But we are innocent: how have we fallen Into this circle of mishap and guilt? To whom have we been faithless? Wherefore must The evil deeds and guilt reciprocal Of our two fathers twine like serpents round us? Why must our fathers' Unconquerable hate rend us asunder, Who love each other? wAllenstein, Max., remain with me. Go you not from me, Max." Hark! I will tell thee— How when at Prague, our winter-quarters, thou Wert brought into my tent a tender boy, Not yet accustom'd to the German winters; Thy hand was frozen to the heavy colours; Thou wouldst not let them go.— At that time did I take thee in my arms, And with my mantle did I cover thee; I was thy nurse, no woman could have been A kinder to thee; I was not ashamed To do for thee all little offices, IIowever strange to me; I tended thee Till life return'd; and when thine eyes first open'd, I had thee in my arms. Since then, when have I Alter'd my feelings towards thee? Many thousands Have I made rich, presented them with lands; Rewarded them with dignities and honours; Thee have I loved: my heart, my self, I gave To thee! They all were aliens: thou wert Our child and inmate." Max.' Thou canst not leave me; It cannot be; I may not, will not think That Max. can leave me. MAx. O my God! wallenstein. I have Held and sustain'd thee from thy tottering childhood. what holy bond is there of natural love? What human tie, that does not knit thee to me? I love thee, Max." What did thy father for thee, Which I too have not done, to the height of duty? Go hence, forsake me, serve thy Emperor; He will reward thee with a pretty chain Of gold; with his ram's fleece will he reward thee; For that the friend, the father of thy youth, For that the holiest feeling of humanity, Was nothing worth to thee. Max. O God! how can I Do otherwise? Am I not forced to do it, My oath—my duty—honour– wall, exstein. How? Thy duty : Duty to whom? Who art thout Max. bethink thee what duties mayst thou have? If I am acting A criminal part toward the Emperor, It is my crime, not thine. Dost thou belong To thine own self? Art thou thine own commander * Standi'st thou, like me, a freeman in the world, That in thy actions thou shouldst plead free agency? * This is a poor and inadequate translation of the affectionate -inspi, city of the original— Sie alle waren Fremdlinge, Du warst Das Kind des Hauses. indeed the whole speech is in the best style of Massinger. •ic omnia 0 si On me thou'rt planted, I am thy Emperor; SCEN E W II. To these enter NEuxANN. wal. Lenstein. What now? Nieuw ANN. The Pappenheimers are dismounted, And are advancing now on foot, determined With sword in hand to storm the house, and free The Count, their colonel. wallenstein (to Teatsky). Have the cannon planted. I will receive them with chain-shot. [Exit Trotsky. Prescribe to me with sword in hand! Go Neumann 'T is my command that they retreat this moment, And in their ranks in silence wait my pleasure. [Naum ANN exit. Illo steps to the window. count Ess. Let him go, I entreat thee, let him go. illo (at the window). . Hell and perdition' walleNSTEIN, What is it? Ill.0. They scale the council-house, the roof's uncover'd They level at this house the cannon—— MAX. Madmen' ILL0. They are making preparations now to fire on us. Duchess ANd cou NTESs. Merciful Heaven! Max. (to WAllex's reix). Let me go to them! w Allie Nist EIN. Not a step! MAx. (pointing to Therla and the Duchess). But their life! Thine! wall, ENSTEIN. What tidings bring'st thou, Tertsky? SC EN E VIII. To these Tearsky (returning). trutsky. Message and greeting from our faithful regiments. Their ardour may no longer be curb’d in. WAllenstrin. 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. WAllenstein is following him. countess. Let him not leave thee, sister! go, detain him! There's some misfortune. duchess (clinging to him). Gracious heaven' What is it? walle Nisrein. 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, to you. The plaints of women Ill suit the scene where men must act. [He is going : Teatsky returns. Tentsky. Remain here. From this window must we see it. wallenstein (to the Countess). Sister, retire 1 countess. No–never. wallenstein. T is my will. rentsky (leads the Countess aside, and drawing her attention to the Duchess). Theresa Duchess. Sister, come! since he commands it. SCEN E VII. WAllenstein, Teatsky. wallenstein (stepping to the window). What now, then 7 Tentsky. 