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AN ADDITION TO THE FAUST LITERATURE: AN UNKNOWN 'HARROWING OF HELL' IN THE BRIT

AN ADDITION TO THE FAUST LITERATURE: AN UNKNOWN 'HARROWING OF HELL' IN THE BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON DR. HANS HENNING (Translated by D. L. PAISEY) THE spread of material on the subject of Faust began in the sixteenth century with the existence of Faust as an historical figure, and with the appearance of a 'Faust-trilogy' (Faust-Buch of 1587, Wagner-Buch of 1593, Fausts Gaukeltasche of 1607). The subject entered English literature with an English version of the Faust-book (1587-8) and with Christopher Marlowe's dramatization. The Faust tradition of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries brought new versions of the Faust-book and further dramatic treat- ment in Dutch, German, and French, as well as adaptations into farces, pantomimes, and ballets by William Mountford (1697), John Rich (1723), Thomas Merrivale (1724), and John Thurmond (1724 and 1727). The seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Faust tradition was also characterized by the continuing attention paid by scholars and theologians to the historical Faust, and included songs, which probably developed from the Faust-plays, and the magic books. These circulated, under Faust's name, in manuscript or printed form, the usual titles being Dreifacher Hollenzwang, Praxis magica^ or Mtracul-^ Kunst- und Wunderbuch^ though in some cases the connection with the Faust literature is not immediately apparent, with titles such as Schwarzer Rabe^ Geisterkommando, or Liber sptrituum. All of these are rare texts, whether manuscript or printed. In part I of my Faust- Bibliographie (Berlin and Weimar, 1966) 46 manuscripts are listed, of which 16 have no known location, while of the 35 printed Hdlienzmang-tcxis which appeared up to 1930, 9 could not be located or have disappeared.' (Hollenzwang is usually translated as 'Harrowing of HelF, though the Hteral equivalent is Coercing of Hell.) It is therefore all the more welcome that a new, unknown, printed 'Harrowing of Heir has been found in the collections of the British Library and can be studied. r!l).F.\USTUS EX KUNDLINCilA ORIGINAU-: HOC OPUS MAnrcuM ROMAM AD ALLIXANDRUM VI A 1). ifAHLRMANNO TRANSI MISSUM M.D.II-A yULIO It PtlNT: MAX". TM'IS PBIVATIS DATUM ANNO POMIM Mi D. X. DFAUSTS (ORIGINAL) GEISTRR COMMANDO DER C H O L L R N ) UND AU.EK ANDER GEISTER C ZWANG ) SOWOHL DIE liOSEN.AI.S OUTEN C S P I R I T U S ) DES OANTZEN OEISTER RF.ICHES (FAMILIARIUM ) 7.U AI.r.F.N DIHNST.UND ( GEHORSAM ) (Vi It is a combination of several of the known texts, namely, D. Fausts Geistercommando, Origmal-Hdllenzwang^ and Spiritus familiarium. No other such version is known, so that it is unique. It is also a complete copy, comprising seventeen unnumbered leaves, i6x 19 cm (4*^). Given the close inter-relationship, or frequent identity, of material in the manuscript and printed versions, the present Hollenzwang may be assumed to be especially close to the lost printed Dr. Fausts wahres und dchtes Original Magiae Albae ($' Nigrae (Faust- Biblwgraphte, I, no. 3205) and to D. Faustus Original Dreyfacher Hollen-Zwang (I, no. 3207). The connection with the former is suggested by the mention of Habermann on the page facing the title-page, that with the latter by the occurrence on the same page of the so-called portrait of Faust (size of woodcut: 7^9 cm), with a legend 'D. Faustus ex urbe Kundlingia magus insignis' which differs somewhat from that in Faust-Bibliographie, I, no. 3207;- the picture itself is not quite the same either, for though on both woodcuts the head is turned to the right, the features, beard, cap, and shoulders of that in the British Library copy are more coarsely cut. Since the Faust portrait does not appear else- where in the printed texts, we may even assume that the two (I, no. 3207 and the B.L. copy) came from the same printing-house. The less good version of the woodcut suggests that it has been re-cut. Since the two editions cited for comparison have been dated 1765 and 1770, the new discovery is probably of similar date. To judge from its typography, it certainly belongs to the decade 1770-80. The new 'Harrowing of Heir should therefore be entered in part I of the Faust-Btblwgraphte zs no. 3208a, as the only copy of this edition. It is scarcely possible to establish a complete provenance for this copy. It is known to have been purchased by the British Museum in June 1846 from the Berlin antiquarian bookseller Adolf Asher as part of a substantial consignment of early German literature, possibly from a large collection first sold or handled by the Halle bookseller Kuppitsch. It has not so far been possible to locate relevant catalogues of Kuppitsch or Asher.