The accursed business of the Regensburg diet therla (to the Countess, with marks of great oppression She 's not well. And ever to the brink of some abyss Nay, do not weep, my child! Let not my sufferings Presignify unhappiness to thee, [Both follow the Pancess, and endeavour to detair Nor blacken with their shade the fate that waits thee. her. During this WAllenstein appears, engaged - THERLA. Sce Ne iW. O let us supplicate him, dearest mother! Quick! quick! here's no abiding-place for us. WAllenstein, Illo, Countess, Duchess, The KLA. Here every coming hour broods into life wallenstein. duchess. 1 LL0. Thou wilt share It is all quiet. An easier, calmer lot, my child! We too, wai. Linsteix. countess. I find we must not give implicit credence Duchess. To intreat forgiveness, for that secretly Come, my child! I 've wrong'd this honourable gallant man, Come wipe away thy tears, and show thy father This Butler: for a feeling, of the which countess. 1LLO. That is he, sister! And doubt not That his example will win over to you The best men in the army. wallenstetx. Go and send Isolani hither. Send him immediately. He is under recent obligations to me: With him will I commence the trial. Go. (Exit Illo. wallenstein (turns himself round to the females). Lo, there the mother with the darling daughter: For once we'll have an interval of rest— Come! my heart yearns to live a cloudless hour In the beloved circle of my family. countess. "T is long since we've been thus together, brother. wallenstein (to the Countess aside). Can she sustain the news? Is she prepared? countess. No. yet. wallenstein. Come here, my sweet girl! Seat thee by me, For there is a good spirit on thy lips. Thy mother praised to me thy ready skill; She says a voice of melody dwells in thee, Which doth enchant the soul. Now such a voice Will drive away from me the evil demon That beats his black wings close above my head. Duchı. Ess. Where is thy lute, my daughter? Let thy father Hear some small trial of thy skill. THEKLA. My mother! I— Duchess. Trembling? Come, collect thyself. Go, cheer Thy father. the kil A. O my mother! I—I cannot. couxTEss. How, what is that, niece? Thekla (to the Couxress). O spare me—sing—now—in this sore anxiety, Of the o'erburthen d soul—to sing to him, Who is thrusting, even now, my mother headlong Into her grave. Duchess. How, Thekla. Humoursome? What! shall thy father have express'd a wish In vain? countess. Here is the lute. the KLA. My God! how can I– [The orchestra plays. During the ritornello Thekla. expresses in her gestures and countenance the struggle of her feelings : and at the moment that she should begin!to sing, contracts herself together, as one shuddering, throws the instrument down, and retires abruptly. Duchess. My child! O she is ill— wallenstEtx. What ails the maident Say, is she often so? cot NTess. Since then herself Has now betray'd it, I too must no longer countess. Since Such and such constant favour you have shown him. w A Llewsteix. He chuses finally to be my heir. Or die in the attempt to place it there. I hazard all—all ! and for this alone, To lift her into greatness— Yea, in this moment, in the which we are speaking– [He recollects himself. And I must now, like a soft-hearted father, Couple together in good peasant-fashion The pair, that chance to suit each other's liking— And I must do it now, even now, when I Am stretching out the wreath that is to twine My full accomplish'd work—no! she is the jewel, Which I have treasured long, my last, my noblest, And 'tis my purpose not to let her from me For less than a king's sceptre. Loch Ess. O my husband! You're ever building, building to the clouds, Still building higher, and still higher building, And ne'er reflect, that the poor narrow basis Cannot sustain the giddy tottering column. walless reix (to the Couxtess). Have you announced the place of residence Which I have destined for her? countess. No! not yet. 