Out of his fearful and enormous being, Will but prepare the joys of life for me

COUNTESS.

Thou seest it with a lovelorn maiden's eyes.
Cast thine eye round, bethink thee who thou art.
Into no house of joyance hast thou stepp'd,
For no espousals dost thou find the walls
Deck'd out, no guests the nuptial garland wearing.
Here is no splendour but of arms. Or think'st thou
That all these thousands are here congregated
To lead up the long dances at thy wedding!
Thou see'st thy father's forehead full of thought,
Thy mother's eye in tears upon the balance
Lies the great destiny of all our house.
Leave now the puny wish, the girlish feeling,
O thrust it far behind thee! Give thou proof,
Thou 'rt the daughter of the Mighty-his
Who where he moves creates the wonderful.
Not to herself the woman must belong,
Annex'd and bound to alien destinies.
But she performs the best part, she the wisest,
Who can transmute the alien into self,
Meet and disarm necessity by choice;
And what must be, take freely to her heart,
And bear and foster it with mother's love.

Unknown to me: 't is possible his aims
May have the same direction as thy wish.
But this can never, never be his will
That thou, the daughter of his haughty fortunes,
Should'st e'er demean thee as a love-sick maiden;
And like some poor cost-nothing, fling thyself
Toward the man, who, if that high prize ever
Be destined to await him, yet, with sacrifices
The highest love can bring, must pay for it.

[Exit COUNTESS. THEKLA (who during the last speech had been standing evidently lost in her reflections).

I thank thee for the hint. It turns

My sad presentiment to certainty.

And it is so!-Not one friend have we here,
Not one true heart! we've nothing but ourselves!
O she said rightly-no auspicious signs
Beam on this covenant of our affections.
This is no theatre, where hope abides:

The dull thick noise of war alone stirs here;
And love himself, as he were arm'd in steel,
Steps forth, and girds him for the strife of death.
[Music from the banquet-room is heard.
There's a dark spirit walking in our house,
And swiftly will the Destiny close on us.
It drove me hither from my calm asylum,
It mocks my soul with charming witchery,
It lures me forward in a seraph's shape;

I see it near, I see it nearer floating,

It draws it pulls me with a god-like power-
And lo! the abyss-and thither am I moving-
I have no power within me not to move!

[The music from the banquet-room becomes louder. O when a house is doom'd in fire to perish, Many and dark heaven drives his clouds together, Yea, shoots his lightnings down from sunny heights, Flames burst from out the subterraneous chasms, 'And fiends and angels mingling in their fury, Sling fire-brands at the burning edifice.

SCENE VIII.

[Exit THEKLA.

A large Saloon lighted up with festal Splendour; in the midst of it, and in the Centre of the Stage, a Table richly set out, at which eight Generals are sitting, among whom are OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, TERTSKY, and MARADAS. Right and left of this, but farther back, two other Tables, at each of which six Persons are placed. The Middle Door, which is standing open, gives to the Prospect a fourth Tabie, with the same Number of Persons. More forward stands the Sideboard. The whole front of the Stage is kept open for the Pages and Servants in waiting. All is in motion. The Band of Music belonging to TERTSKY'S Regiment march across the Stage, and draw up round the Tables. Before they are quite off from the Front of the Stage, MAX. PICCOLOMINI appears, TERTSRY advances towards him with a

There are few, who will not have taste enough to laugh at the two concluding lines of this soliloquy; and still fewer, I would fain hope, who would not have been more dis, osed to shudder, had I given a faithful translation. For the readers of German I have added the original:

Blind-wathend schleudert selbst der Gott der Freude
Den Pechkranz in das brennende Gebrude.

As long as 't is his pleasure to remain
The Emperor's general! and Friedland's servant,
As soon as it shall please him to become
His own lord.

TERTSKY.

You would make a good exchange. No stern economist, no Ferdinand, Is he to whom you plight your services. BUTLER (with a haughty look).

I do not put up my fidelity

To sale, Count Tertsky! Half a year ago

I would not have advised you to have made me
An overture to that, to which I now

Offer myself of my own free accord.

But that is past! and to the Duke, Field Marshal,
I bring myself together with my regiment.
And mark you, 't is my humour to believe,
The example which I give will not remain
Without an influence.

ILLO.

Who is ignorant,

That the whole army look to Colonel Butler, As to a light that moves before them?

BUTLER.

Ey?

Then I repent me not of that fidelity
Which for the length of forty years I held,
If in my sixtieth year my old good name
Can purchase for me a revenge so full.
Start not at what I say, sir Generals!
My real motives-they concern not you.
And you yourselves, I trust, could not expect
That this your game had crook'd my judgment-or
That fickleness, quick blood, or such like cause,
Has driven the old man from the track of honour,
Which he so long had trodden.-Come, my friends!
I'm not thereto determined with less firmness,
Because I know and have look'd steadily
At that on which I have determined.

ILLO.

Say,

And speak roundly, what are we to deem you?

BUTLER.

A friend! I give you here my hand! I'm your's
With all I have. Not only men, but money
Will the Duke want.-Go, tell him, sirs!
I've earn'd and laid up somewhat in his service,

I lend it him; and is he my survivor,

It has been already long ago bequeath'd him.
He is my heir. For me, I stand alone
Here in the world; nought know I of the feeling
That binds the husband to a wife and children.
My name dies with me, my existence ends.

ILLO.

'T is not your money that he needs a heart

Why, the reason is, that German lord, Tiefenbach sits at that table.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (continuing his discourse to NEUMANN).

They are soaring too high. They would rival kings and electors in their pomp and splendour; and wherever the Duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious master, the count, loiter on the brink--(to the Ser

millions!

BUTLER.

I came a simple soldier's boy from Ireland
To Prague-and with a master, whom I buried.
From lowest stable duty I climb'd up,
Such was the fate of war, to this high rank,
The plaything of a whimsical good fortune.
And Wallenstein too is a child of luck;
I love a fortune that is like my own.

let know you you have legs presently. Off! see to the tables, see to the flasks! Look there! Count Palfi has an empty glass before him!

RUNNER (comes).

The great service-cup is wanted, sir; that rich gold cup with the Bohemian arms on it. The Count says you know which it is.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR.

Ay! that was made for Frederick's coronation by the

GOETZ.

Why, in simple verity, your Swede makes no nice

meals.)

TIEFENBACH.

TERTSKY (observing ISOLANI, whose hand trembles excessively, so that he can scarce direct his pen). Have you had that ugly complaint long, noble brother?— Dispatch it.

ISOLANI.

The sins of youth! I have already tried the chalybeate waters. Well-I must bear it.

[TERTSKY gives the Paper to MARADAS; he steps to the table to subscribe.

OCTAVIO (advancing to BUTLER). You are not over fond of the orgies of Bacchus, Colonel! I have observed it. You would, I think, find yourself more to your liking in the uproar of a battle, than of a feast.

BUTLER.

I must confess, 't is not in my way.

OCTAVIO (stepping nearer to him friendlily). Nor in mine either, I can assure you; and I am not a little glad, my much-honoured Colonel Butler, that we agree so well in our opinions. A half dozen good friends at most, at a small round table, a glass of genuine Tokay, open hearts, and a rational conversation-that 's my

taste!

BUTLER.

And mine too, when it can be had.

[The paper comes to TIEFENBACH, who glances over it at the same time with GOETZ and KOLATTO. MARADAS in the mean time returns to OCTAVIO. All this takes place, the conversation with BUTLER proceeding uninterrupted.