On Faustus chapbook circa 1587

I am currently reading "A Discourse of the Most Famous Dr. John Faustus", an English translation from German of the earliest published version of the German Faustus legend(circa 1587).  It is the version that Christopher Marlowe used as the basis of his play "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" published in 1604.  The German stories are also the basis for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play "Faust", published in 1808.

My initial desire was to read Goethe's Faust, but on learning that it was based on a German legend that he was familiar with in his youth, I decided to read the legend first.  My first impression on reading a 16th century English translation was to be struck by the amount of vocabulary used that today we associate with legal writing.  There is a lot of use of hereupon, wherefor, therewithal, notwithstanding and similar words.  The language of law seems to have been frozen in the middle ages.

The second thing that has struck me in reading this story is its overt antagonism to any intellectual study or pursuit outside the study of scripture.  Faustus becomes a Doctor of Divinity per his godly family's wishes, but is not satisfied and wished to know the secrets of heaven and earth and pursues devilish and infernal arts to accomplish his goal.   What is striking is that  astronomy, mathematics, and medicine are devilish arts along with necromancy, charms, soothsaying, witchcraft, and enchantments.

The author or authors seem to perceive the growing intellectual curiosity of the European Renaissance as a direct threat to Christianity.  The legend of Faustus seems directed towards university scholars and students of the time (most of Faustus's friends and cohorts are students and other scholars) and appears to be an effort to scare them from pursuit of any knowledge or understanding outside those revealed in scripture.  Success in a non-christian field of study means one has opened their heart and mind to the devil, and once open, will be unable to turn away or repent and will be lost.

This story became popular and spread from Germany to England.  It would be interesting to know with whom it was popular and what the intellectual elite of the time thought of it.

Now to read Marlowe's and Goethe's take on this legend!