WALLENSTEIN (in a convulsion of agony). What? How is that?
He takes that office on him by commission, Under sign-manual of the Emperor.
From the Emperor-hear'st thou, Duke?
The Generals made that stealthy flight
Caraffa too, and Montecuculi,
WALLENSTEIN (leaning on BUTLER's shoulders). Know'st thou already?
That old man has betray'd me to the Emperor. Duke! hear'st thou? 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,
Are missing, with six other Generals,
All whom he had induced to follow him. This plot he has long had 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. [WALLENSTEIN sinks down into a chair, and covers his face.
O hadst thou but believed me!
To them enter the COUNTESS.
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 BUTLER's breast.
What is your present purpose?
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 honor'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, [Rushes out of the room. I expect him every moment: and whatever
Hadst thou but believed me! Now seest thou how the stars have lied to thee. WALLENSTEIN.
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, Into 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.
Was broken open, and is circulated
COUNTESS, DUCHESS, THEKLA.
THEKLA (endeavoring to hold back the DUCHESS). Dear mother, do stay here!
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 nods and gestures
You know what it contains? Which stealthwise thou exchangest with her?
SCENE-A spacious room in the DUKE OF FRIEDLAND'S
(WALLENSTEIN in armor). Thou hast gain'd thy point, Octavio! Once more am I Almost as friendless as at Regensburg. There I had nothing left me, but myselfBut what one man can do, you have now experience. The twigs have you hew'd off, and here I stand A leafless trunk. But in the sap within Lives the creating power, and a new world May sprout forth from it. Once already have I Proved myself worth an army to you-I alone! Before the Swedish strength your troops had melted, Beside the Lech sunk Tilly, your last hope:
Into Bavaria, like a winter torrent,
Did that Gustavus pour, and at Vienna In his own palace did the Emperor tremble. Soldiers were scarce, for still the multitude Follow the luck : all eyes were turn'd on me, Their helper in distress: the Emperor's pride Bow'd itself down before the man he had injured. Twas I must rise, and with creative word Assemble forces in the desolate camps. I did it. Like a god of war, my name
Went through the world. The drum was beat-and, lo! The plow, the work-shop is forsaken, all Swarm to the old familiar long-loved banners; And as the wood-choir rich in melody Assemble quick around the bird of wonder, When first his throat swells with his magic song, So did the warlike youth of Germany Crowd in around the image of my eagle. I feel myself the being that I was.
It is the soul that builds itself a body, And Friedland's camp will not remain unfill'd. Lead then your thousands out to meet me-true! They are accustom'd under me to conquer, But not against me. If the head and limbs Separate from each other, 'twill be soon Made manifest, in which the soul abode. (ILLO and TERTSKY enter).
Courage, friends! Courage! We are still unvanquish'd; I feel my footing firm; five regiments, Tertsky, Are still our own, and Butler's gallant troops; And a host of sixteen thousand Swedes to-morrow. I was not stronger, when nine years ago
I march'd forth, with glad heart and high of hope, To conquer Germany for the Emperor.
ANSPESSADE (giving the word of command). Shoulder your arms!
WALLENSTEIN (turning to a third).
Thy name is Risbeck; Cologne is thy birth-place.
It was thou that broughtest in the Swedish colonel Diebald, prisoner, in the camp at Nüremberg.
Perfectly right! It was thy elder brother: thou hadst a younger brother too: where did he stay?
He is stationed at Olmütz with the Imperial army. WALLENSTEIN (to the ANSPESSADE). Now then-begin.
There came to hand a letter from the Emperor, Commanding us
WALLENSTEIN (interrupting him). Who chose you?
• Anspessade, in German, Gefreiter, a soldier inferior to a There came to hand a letter from the Emperor, corporal, but above the sentinels. The German name implies that he is exempt from mounting guard. Commanding us collectively, from thee
All duties of obedience to withdraw, Because thou wert an enemy and traitor.
And what did you determine?
At Braunnau, Budweiss, Prague and Olmütz, have Obey'd already; and the regiments here, Tiefenbach and Toscano, instantly
Did follow their example. But—but we Do not believe that thou art an enemy And traitor to thy country, hold it merely For lie and trick, and a trump'd-up Spanish story? [With warmth.
Thyself shalt tell us what thy purpose is, For we have found thee still sincere and true: No mouth shall interpose itself betwixt The gallant General and the gallant troops.
Therein I recognize my Pappenheimers.
And this proposal makes thy regiment to thee: Is it thy purpose merely to preserve In thy own hands this military sceptre, Which so becomes thee, which the Emperor Made over to thee by a covenant? Is it thy purpose merely to remain
Supreme commander of the Austrian armies ?- We will stand by thee, General! and guaranty Thy honest rights against all opposition. And should chance, that all the other regiments Turn from thee, by ourselves will we stand forth Thy faithful soldiers, and, as is our duty, Far rather let ourselves be cut to pieces, Than suffer thee to fall. But if it be As the Emperor's letter says, if it be true, That thou in traitorous wise will lead us over To the enemy, which God in heaven forbid! Then we too will forsake thee, and obey That letter-
WALLENSTEIN.
Hear me, children!
