SCENE XIV. To these enter ILLO from the inner room. He has in his hand the golden service-cup, and is extremely distempered with drinking: GOETZ and BUTLER follow him, endeavouring to keep him back. ILLO. What do you want? Let me go. GOETZ and BUTLER. Drink no more, Illo! For heaven's sake, drink no more. ILLO (goes up to OCTAVIO, and shakes him cordially by the hand, and then drinks). Octavio! I bring this to you! Let all grudge be drowned in this friendly bowl! I know well enough, ye never loved me-Devil take me!—and I never loved you!-I am always even with people in that way!-Let what's past be past-that is, you understand-forgotten! I esteem you infinitely. (Embracing him repeatedly). You have not a dearer friend on earth than I-but that you know. The fellow that cries rogue to you calls me villain-and I'll strangle him!-my dear friend! TERTSKY (whispering to him). Art in thy senses? For heaven's sake, Illo, think where you are! Softly, softly! 'T was but a word or two. MAX. (having read the paper gives it back). It cannot stay. We have all subscribed to it-and so Till to-morrow, therefore! must you. You must subscribe. Illo, good night! MAX. ILLO. No! You come not off so! The Duke shall learn who are his friends. (All collect round ILLO and MAX.) What MAX. |ILLO (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over himself, and presents the paper to MAX. with one hand, and his sword in the other). OCTAVIO TERTSKY, BUTLER (all together). Down with the sword! my sentiments are towards the Duke, the Duke knows, every one knows-what need of this wild stuff? | MAX. ( rushes on him suddenly and disarms him, then ILLO. This is the thanks the Duke gets for his partiality to Italians and foreigners.-Us Bohemians he holds for little better than dullards-nothing pleases him but what's outlandish. TERTSKY (in extreme embarrassment, to the Commanders, who at ILLO's words give a sudden start, as preparing to resent them). It is the wine that speaks, and not his reason. Attend not to him, I entreat you. ISOLANI (with a bitter laugh). Wine invents nothing: it only tattles. ILLO. to Count TERTsky). OCTAVIO. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender consciences! Unless they can slip out by a back-door,|--And when my son comes in, conduct him hither. by a puny proviso- Unless they can slip out by a proviso.—What of the Set down the light. We mean not to undress. proviso? The devil take this proviso! MAX. (has his attention roused, and looks again into the Ay, ay! I observed, that before we sat down to supper, 'T is true, indeed, I saw thy signature, it was read differently. GOETZ. Why, I seemed to think so too. ISOLANI. What do I care for that? Where there stand other names, mine can stand too. TIEFENBACH. Before supper there was a certain proviso therein, or short clause concerning our duties to the Emperor. BUTLER (to one of the commanders). For shame, for shame! Bethink you. What is the main business here? The question now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire. One must not take these things too nicely and over-scrupulously. ISOLANI (to one of the Generals). Did the Duke make any of these provisos when he gave you your regiment? TERTSKY (to GOetz). Or when he gave you the office of which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles! ILLO. army-purveyancer, What thou hadst sanction'd, should not, it might seem, OCTAVIO (goes up to him and embraces him). O follow it still further, my best son! MAX. Declare thyself less darkly. OCTAVIO. I will do so. Max. Piccolomini! what thinkest thou of MAX. I hold it for a thing of harmless import, He is a rascal who makes us out to be rogues. If Although I love not these set declarations. The deeper cause thou hast to hate this light, And wisdom of thy heart I could have trusted thee Which thou concealest, forces mine from me. [MAX. attempts to answer, but hesitates, and casts his to the ground embarrassed. eyes From which thou hearest it at this present moment, Doth warrant thee that it is no Priest's legend. MAX. How mere a maniac they supposed the Duke; A deed that brands them scoundrels? OCTAVIO. Such a deed, With such a front of infamy, the Duke MAX. Has he, Octavio, merited of us, That we-that we should think so vilely of him? OCTAVIO. What we would think is not the question here, Lawless he stands, and threateningly beleaguers MAX. Cease, cease! thou torturest, shatterest me. OCTAVIO. It is no phantasm. An intestine war, Likewise to both of us. MAX. I know He makes no secret of it-needs make none- And know'st thou what it is which we must do? It grieves me That I must dash to earth, that I must shatter Thou must take measures, speedy ones-must act. No!-no!-never! OCTAVIO. Himself confided to me What I, 't is true, had long before discover'd By other means-himself confided to me, That 't was his settled plan to join the Swedes; And, at the head of the united armies, Compel the Emperor- And thou hast been So treacherous? That looks not like my father! I trusted not thy words, when thou didst tell me Evil of him; much less can I now do it, That thou calumniatest thy own self. OCTAVIO. I did not thrust myself into his secresy. MAX. Uprightness merited his confidence. OCTAVIO. He was no longer worthy of sincerity. MAX. Dissimulation, sure, was still less worthy Of thee, Octavio! OCTAVIO. Gave I him a cause To entertain a scruple of my honour? MAX. That he did not, evinced his confidence. OCTAVIO. Dear son, it is not always possible By what means he can best be served-the heart As thou dost trust me, father, with his crime. Nay, howsoever punishable were Duke Friedland's purposes, yet still the steps Which he hath taken openly, permit A mild construction. It is my intention To leave this paper wholly uninforced Till some act is committed which convicts him [OCTAVIO takes a paper out of his escrutoire, and Of a high-treason, without doubt or plea, And that shall sentence him. gives it to him. |