I know a spell that will soon dispossess The evil spirit in him. Their little army faithful to its duty, And daily it becomes more numerous. Nor can he take us by surprise: you know QUESTENBERG (walking up and down in evident disquiet.) I hold him all encompass'd by my listeners. Friend, friend! 0! this is worse, far worse, than we had suffer'd We had not seen the War-chief, the Commander, The man all-powerful in his camp. Here, here, 'Tis quite another thing. Here is no Emperor more-the Duke is Emperor. Alas, my friend! alas, my noble friend! Beware, you do not think, This walk which you have ta'en me through the camp That I, by lying arts, and complaisant Strikes my hopes prostrate. How shall we hold footing Beneath this tempest, which collects itself And threats us from all quarters? The enemy Of the empire on our borders, now already The master of the Danube, and still farther, And farther still, extending every hour! In our interior the alarum-bells Of insurrection-peasantry in arms— All orders discontented-and the army, Just in the moment of our expectation Of aidance from it-lo! this very army Seduced, run wild, lost to all discipline, Loosen'd, and rent asunder from the state And from their sovereign, the blind instrument Of the most daring of mankind, a weapon of fearful power, which at his will he wields! OCTAVIO. Nay, nay, friend! let us not despair too soon. Hypocrisy, have skulked into his graces: QUESTENBERG. It is the visible ordinance of Heaven. OCTAVIO. I know not what it is that so attracts His heart rose on me, and his confidence Shot out in sudden growth. It was the morning At distance from the tents, beneath a tree, I found him in a sleep. When I had waked him And manifested to me an emotion That far outstripp'd the worth of that small service QUESTENBERG. You lead your son into the secret? OCTAVIO. No! QUESTENBERG. What! and not warn him either what bad hands His lot has placed him in? OCTAVIO. I must perforce Leave him in wardship to his innocence. QUESTENBERG (anxiously). My honor'd friend! most highly do I deem OCTAVIO. I must venture it. Hush!-There he comes! SCENE IV. MAX. PICCOLOMINI, OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, QUESTENBERG. MAX. Ha! there he is himself. Welcome, my father! [He embraces his father. As he turns round, he observes QUESTENBERG, and draws back with a cold and reserved air. You are engaged, I see. I'll not disturb you. OCTAVIO. How, Max.? Look closer at this visitor. Von Questenberg!-Welcome-if you bring with you QUESTENBERG (seizing his hand). OCTAVIO (to QUESTENBERG). Hush! Suppress it, friend! Unless some end were answer'd by the utterance.-Of him there you'll make nothing. MAX. (continuing). In their distress They call a spirit up, and when he comes, More than the ills for which they call'd him up. OCTAVIO. My son of those old narrow ordinances [Taking the hands of both. And partnership of free power with free will. Octavio-Max. Piccolomini! O savior names, and full of happy omen! While two such stars, with blessed influences MAX. Heh!-Noble minister! You miss your part. You're sent, I know, to find fault and to scold us- OCTAVIO (to MAX.). He comes from court, where people are not quite So well contented with the Duke, as here. MAX. What now have they contrived to find out in him? It goes against his nature-he can't do it. QUESTENBERG The army? Doubtless! The way of ancient ordinance, though it winds, My son the road, the human being travels, QUESTENBERG. O hear your father, noble youth! hear him, Who is at once the hero and the man. OCTAVIO. My son, the nursling of the camp spoke in thee! Hath been thy education and thy school. Builds his light town of canvas, and at once The meadow and down-trodden seed-plot lie MAX. O let the Emperor make peace, my father! OCTAVIO. What ails thee? What so moves thee all at once? The joyous vespers of a bloody day. O happy man, O fortunate! for whom Of such a distant, distant time, and not Peace have I ne'er beheld? I have beheld it. MAX (turning round to him, quick and vehement). Which we have ne'er experienced. We have been Like some poor ever-roaming horde of pirates, Whate'er in the inland dales the land conceals OCTAVIO (attentive, with an appearance of And so your journey has reveal'd this to you? MAX. Twas the first leisure of my life. O tell me, These cannot be man's best and only pleasures! OCTAVIO. Much hast thou learnt, my son, in this short journey. MAX. O! day thrice lovely! when at length the soldier Now the soft peace-march beats, home, brothers, home! Which they make breezy with affectionate gestures. In the original, Den blut'gen Lorbeer geb ich hin mit Freuden 'Tis ye that hinder peace, ye!