrated, as were also the newer German ones.  Only a little later, two French versions were published, one of which was even reprinted at Paris as late as 1712.

In Holland, our hero excited no small interest even among the artists.  There are extant several portraits of Faustus painted by Rembrandt,—­ whether ideal, or copied from older pictures, is not known.  Another Dutch painter, Christoph von Sichem, represented two scenes from the life of the celebrated magician; and of these productions engravings still exist.  On the one, we see Faustus and Mephistopheles,—­the latter dressed like a monk, as, according to the popular tales, he mostly appeared.  On the other, Wagner and Auerhahn, (or Auerhain,) —­the latter in the shape of a monkey.  There is a striking contrast between Faustus and Wagner.  The first is a well-dressed man, in deep meditation; globes and instruments of science surround him;—­ the other the impersonation of vulgarity.  Various scenes from Faustus’s life adorn the walls.  Christoph von Sichem was born in 1580, and flourished at Amsterdam during the first quarter of the seventeenth century.  These pictures were consequently made when the whole interest of the public for Faustus and his companions was still fresh.

Some books seem to have been published by Faustus during his lifetime,—­at least, his biographers allude to them; but it was only after his death that the work which gave his name its chief reputation became known.  This was his peculiar System of Magic, called “Faust’s Hoellenzwang” (Compulsion of Hell).  Wagner, who was said to be his heir, published it first under the title of “Dr. Johannis Faust’s Magia Celeberrima, und Tabula Nigra, oder Hoellenzwang.”  It contained all the different forms of conjuration, as well for the citation as for the dismissal of spirits.  There are, besides this, several other similar works extant, such as his “Schwarzer Mohrenstern,” “Der schwarze Rabe,” the “Mirakel-, Kunst-, und Wunder-buch,” already mentioned, and several more, containing about the same matter, and most of them written in his name.  Of all these productions only manuscripts are known to remain, although they are all professedly copies of printed works.  The most singular thing is, that, while they are represented as having been published after the magician’s death, some of them are, nevertheless, marked with dates as early as 1509, 1510, and 1511,—­and with the names of Lion, (Lyons,) London, etc., as the places where they were printed.  These circumstances make their authenticity very doubtful, even if we allow for mistakes made by the copyists.