WALLENSTEIN.

Great God in Heaven! Have then the people here No house and home, no fire-side, no altar? WALLENSTEIN.

I will explain that to you, how it stands :The Austrian has a country, ay, and loves it, And has good cause to love it--but this army, That calls itself the Imperial, this that houses Here in Bohemia, this has none-no country; This is an outcast of all foreign lands, Unclaim'd by town or tribe, to whom belongs Nothing, except the universal sun.

WRANGEL.

But then the Nobles and the Officers?

Such a desertion, such a felony,

It is without example, my Lord Duke,

In the world's history.

WALLENSTEIN.

They are all mineMine unconditionally-mine on all terms.

Then trust you us so little? WRANGEL (rising).

The Swede, if he would treat well with the German, Must keep a sharp look-out. We have been call'd Over the Baltic, we have saved the empire

From ruin-with our best blood have we seal'd

The liberty of faith, and gospel truth.

But now already is the benefaction
No longer felt, the load alone is felt.——
Ye look askance with evil eye upon us,
As foreigners, intruders in the empire,

And would fain send us, with some paltry sum
Of money, home again to our old forests.
No, no! my Lord Duke! no!-it never was
For Judas' pay, for chinking gold and silver,
That we did leave our King by the Great Stone.
No, not for gold and silver have there bled
So many of our Swedish Nobles-neither
Will we, with empty laurels for our payment,
Hoist sail for our own country. Citizens
Will we remain upon the soil, the which
Our Monarch conquer'd for himself, and died.

Some days ago, perhaps. To-day, no longer;
No longer since Sesina's been a prisoner.

[WALLENSTEIN is struck, and silenced.
My lord Duke, hear me-We believe that you
At present do mean honourably by us.
Since yesterday we're sure of that—and now
This paper warrants for the troops, there's nothing
Stands in the way of our full confidence.
Prague shall not part us. Hear! The Chancellor
Contents himself with Albstadt; to your Grace
He gives up Ratschin and the narrow side.
But Egra above all must open to us,
Ere we can think of any junction.

WALLENSTEIN.

You,

You therefore must I trust, and you not me? I will consider of your proposition.

WRANGEL.

I must entreat, that your consideration
Occupy not too long a time. Already
Has this negotiation, my Lord Duke!
Crept on into the second year. If nothing
Is settled this time, will the Chancellor
Consider it as broken off for ever.

A great stone near Lützen, since called the Swede's Stone, the body of their great king having been found at the foot of it, after the battle in which he lost his life.

To the old position. On some morrow morning
The Duke departs; and now 't is stir and bustle
Within his castles. He will hunt, and build;
Superintend his horses' pedigrees,
Creates himself a court, gives golden keys,
And introduceth strictest ceremony

In fine proportions, and nice etiqu>tte;
Keeps open table with high cheer; in brief,
Commenceth mighty King-in miniature.
And while he prudently demeans himself,
And gives himself no actual importance,
He will be let appear whate'er he likes:
And who dares doubt, that Friedland will appear
A mighty Prince to his last dying hour?
Well now, what then? Duke Friedland is as others,
A fire-new Noble, whom the war hath raised
To price and currency, a Jonah's gourd,
An over-night creation of court-favour,
Which with an undistinguishable case
Makes Baron or makes Prince.

WALLENSTEIN (in extreme agitation).
Take her away.

Let in the young Count Piccolomini.

COUNTESS.

Art thou in earnest? I entreat thee! Canst thou
Consent to bear thyself to thy own grave,
So ignominiously to be dried up?
Thy life, that arrogated such an height
To end in such a nothing! To be nothing,
When one was always nothing, is an evil
That asks no stretch of patience, a light evil;
But to become a nothing, having been――

WALLENSTEIN (starts up in violent agitation),
Show me a way out of this stifling crowd,
Ye powers of Aidance! Show me such a way
As I am capable of going.-I

Am no tongue-hero, no fine virtue-prattler;
I cannot warm by thinking; cannot say

What is there here, then, So against nature? Help me to perceive it! O let not Superstition's nightly goblins Subdue thy clear bright spirit! Art thou bid To murder?-with abhorr'd accursed poniard, To violate the breasts that nourish'd thee? That were against our nature, that might aptly Make thy flesh shudder, and thy whole heart sicken. 2

Could I have hazarded such a Germanism, as the use of the word after-world, for posterity,- Es spreche Welt und Nachwelt meinen Namens-might have been rendered with more literal fidelity:-Let world and after-world speak out my name, etc.