^ It should be noted that Asher was a regular supplier of books to London and particularly to the British Museum.-* The possible role as intermediary of Kuppitsch in Halle might indicate a source in one of the near-by places with large libraries and collections, a town which had lost its importance in the course of the centralization of Prussian administra- tion, such as Merseburg, Weissenfels, Naumburg, or Zeitz. The Court, monastic, and capitular libraries in these towns were gradually dispersed in the decades after 1815, with the formation of the administrative district of Merseburg. It is possible that the collection sold through Kuppitsch came from one of these libraries or from a private Hbrary. There is an indication of the previous owner in the press-mark inscribed in the top left- hand corner of the page facing the title-page: 594(or 694).c.II.g. The old British Museum press-mark is in the top right-hand corner of the title-page: 8630.d.10; some time ago this was changed by the British Library, Department of Printed Books, to 1608/668, and finally, when its rarity was recognized, to C.143.CC.19. Mr. D. L. Paisey, Assistant Keeper in that department, drew the nature and importance of the book to my attention and suggested this article. After two pages listing further titles of magic texts, Geistertraktat, 6. undy. Buck Mosis, Tabella Rabellina, there follows the text proper which corresponds substantially with other versions.5 Thus the 'Unterricht' (instruction) is almost identical in all versions; it reads: Wenn du die Geister citirn, und zu dein Diensten haben wilst, so mache folgende Procedur, aus 'NB' den ^VF und 'VIT Buch Mosis Bibliae Arcanorum nach der Traditionem und Uber- setzung Rabellina, wie folget* (I) Reinige dich vor Gott von schwerenf und grosen Sunden. (II) Baue, und traue vollkomen auf die, hier geoffenbahrte Geister Zwangs gottliche Allmachts Worter, und Hiilfe des t allmachtigen Gottes. (III) Hake an mit der Citation, und sey standhaft in Wercke, und in Glauben. (IV) Mercke und observiere die Geister Constellation wohl. (V) Richte dich nach der Zeit und (NBf) Stund der Geister Regierung . . . (If you wish to summon the spirits and have them serve you, follow the procedure set out in the 6th and 7th Books of Moses in the Biblia arcanorum in the Rabelline tradition and translation, as follows: (r) Purify yourself before God of heavy and great sins. (2) Rely on, and put your complete trust in the divine words of omnipotence to coerce spirits here revealed, and in the help of almighty God. (3) Persist in the citation, and be steadfast in deed and in faith. (4) Note and observe well the spirits' constellation. (5) Follow the time and hour of spirit rule . . .) Similarly, we find known formulae for conjuration and dismissal ('Abdanckung'), the latter meaning the freeing of spirits. The usual 'General Conjuration', the description of the 'seven Grand Dukes' and the list of serviceable and elemental spirits are also present. C N B ) BEY DEN EINOANO DES CRKYSFS. UND ZUM ANFANO SPRICH A M E N (•»)•• .:•, •Jiai'i • ';:i?«;j Fig. 2. D. Fausts Original Geister Commando der Hollen^ p. io: magic circle. C. 143.cc. 19. (Reduced) The magic impact of the text is enhanced by strange names such as 'Bacoss' (Bacchus?) and lines in Hebrew characters. Amongst further features of this sort are so-called magic circles or diagrams, which hold out vivid promise of conjuration. But however individual this rare printed 'Harrowing of HelF text may be, its correspondence to the substance of manuscripts and other printed versions of these magic books is certain. Attention should therefore be drawn to other descriptions'* of such products, which represent a particular offshoot of the Faust tradition of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origin of the magic practices cannot be fully explained. The texts are related to books of recipes of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and certainly also to works by early exponents of modern science: medicine, chemistry or alchemy, and pharmacy. One may also assume the influence of works by Johannes Habermann (1516-90) and Johannes Kornreuther (dates unknown): Der goldene H[abermann] (c. 1550) or Magia Ordinis Artium et Scientiarum Abstrusarum (c. 1515?), although the contents of these apocryphal books in their turn are dubious and portentous in parts, and put special emphasis on hunting for buried treasure. Other works of Kornreuther are Gewaltige Citation und Beschworung des vermaledeiten Teufels Astaroth Beelzebub Dierle Bassiel (possibly not printed until 1725) and Der gerechte Kornreuther uploads/Litterature/ faust-s-magick.pdf