—and the warrior, And whence can peace come?-Your own plagues Even as I love what's virtuous, hate I you. SCENE V. QUESTENBERG, OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI. QUESTENBERG. Alas, alas! and stands it so? [Exit [Then in pressing and impatient tones. OCTAVIO (recovering himself out of a deep study). And I see more than pleases me. QUESTENBERG. What is it? OCTAVIO. Curse on this journey! QUESTENBERG. But why so? What is it? OCTAVIO. Come, come along, friend! I must follow up QUESTENBERG. What now? Where go you then? OCTAVIO. To her herself QUESTENBERG. To OCTAVIO (interrupting him, and correcting himself) Nay, but explain yourself. OCTAVIO. And that I should not Foresee it, not prevent this journey! Wherefore Did I keep it from him?-You were in the right. I should have warn'd him! Now it is too late. QUESTENBERG. But what's too late? Bethink yourself, my friend, OCTAVIO (more collected). Come to the Duke's. "Tis close upon the hour, [He leads QUESTENBERG off. SCENE VI. Changes to a spacious Chamber in the House of the Duke of Friedland.-Servants employed in putting the tables and chairs in order. During this enters SENI, like an old Italian doctor, in black and clothed somewhat fantastically. He carries a white staff, with which he marks out the quarters of the heaven. FIRST SERVANT. Come to it, lads, to it! Make an end of it. I hear the sentry call out, “ Stand to your arms!" They will be there in a minute. SECOND SERVANT. Why were we not told before that the audience would be held here? Nothing prepared-no orders -no instructions THIRD SERVANT. Ay, and why was the balcony-chamber countermanded, that with the great worked carpet?-there one can look about one. FIRST SERVANT. I did even that Nay, that you must ask the mathematician there. And wish'd, ere yet you went into the field, SECOND SERVANT. WALLENSTEIN. Poh! stuff and nonsense! That's what I call a hum. And did they guess the choice which I had made? A chamber is a chamber; what much can the place signify in the affair? SENI (with gravity). My son, there's nothing insignificant, Nothing! But yet in every earthly thing First and most principal is place and time. FIRST SERVANT (to the second). Say nothing to him, Nat. The Duke himself must let him have his own will. SENI (counts the chairs, half in a loud, half in a low And what may you have to object against eleven? O! my dear Lord, all is not what it was. I should like to know that now. I have been long accustom'd to defend you, No; no one rail'd at you. They wrapp'd them up, WALLENSTEIN. Now she omitted it? DUCHESS (wiping away her tears, after a pause). But then first when I had already taken WALLENSTEIN (seizes her hand soothingly). DUCHESS (shaking her head).· I saw none. Of a second -Dismission. DUCHESS. WALLENSTEIN. Proceed! DUCHESS. They talk WALLENSTEIN. DUCHESS. -(catches her voice and hesitates). WALLENSTEIN. Second DUCHESS. WALLENSTEIN. Talk they? More disgraceful [Strides across the Chamber in vehement agitatu O! they force, they thrust me With violence against my own will, onward! DUCHESS (presses near to him, in entreaty). O! if there yet be time, my husband! if By giving way and by submission, this Can be averted-my dear Lord, give way! Win down your proud heart to it! Tell that heart, It is your sovereign Lord, your Emperor, Before whom you retreat. O let no longer Low tricking malice blacken your good meaning With venomous glosses. Stand you up Shielded and helm'd and weapon'd with the truth, And drive before you into uttermost shame These slanderous liars! Few firm friends have weYou know it!-The swift growth of our good fortune It hath but set us up a mark for hatred. What are we, if the sovereign's grace and favor Stand not before us? SCENE VIII. Enter the Countess TERTSKY, leading in her hand the Princess THEKLA, richly adorned with Brilliants. COUNTESS, THEKLA, WALLENSTEIN, DUCHESS. COUNTESS. These suns then are eclipsed for us. Henceforward How, sister! What, already upon business! Must we roll on, our own fire, our own light. |