I have not ventured to affront the fastidious delicacy of our age with a literal translation of this line,

werth
Die Eingeweide schaudernd aufzuregen.

Yet not a few, and for a meaner object,

Have ventured even this, ay, and perform'd it.
What is there in thy case so black and monstrous?
Thou art accused of treason-whether with
Or without justice is not now the question-
Thou art lost if thou dost not avail thee quickly

Of the power which thou possessest-Friedland! Duke!
Tell me, where lives that thing so meek and tame,
That doth not all his living faculties
Put forth in preservation of his life?
What deed so daring, which necessity
And desperation will not sanctify?

WALLENSTEIN.

Once was this Ferdinand so gracious to me:
He loved me; he esteem'd me; I was placed
The nearest to his heart. Full many a time
We like familiar friends, both at one table,
Have banquetted together. He and I—
And the young kings themselves held me the bason
Wherewith to wash me-and is 't come to this?

COUNTESS.

So faithfully preservest thou each small favour, And hast no memory for contumelies?

Must I remind thee, how at Regensburg

This man repaid thy faithful services?

All ranks and all conditions in the empire

Of Nature, of the spirit giant-born,

Who listens only to himself, knows nothing
Of stipulations, duties, reverences,
And, like the emancipated force of fire,
Unmaster'd scorches, ere it reaches them,
Their fine-spun webs, their artificial policy.

WALLENSTEIN.

'Tis true! they saw me always as I am-
Always! I did not cheat them in the bargain.
I never held it worth my pains to hide
The bold all-grasping habit of my soul.

COUNTESS.

Nay rather-thou hast ever shown thyself
A formidable man, without restraint;
Hast exercised the full prerogatives

Of thy impetuous nature, which had been
Once granted to thee. Therefore, Duke, not thou,
Who hast still remain'd consistent with thyself,
But they are in the wrong, who fearing thee,
Entrusted such a power in hand they fear'd.
For, by the laws of Spirit, in the right

Is every individual character

That acts in strict consistence with itself.
Self-contradiction is the only wrong.

Wert thou another being, then, when thou
Eight years ago pursuedst thy march with fire

on thee,

On thee, the hate, the curse of the whole world.
No friend existed for thee in all Germany,

And why? because thou hadst existed only
For the Emperor. To the Emperor alone

Clung Friedland in that storm which gather'd round him
At Regensburg in the Diet-and he dropp'd thee!
He let thee fall! He let thee fall a victim
To the Bavarian, to that insolent!
Deposed, stript bare of all thy dignity
And power, amid the taunting of thy foes.
Thou wert let drop into obscurity.—
Say not, the restoration of thy honour
Has made atonement for that first injustice.
No honest good-will was it that replaced thee;
The law of hard necessity replaced thee,

Which they had fain opposed, but that they could not.

Is served, who 'll have the thing and not the symbol,
Ever seeks out the greatest and the best,
And at the rudder places him, e'en though
She had been forced to take him from the rabble-
She, this Necessity, it was that placed thee
In this high office; it was she that gave thee
Thy letters patent of inauguration.

For, to the uttermost moment that they can,
This race still help themselves at cheapest rate
With slavish souls, with puppets! At the approach
Of extreme peril, when a hollow image
Is found a hollow image and no more,
Then falls the power into the mighty hands

Of Germany, the universal scourge,

Didst mock all ordinances of the empire,
The fearful rights of strength alone exertedst,
Trampledst to earth each rank, each magistracy,
All to extend thy Sultan's domination?
Then was the time to break thee in, to curb
Thy haughty will, to teach thee ordinance.

But no, the Emperor felt no touch of conscience:
What served him pleased him, and without a murmur
He stamp'd his broad seal on these lawless deeds.
What at that time was right, because thou didst it
For him, to day is all at once become
Opprobrious, foul, because it is directed
Against him.- O most flimsy superstition!
WALLENSTEIN (rising).

I never saw it in this light before,
"T is even so. The Emperor perpetrated
Deeds through my arm, deeds most unorderly.
And even this prince's mantle, which I wear,
I owe to what were services to him,

But most high misdemeanours 'gainst the empire.

COUNTESS.