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 LLENstel N. Does Piccolomini appear among them? TeRTsky. We are seeking him: he is no where to be met with. wattlenstel N. What did the Aide-de-Camp deliver to you? tentsky. My regiments had dispatch'd him; yet once more They swear fidelity to thee, and wait The shout for onset, all prepared, and eager. wall ENSTEIN. But whence arose this larum in the camp It should have been kept secret from the army, SC EN E VI il. WALLENstein, Tentsky, Illo. illo (who enters agitated with rage). Treason and mutiny! TERtsky. And what further now? ILLO. Tiefenbach's soldiers, when I gave the orders To go off guard—Mutinous villains! trants KY. Well! wallenst EIN. What followed 1 I Llo. they refused obedience to them. retarsky. Fire on them instantly! Give out the order. * wall exstEIN. Gently what cause did they assign? il. Lo. No other, They said, had right to issue orders but Lieutenant-General Piccolonini. wallenstein (in a convulsion of agony). SC E N E IX. il-Lo. The regiments are all falling off from us. Terotsky. Octavio Piccolomini is a traitor. colo N tess. O my foreboding ! [Rushes out of the room. TEntsky. Hadst thou but believed me! Now seest thou how the stars have lied to thee. wallenstein. wallenstein (meets him with outspread arms, and em- Well? BUTLEst. From what that larum in the camp arose? wallensteix. From what? but Lett. That Courier—— But LEa. Is already here. TERTsKY and illo (at the same time). Already here? wallenstein. My Courier? BurLER. For some hours. wallenstein. And I not know it? Buti.en. The centinels detain him Hm custody. illo (stamping with his foot). Damnation 1 Butler. And his letter Was broken open, and is circulated Through the whole camp. wallenstein. You know what it contains? buTu-kaQuestion me not! TERTsKY. Illo! alas for us. WALLENstein. Hide nothing from me—I can hear the worst. Prague then is lost. It is. Confess it freely. bioti, ren. Yes! Prague is lost. And all the several regiments At Budweiss, Tabor, Brannau, Konigingratz, At Brun and Znaym, have forsaken you, And ta'en the oaths of fealty anew To the Emperor. Yourself, with Kinsky, Tertsky, And Illo have been sentenced. [Tentsky and Illo express alarm and fury. WAlLENst Ein remains firm and collected. WALLENstein. 'T is decided ! T is well! I have received a sudden cure From all the pangs of doubt: with steady stream Once more my life-blood flows! My soul's secure! In the night only Friedland's stars can beam. Lingerint; irresolute, with fitful fears I drew the sword—'t was with an inward strife, While yet the choice was mine. The murderous knife Is lifted for my heart! Doubt disappears! I fight now for my head and for my life. [Exit Wallenstein; the others follow him. SCENE X i. countess rentsky (enters from a side-room). I can endure no longer. No! A proud commander with his army following; SCENE X1 i. Countess, Duchess, The KLA. rhekla (endeavouring to hold back the Drchess). Dear mother, do stay here! Ductiess. No! Here is yet Some frightful mystery that is hidden from me. Why does my sister shun me! Don't I see her Full of suspense and anguish roam about From room to room?—Art thou not full of terror? And what import these silent mods and Bestures Which stealthwise thou exchangest with her? tilek L.A. Nothing: Nothing, dear mother! Duchess (to the Count Ess). Sister, l will know. countess. What boots it now to hide it from her? Sooner Or later she must learn to hear and bear it. T is not the time now to indulge infirmity; Courage beseems us now, a heart collect, And exercise and previous discipline Offortitude. One word, and over with it! Sister, you are deluded. You believe, The Duke has been deposed—The Duke is not Deposed—he is—— therla (going to the Countess.) What? do you wish to kill her? countess. The Duke is—— therla (throu’ing her arms round her mother. O stand firm' stand firm, my mother! countess. Revolted is the Duke; he is preparing To join the enemy; the army leave him, And all has fail'd, 177 into Bavaria, like a winter torrent, wallenstein (after he has run through them with his eye, to the ANspessape). I know thee well. Thou art out of Brüggin in Flanders: Thy name is Mercy. ANspessade. Henry Mercy. wallenstein. Thou wert cut off on the march, surrounded by the Hessians, and didst fight thy way with an hundred and cighty men through their thousand. A NSPEssade. "T was even so, General' wallenstein. What reward hadst thou for this gallant exploit? Anspessa de. That which I askep for: the honour to serve in this corps. wallenstein (turning to a second). Thou wert among the volunteers that seized and made booty of the Swedish battery at Altenburg. Second culf Asslen. Yes, General! wallenstein. I forget no one with whom I have exchanged words. (A pause.) Who sends you? Why does not your colonel deliver in your request, according to the custom of service? ANSPESSA DE. Because we would first know whom we serve. wall. Enstein. Begin your address. ANspessade (giving the word of command). Shoulder your arms! wallenstein (turning to a third). Thy name is Risbeck; Cologne is thy birth-place. third culia Assien. Risbeck of Cologne. wallenstein. It was thou that broughtest in the Swedish colonel, Diebald, prisoner, in the camp at Nüremberg. thind cuirassieh. It was not I, General' wallenstein. Perfectly right! It was thy elder brother: thou hadst a younger brother too: where did he stay? Thind cuik ASSIER. He is stationed at Olmütz with the Imperial army. wallenstein (to the ANspessade). Now then—begin. Anspessade. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor Commanding us-wallenstein (interrupting him). Who chose you? AnSPESSADE. Every company Drew its own man by lot. wallenstein. Now ! to the business. ANSPESSADE. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor Commanding us collectively, from thee |