'T were better you yourself disclosed it to her. Duchess, How? Do we not return to Karn then? wal. Lex St El N. No. into chess. And to no other of your lands or seats? wat.L.F. NSTEIN. You would not be secure there. intociless. Not secure In the Emperor's realms, beneath the Emperor's Protection? wal. Lexstein. Friedland's wife may be permitted No longer to hope that. Duchess. O God in heaven! And have you brought it even to this! wallensteix. In Holland You'll find protection. touchess. In a Lutheran country? What? And you send us into Lutheran countries? wall. Enstein. Duke Franz of Lauenburg conducts you thither. discuit.ss. Duke Franz of Lauenburg? The ally of Sweden, the Emperor's enemy. wal. Lewstein. The Emperor's enemies are mine no longer. bucurss (casting a look of terror on the Duke and the - Count Ess). is it then true? It is. You are degraded? Deposed from the command! O God in heaven! countess (aside to the Duke). Leave her in this belief. Thou seest she cannot Support the real truth. Scen E. W. To them enter Count Terrsky. countess. —Terisky! What ails him? What an image of affright: He looks as he had seen a ghost. tentsky (leading WAllenstein aside). Is it thy command that all the Croats— wallensteix. Mine! Teersky. We are betray'd. walleNstein. What? Trentsky. They are off! This night The Jägers likewise—all the villages In the whole round are empty. wall-ENSTEIN. Isolani : Tentsky. Him thou hast sent away. Yes, surely. WALLENSTEIN. in tertsky. No! Hast thou not sent him off? Nor Deodate? They are vanish'd both of them. To them enter Illo. 1L.Lo. Ilas Tertsky told thee? TE atsky. He knows all. ILLO. And likewise That Esterhatzy, Goetz, Maradas, Kaunitz, Kolatto, Palfi, have forsaken thee. Teatsky. Damnation! wallenstein (winks at them). Hush" countess (who has been watching them anxiously from the distance and now advances to them). Tertsky: Heaven what is it? What has happen'd? wallenstein (scarcely suppressing his emotions). Nothing! let us be gone tearsky (following him). Theresa, it is nothing. countess (holding him back). Nothing? Do I not see, that all the life-blood Has left your cheeks—look you not like a ghost? That even my brother but affects a calmness? pAge (enters). An Aide-de-Camp inquires for the Count Tertsky. [Tearsky follows the PAGE. wallenstein. Go, hear his business. (To Illo). This could not have happen'd So unsuspected without mutiny. Who was on guard at the gates? II.Lo. - wall existrix. Let Tiefenbach leave guard without delay, And Tertsky's grenadiers relieve him. (Illo is going). Stop! Hast thou heard aught of Butler? ILL0. Him I met: He will be here himself immediately. Butler remains unshaken. [Illo exit. Wallensteix is following him. cot' wress. Let him not leave thee, sister! go, detain him! There's some misfortune. duchess (clinqing to him). Gracious heaven! What is it? walle Nisrei N. Be tranquil! leave me, sister dearest wife! We are in camp, and this is nought unusual ; Here storin and sunshine follow one another With rapid interchanges. These fierce spirits Champ the curb angrily, and never yet Did quiet bless the temples of the leader. If I am to stay, go you. The plaints of women Ill suit the scene where men must act. [He is going : Teatsky returns. terrsk'Y. Remain here. From this window must we see it. wallenstein (to the Countess). Sister, retire! countess. No–never. wallenstein. T is my will. tentsky (leads the Countess aside, and drawing her attention to the Duchess). Theresa! Duchess. Sister, come! since he commands it. SCENE Wii. WAllenstein, Tehrsky. wallenstein (stepping to the window). What now, then 7 thents KY. There are strange movements among all the troops, And no one knows the cause. Mysteriously, With gloomy silentness, the several corps Marshal themselves, each under its own banners. Tiefenbach's corps make threat'ning movements; only The Pappenheimers still remain aloof In their own quarters, and let no one enter. wa LLENstein. Does Piccolomini appear among them? TEhtsky. We are seeking him : he is no where to be met with. wallenstein. What did the Aide-de-Camp deliver to you? terrorsky. My regiments had dispatch'd him; yet once more They swear fidelity to thee, and wait The shout for onset, all prepared, and eager. wallenstein. But whence arose this larum in the camp? | It should have been kept secret from the army, SC E N E VIII. WAllenstein, Terrsky, Illo. illo (who enters agitated with rage). Treason and mutiny | Tents KY. And what further now? ILL0. Tiefenbach's soldiers, when I gave the orders To go off guard—Mutinous villains! Tehrsky. Well! wal. Le NSTEIN. What followed 1 1 LL0. They refused obedience to them. rent's ky. Fire on them instantly! Give out the order. - w ALLENst El N. Gently what cause did they assign? 