There needs no other answer.
You're men of sense, examine for yourselves; Ye think, and do not follow with the herd: And therefore have I always shown you honor Above all others, suffer'd you to reason; Have treated you as free men, and my orders Were but the echoes of your prior suffrage.-
Most fair and noble has thy conduct been
To us, my General! With thy confidence
Hath sacrificed me to my enemies,
And I must fall, unless my gallant troops Will rescue me. See! I confide in you. And be your hearts my strong-hold! At this breast The aim is taken, at this hoary head. This is your Spanish gratitude, this is our Requital for that murderous fight at Lutzen! For this we threw the naked breast against The halbert, made for this the frozen earth Our bed, and the hard stone our pillow! never stream Too rapid for us, nor wood too impervious: With cheerful spirit we pursued that Mansfield Through all the turns and windings of his flight; Yea, our whole life was but one restless march; And homeless as the stirring wind, we travell'd O'er the war-wasted earth. And now, even now, That we have well-nigh finish'd the hard toil, The unthankful, the curse-laden toil of weapons, With faithful indefatigable arm
Have roll'd the heavy war-load up the hill, Behold! this boy of the Emperor's bears away The honors of the peace, an easy prize! He'll weave, forsooth, into his flaxen locks The olive-branch, the hard-earn'd ornament Of this gray head, grown gray beneath the helmet.
That shall he not, while we can hinder it! No one, but thou, who hast conducted it With fame, shall end this war, this frightful war. Thou ledd'st us out into the bloody field
Of death; thou and no other shall conduct us home, Rejoicing to the lovely plains of peace-
Shalt share with us the fruits of the long toil
What? Think you then at length in late old age To enjoy the fruits of toil? Believe it not. Never, no never, will you see the end Of the contest! you and me, and all of us, This war will swallow up! War, war, not peace, Is Austria's wish; and therefore, because I Endeavor'd after peace, therefore I fall. For what cares Austria, how long the war Wears out the armies and lays waste the world? She will but wax and grow amid the ruin, And still win new domains.
[The Cuirassiers express agitation by their gestures. Ye're moved-I see A noble rage flash from your eyes, ye warriors! Oh that my spirit might possess you now Daring as once it led you to the battle! Ye would stand by me with your veteran arms, Protect me in my rights; and this is noble! But think not that you can accomplish it, Your scanty number! to no purpose will you Have sacrificed you for your General.
[Confidentially No! let us tread securely, seek for friends!
Thou hast honor'd us, and shown us grace and favor The Swedes have proffer'd us assistance, let us
The Emperor? Wilt not turn us into Swedes? This is the only thing which we desire To learn from thee.
What care I for the Swedes? I hate them as I hate the pit of hell, And under Providence I trust right soon To chase them to their homes across the Baltic. My cares are only for the whole: I have A heart-it bleeds within me for the miseries And piteous groaning of my fellow Germans. Ye are but common men, but yet ye think With minds not common; ye appear to me Worthy before all others, that I whisper ye A little word or two in confidence! See now! already for full fifteen years The war-torch has continued burning, yet
No rest, no pause of conflict. Swede and German, Papist and Lutheran! neither will give way To the other, every hand's against the other. Each one is party, and no one a judge. Where shall this end? Where's he that will unravel This tangle, ever tangling more and more. It must be cut asunder.
I feel that I am the man of destiny,
And trust, with your assistance, to accomplish it.
It is an open proclamation
WALLENSTEIN.
Well, well-but what is it? BUTLER,
Where can he be? He's
Gone over to the Emperor with his father.
[THEKLA rushes out into the arms of her mother, hiding her face in her bosom.
DUCHESS (infolding her in her arms).
Unhappy child! and more unhappy mother!
WALLENSTEIN (aside to TERTSKY).
Quick! Let a carriage stand in readiness In the court behind the palace. Scherfenberg Be their attendant; he is faithful to us; To Egra he'll conduct them, and we follow. [To ILLO, who returns.
Thou hast not brought them back?
Hear'st thou the uproar? The whole corps of the Pappenheimers is Drawn out: the younger Piccolomini, Their colonel, they require: for they affirm, That he is in the palace here, a prisoner; And if thou dost not instantly deliver him,
Count Tertsky's regiments tear the Imperial Eagle They will find means to free him with the sword.
From off the banners, and instead of it,
Have rear'd aloft thy arms.
ANSPESSADE (abruptly to the Cuirassiers). Right about! March!
Cursed be this counsel, and accursed who gave it! [To the Cuirassiers, who are retiring. Halt, children, halt! There's some mistake in this; Hark! I will punish it severely. Stop! They do not hear. (To ILLO). Go after them, assure them,
And bring them back to me, cost what it may. [ILLO hurries out. This hurls us headlong. Butler! Butler! You are my evil genius: wherefore must you Announce it in their presence? It was all
In a fair way. They were half won, those madmen With their improvident over-readiness- A cruel game is Fortune playing with me. The zeal of friends it is that razes me, And not the hate of enemies.
What shall we make of this?
Said I not so? He has not betray'd me—he could not betray me. O my prophetic heart! he is still here. I never doubted of it.
« AnteriorContinuar » |