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.

On me thou'rt planted, I am thy Emperor;
To obey me, to belong to me, this is
Thy honour, this a law of nature to thee!
And if the planet, on the which thou livest
And hast thy dwelling, from its orbit starts,
It is not in thy choice, whether or no
Thou "lt follow it. Unfelt it whirls thee onward
Together with his ring and all his moons.
With little guilt stepp'st thou into this contest;
Thee will the world not censure, it will praise thee,
For that thou heldst thy friend more worth to thee
Than names and influences more removed.
For justice is the virtue of the ruler,
Affection and fidelity the subject's.
Not every one doth it beseem to question
The far-off high Arcturus. Most securely
Wilt thou pursue the nearest duty—let
The pilot fix his eye upon the pole-star.

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,
Till fortune had decided for us at Prague.
- TE tarsky.
0 that thou hadst believed me! Yester evening
Did we conjure thee not to let that skulker,
That fox, Octavio, pass the gates of Pilsen.
Thou gavest him thy own horses to flee from thcc.
wall, H.NxTE1 N.
The old tune still ! Now, once for all, no more
Of this suspicion—it is doting folly.
tenorsky.
Thou didst conside in Isolani too;
And lo! he was the first that did desert thee.
wallenstein.
It was but yesterday I rescued him
From abject wretchedness. Let that go by;
I never reckond yet on bratitude.
And wherein doth he wrong in tooing from me?
He follows still the god whom all his life
He has worshipp'd at the gaming-table. With
My Fortune, and my seeming destiny,
He made the bond, and broke it not with me.
I am but the ship in which his hopes were stow'd,
And with the which well-pleased and consident
He traversed the open sea; now he beholds it
In eminent jeopardy among the coast-rocks,
And hurries to preserve his wares. As light
As the free bird from the hospitable twig
Where it had nested, he flies off from me:
No human tie is snapp'd betwixt us two.
Yea, he deserves to find himself deceived
Who seeks a heart in the unthinking man.
Like shadows on a stream, the forms of life
Impress their characters on the smooth forehead,
Nought sinks into the bosom's silent depth:
Quick sensibility of pain and pleasure
Moves the light fluids lightly , but no soul
Warmeth the inner frame.
teatsky.
Yet, would I rather
Trust the smooth brow than that deep furrow'd one.

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.

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!
[Looks around her.
Where are they!
No one is here. They leave me all alone,
Alone in this sore anguish of suspense.
And I must wear the outward show of calmness
Before my sister, and shut in within me
The pangs and agonies of my crowded bosom.
It is not to be borne.—If all should fail;
If–if he must go over to the Swedes,
An empty-handed fugitive, and not
As an ally, a covenanted equal,

A proud commander with his army following;
If we must wander on from land to land,
Like the Count Palatine, of fallen greatness
An ignominious monument—But no!
That day I will not see : And could himself
Endure to sink so low, I would not bear
To see him so low sunken.

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,