1 L.Lo. No other, They said, had right to issue orders but Lieutenant-General Piccolonini. wallensreix (in a convulsion of agony). What? How is that? ILL0. He takes that office on him by commission, Under sign-manual of the Emperor. TEATsky. From the Emperor—hear'st thou, Duke? 1LLO. At his incitement The Generals made that stealthy flight— Teatsky. Duke! hear'st thou? ILL0. Caraffa too, and Montecuculi, Are missing, with six other Generals, All whom he had induced to follow him. This plot he has long kad in writing by him From the Emperor; but 't was finally concluded With all the detail of the operation Some days ago with the Envoy Questenberg. [WAllensteix sinks down into a chair and covers his face. tents KY. O hadst thou but believed me! S C E N E IX. To them enter the Countess. couvress. The regiments are all falling off from us. Teotsky. Octavio Piccolomini is a traitor. colo N.Tess. [Rushes out of the room. tentsky. Hadst thou but believed me! Now seest thou how the stars have lied to thee. wat. Lexistein. The stars lie not; but we have here a work Wrought counter to the stars and destiny. The science is still honest: this false heart Forces a lie on the truth-telling heaven. On a divine law divination rests; Where nature deviates from that law, and stumbles Out of her limits, there all science errs. True, I did not suspect! Were it superstition Never by such suspicion t' have affronted The human form, O may that time ne'er come In which I shame me of the infirmity. The wildest savage drinks not with the victim, In to whose breast he means to plunge the sword. This, this, Octavio, was no hero's deed: ‘Twas not thy prudence that did conquer mine; A bad heart triumph d o'er an honest one. No shield received the assassin stroke; thou plungest Thy weapon on an unprotected breast— Against such weapons I am but a child. O my foreboding ! wallenstein (meets him with outspread arms, and embraces him with warmth.) Come to my heart, old comrade! Not the sun Looks out upon us more revivingly In the earliest month of spring, Than a friend's countenance in such an hour. Butler. My General: I come— wallenstein (leaning on Burlen's shoulders). Know'st thou already? That old man has betray'd me to the Emperor. What say'st thou? Thirty years have we together Lived out, and held out, sharing joy and hardship. We have slept in one camp-bed, drunk from one glass, One morsel shared! I lean'd myself on him, As now I lean me on thy faithful shoulder. And now in the very moment, when, all love, All confidence, my bosom beat to his, He sees and takes the advantage, stabs the knife Slowly into my heart. [He hides his face on Burlen's breast. ButleR. Forget the false one. What is your present purpose? wall, Enstein. Well remember'd : Courage, my soul! I am still rich in friends, Still loved by Destiny; for in the moment, That it unmasks the plotting hypocrite, It sends and proves to me one faithful heart. Of the hypocrite no more! Think not, his loss Was that which struck the pang : O no! his treason Is that which strikes this pang! No more of him ' Dear to my heart, and honour'd were they both, And the young man—yes—he did truly love me, He—he-has not deceived me. But enough, Enough of this—Swift counsel now beseems us. The Courier, whom Count Kinsky sent from Prague I expect him every moment: and whatever He may bring with him, we must take good care To keep it from the mutineers. Quick, then! Dispatch some messenger you can rely on To meet him, and conduct him to me. [Illo is going. Butler (detaining him). My General, whom expect you then? w AL LENSTEIN. The Courier Who brings me word of the event at Prague. burler (hesitating). Hem! wALLENstein. And what now? Butler. You do not know it? wallensteix. Well? but LER. From what that larum in the camp arose? wal, Lensteix. From what? burler. That Courier—— wallenstein (with eager expectation). Well? |