Max Piccolomini. According to the letter of the law, Death:

Isolani. Death.

Butler.

Death, by the laws of war.

[QUESTENBERG rises from his seat, WALLENSTEIN follows; all the rest rise.

Wallenstein. To this the law condemns him, and not I. And if I shew him favour, 'twill arise

From the reverence that I owe my Emperor.

Questenberg. If so, I can say nothing further-here!

175

Wallenstein. I accepted the command but on conditions! And this the first, that to the diminution

Of my authority no human being,

Not even the Emperor's self, should be entitled

180

To do aught, or to say aught, with the army.
If I stand warranter of the event,

Placing my honour and my head in pledge,

Needs must I have full mastery in all

The means thereto. What rendered this Gustavus

185

Resistless, and unconquered upon earth?

This that he was the monarch in his army!

A monarch, one who is indeed a monarch,
Was never yet subdued but by his equal.
But to the point! The best is yet to come.
Attend now, generals!

Questenberg.

The prince Cardinal

Begins his route at the approach of spring

From the Milanese; and leads a Spanish army
Through Germany into the Netherlands.

190

That he may march secure and unimpeded,

195

'Tis the Emperor's will you grant him a detachment Of eight horse-regiments from the army here.

Wallenstein. Yes, yes! I understand!-Eight regiments! Well, Right well concerted, father Lamormain!

Eight thousand horse! Yes, yes! "Tis as it should be!
I see it coming!

Questenberg.

There is nothing coming.

All stands in front: the counsel of state-prudence,
The dictate of necessity!-

Wallenstein.

What then?

What, my Lord Envoy? May I not be suffered

171 Max Piccolomini (after a long pause). 1800, 1828, 1829. 1800. 182 event 1800.

200

176 so... here

To understand, that folks are tired of seeing

The sword's hilt in my grasp: and that your court
Snatch eagerly at this pretence, and use

The Spanish title, to drain off my forces,

To lead into the empire a new army
Unsubjected to my control. To throw me
Plumply aside,-I am still too powerful for you
To venture that. My stipulation runs,

That all the Imperial forces shall obey me
Where'er the German is the native language.
Of Spanish troops and of Prince Cardinals

That take their route, as visitors, through the empire,
There stands no syllable in my stipulation.
No syllable! And so the politic court

Steals in a-tiptoe, and creeps round behind it;

First makes me weaker, then to be dispensed with,
Till it dares strike at length a bolder blow
And make short work with me.

What need of all these crooked ways, Lord Envoy?
Straight-forward man! His compact with me pinches
The Emperor. He would that I moved off!-
Well!-I will gratify him!

205

210

215

220

225

[Here there commences an agitation among the Generals which increases continually.

It grieves me for my noble officers' sakes!

I see not yet, by what means they will come at

The moneys they have advanced, or how obtain
The recompense their services demand.

230

Still a new leader brings new claimants forward,
And prior merit superannuates quickly.
There serve here many foreigners in the army,
And were the man in all else brave and gallant,
I was not wont to make nice scrutiny
After his pedigree or catechism.

This will be otherwise, i'the time to come.
Well-me no longer it concerns.

235

[He seats himself.

Max Piccolomini. Forbid it, Heaven, that it should come

to this!

Our troops will swell in dreadful fermentation-
The Emperor is abused-it cannot be.

Isolani. It cannot be; all goes to instant wreck.
Wallenstein. Thou hast said truly, faithful Isolani!

206 my 1800.

240

What we with toil and foresight have built up,
Will go to wreck-all go to instant wreck.
What then? another chieftain is soon found,
Another army likewise (who dares doubt it?)
Will flock from all sides to the Emperor
At the first beat of his recruiting drum.

245

[During this specch, ISOLANI, TERTSKY, ILLO and MARA DAS talk confusedly with great agitation.

Max Piccolomini (busily and passionately going from one to another, and soothing them). Hear, my commander!

Hear me, generals!

Let me conjure you, Duke! Determine nothing,
Till we have met and represented to you

Our joint remonstrances.-Nay, calmer! Friends!
I hope all may be yet set right again.

Tertsky. Away! let us away! in the antechamber
Find we the others.

Butler (to Questenberg). If good counsel gain
Due audience from your wisdom, my Lord Envoy!
You will be cautious how you shew yourself
In public for some hours to come-or hardly
Will that gold key protect you from maltreatment.