Then betwixt thee and him (confess it Friedland!)
The point can be no more of right and duty,
Only of power and the opportunity.
That opportunity, lo! it comes yonder
Approaching with swift steeds; then with a swing
Throw thyself up into the chariot-seat,

Seize with firm hand the reins, ere thy opponent
Anticipate thee, and himself make conquest
Of the now empty seat. The moment comes;
It is already here, when thou must write
The absolute total of thy life's vast sum.
The constellations stand victorious o'er thee,
The planets shoot good fortune in fair junctions,
And tell thee, «Now 's the time! The starry courses
Hast thou thy life-long measured to no purpose?
The quadrant and the circle, were they playthings?

[Pointing to the different objects in the room.

The zodiacs, the rolling orbs of heaven,
Hast pictured on these walls, and all around thee
In dumb, foreboding symbols hast thou placed
These seven presiding Lords of Destiny-
For toys? Is all this preparation nothing?
Is there no marrow in this hollow art,
That even to thyself it doth avail
Nothing, and has no influence over thee
In the great moment of decision?--
WALLENSTEIN (during this last speech walks up and
down with inward struggles, labouring with passion;
stops suddenly, stands still, then interrupting the
Countess).

Send Wrangel to me--I will instantly
Dispatch three couriers――

ILLO (hurrying out).

Steps of extremity are not thy province, Therefore have I sought out this part for thee. Thou wilt this time be of most service to me By thy inertness. The mean time, if fortune Declare itself on my side, thou wilt know What is to do.

Enter MAX. PICCOLOMINI.

Now go, Octavio.

This night must thou be off, take my own horses:
Him here I keep with me-make short farewell-
Trust me, I think we all shall meet again
In joy and thriving fortunes.

Yet ere I go.

God in heaven be praised!

WALLENSTEIN.

It is his evil genius and mine.

Our evil genius! It chastises him
Through me, the instrument of his ambition;
And I expect no less, than that Revenge

E'en now is whetting for my breast the poniard.
Who sows the serpent's teeth, let him not hope
To reap a joyous harvest. Every crime
Has, in the moment of its perpetration,
Its own avenging angel-dark misgiving,
An ominous sinking at the inmost heart.

He can no longer trust me-Then no longer
Can I retreat-so come that which must come.-
Still destiny preserves its due relations,
The heart within us is its absolute

Vicegerent.

OCTAVIO (to his son).

I shall see you

Go, conduct you Gustave Wrangel

To my state-cabinet.-Myself will speak to
The couriers. And dispatch immediately
A servant for Octavio Piccolomini.

[He seats himself.

Yes, Max., I have delay'd to open it to thee, Even till the hour of acting 'gins to strike. Youth's fortunate feeling doth seize easily

No exultation! woman, triumph not!

For jealous are the Powers of Destiny.

Joy premature, and shouts ere victory,
Encroach upon their rights and privileges.
We sow the seed, and they the growth determine.
[While he is making his exit the curtain drops.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Scene, as in the preceding Act.
WALLENSTEIN, OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI.

WALLENSTEIN (coming forward in conversation).
He sends me word from Linz, that he lies sick;
But I have sure intelligence, that he
Secretes himself at Frauenberg with Galas.
Secure them both, and send them to me hither.
Remember, thou takest on thee the command
Of those same Spanish regiments,-constantly
Make preparation, and be never ready;
And if they urge thee to draw out against me,
Still answer YES, and stand as thou wert fetter'd.
I know, that it is doing thee a service
To keep thee out of action in this business.
Thou lovest to linger on in fair appearances;

To exercise the single apprehension
Where the sums square in proof;

But where it happens, that of two sure evils
One must be taken, where the heart not wholly
Brings itself back from out the strife of duties,
There 't is a blessing to have no election,
And blank necessity is grace and favour.
-This is now present: do not look behind thee,-
It can no more avail thee. Look thou forwards!
Think not! judge not! prepare thyself to act!
The Court-it hath determined on my ruin,
Therefore I will to be beforehand with them.
We'll join the Swedes-right gallant fellows are they,
And our good friends.

[He stops himself, expecting PICCOLOMINI's answer. I have ta en thee by surprise. Answer me not.

I grant thee time to recollect thyself.

[He rises, and retires at the back of the stage. MAX. remains for a long time motionless, in a trance of excessive anguish. At his first motion WALLENSTEIN returns, and places himself before him.

MAX.

My General, this day thou makest me
Of age to speak in my own right and person,
For till this day I have been spared the trouble
To find out my own road. Thee have I follow'd