The history of the damnable life and deserved death of Doctor John Faustus, 1592, together with The second report of Faustus, containing his appearances and the deeds of Wagner, 1594.

This edition brings the earliest English rendition of the Faust legend into clear, contemporary language, letting listeners hear the 1590s drama as it was first imagined on the stage. A concise scholarly introduction sets the historical scene, while twenty‑four richly detailed woodcuts—ranging from a witches’ Sabbath to a view of Wittenberg—enhance the atmosphere and give a vivid visual sense of the period. The text has been modernized only in spelling and punctuation, preserving the original syntax so the voice of the era remains intact.

The narrative follows Doctor John Faustus, a learned physician whose restless thirst for forbidden knowledge drives him to bargain with dark powers for unrivaled ability. As his pact takes effect, the first act reveals his ascent into magical prowess and the uneasy conscience that follows. Accompanying this is a secondary report that records Faustus’s spectral appearances and the mysterious deeds of the alchemist Wagner, offering a broader glimpse into how the tale spread and was reshaped across Europe in the late sixteenth century.