250

255

[They go.

260

[Commotions heard from without. Wallenstein. A salutary counsel-Thou, Octavio ! Wilt answer for the safety of our guest. Farewell, Von Questenberg!

QUESTENBERG is about to speak. Nay, not a word.

Not one word more of that detested subject!

You have performed your duty-We know how
To separate the office from the man.

265

[AS QUESTENBERG is going off with OCTAVIO, GOETZ, TIEFENBACH, KOLATTO, press in; several other Generals following them.

Goetz. Where's he who means to rob us of our general? Tiefenbach (at the same time). What are we forced to hear? That thou wilt leave us?

269

Kolatto (at the same time). We will live with thee, we will die with thee. Wallenstein (pointing to Illo). There! the Field-Marshal knows our will.

244 we 1800. 1829.

[Exit.

270 Wallenstein (with stateliness and, &c.). 1800, 1828, After 270 [While all are going off the stage, the curtain drops. 1800,

1828, 1829.

ACT II

SCENE I

SCENE-A small Chamber.

ILLO and TERTSKY.

Tertsky. Now for this evening's business! How intend you
To manage with the generals at the banquet?
Illo. Attend! We frame a formal declaration,
Wherein we to the Duke consign ourselves
Collectively, to be and to remain

His both with life and limb, and not to spare
The last drop of our blood for him, provided
So doing we infringe no oath nor duty,
We may be under to the Emperor.-Mark!
This reservation we expressly make

In a particular clause, and save the conscience.
Now hear! This formula so framed and worded
Will be presented to them for perusal
Before the banquet. No one will find in it
Cause of offence or scruple. Hear now further!
After the feast, when now the vap'ring wine
Opens the heart, and shuts the eyes, we let
A counterfeited paper, in the which

This one particular clause has been left out,
Go round for signatures.

Tertsky.

How? think you then

That they'll believe themselves bound by an oath,
Which we had tricked them into by a juggle?

5

ΙΟ

15

20

Illo. We shall have caught and caged them! Let them then Beat their wings bare against the wires, and rave

Loud as they may against our treachery,

25

At court their signatures will be believed

Far more than their most holy affirmations.

Traitors they are, and must be; therefore wisely
Will make a virtue of necessity.

Tertsky. Well, well, it shall content me; let but something

Be done, let only some decisive blow

Set us in motion.

30

6 His 1800. 1800, 1828, 1829.

7 him 1800. 8 nor] or 1800, 1828, 1829.

31 done

Illo. Besides, 'tis of subordinate importance
How, or how far, we may thereby propel
The generals. "Tis enough that we persuade
The Duke, that they are his-Let him but act
In his determined mood, as if he had them,
And he will have them. Where he plunges in,
He makes a whirlpool, and all stream down to it.
Tertsky. His policy is such a labyrinth,
That many a time when I have thought myself
Close at his side, he's gone at once, and left me
Ignorant of the ground where I was standing.
He lends the enemy his ear, permits me
To write to them, to Arnheim; to Sesina
Himself comes forward blank and undisguised;
Talks with us by the hour about his plans,
And when I think I have him-off at once-
He has slipped from me, and appears as if
He had no scheme, but to retain his place.

35

40

45

Illo. He give up his old plans! I'll tell you, friend! His soul is occupied with nothing else,

50

Even in his sleep-They are his thoughts, his dreams,
That day by day he questions for this purpose
The motions of the planets-

Tertsky.

Ay! you know

55

This night, that is now coming, he with Seni
Shuts himself up in the astrological tower

To make joint observations-for I hear,
It is to be a night of weight and crisis;

And something great, and of long expectation,

60

Is to make its procession in the heaven.

Illo. Come! be we bold and make dispatch. The work

In this next day or two must thrive and grow

More than it has for years. And let but only
Things first turn up auspicious here below-

Mark what I say the right stars too will shew themselves.
Come, to the generals. All is in the glow,
And must be beaten while 'tis malleable.

65

Tertsky. Do you go thither, Illo. I must stay
And wait here for the Countess Tertsky. Know
That we too are not idle. Break one string,
A second is in readiness.

70

Illo.

Yes! Yes!

38 will 1800.

70 wait 1800.