The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, (1 and 2), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

[Cuirassiers enter with drawn swords, and assemble in the back-ground. At the same time there are heard from below some spirited passages out of the Pappenheim March, which seem to address Max.

Wallenstein (to the Cuirassiers). Here he is, he is at liberty: I keep him
No longer.

[He turns away, and stands so that Max cannot pass by him nor approach the Princess.

Max. Thou know'st that I have not yet learnt to live
Without thee! I go forth into a desert,
Leaving my all behind me. O do not turn 15
Thine eyes away from me! O once more shew me
Thy ever dear and honoured countenance.
[Max attempts to take his hand, but is repelled; he turns to the Countess. Is there no eye that has a look of pity for me?
[The Countess turns away from him; he turns to the Duchess. My mother!

Duchess. Go where duty calls you. Haply
The time may come, when you may prove to us 20
A true friend, a good angel at the throne
Of the Emperor.

Max. You give me hope; you would not
Suffer me wholly to despair. No! No!
Mine is a certain misery—Thanks to heaven
That offers me a means of ending it. 25

[The military music begins again. The stage fills more and more with armed men. Max sees Butler, and addresses him.

And you here, Colonel Butler—and will you
Not follow me? Well, then! remain more faithful
To your new lord, than you have proved yourself
To the Emperor. Come, Butler! promise me,
Give me your hand upon it, that you'll be 30
The guardian of his life, its shield, its watchman.
He is attainted, and his princely head
Fair booty for each slave that trades in murder.
Now he doth need the faithful eye of friendship,
And those whom here I see— [Casting suspicious looks on Illo and Butler.

Illo. Go—seek for traitors 35
In Galas', in your father's quarters. Here
[764] Is only one. Away! away! and free us
From his detested sight! Away!

[Max attempts once more to approach Thekla. Wallenstein prevents him. Max stands irresolute, and in apparent anguish. In the mean time the stage fills more and more; and the horns sound from below louder and louder, and each time after a shorter interval.

Max. Blow, blow! O were it but the Swedish Trumpets,
And all the naked swords, which I see here, 40
Were plunged into my breast! What purpose you?
You come to tear me from this place! Beware,
Ye drive me not in desperation.—Do it not!
Ye may repent it! [The stage is entirely filled with armed men.
Yet more! weight upon weight to drag me down! 45
Think what ye're doing. It is not well done
To choose a man despairing for your leader;
You tear me from my happiness. Well, then,
I dedicate your souls to vengeance. Mark!
For your own ruin you have chosen me: 50
Who goes with me, must be prepared to perish.

[He turns to the background, there ensues a sudden and violent movement among the Cuirassiers; they surround him, and carry him off in wild tumult. Wallenstein remains immovable. Thekla sinks into her mother's arms. The curtain falls. The music becomes loud and overpowering, and passes into a complete war-march—the orchestra joins it—and continues during the interval between the second and third Act.

LINENOTES:

ACT III

Scene I

Butler. Here then he is, by his destiny conducted.
Here, Friedland! and no farther! From Bohemia
Thy meteor rose, traversed the sky awhile,
And here upon the borders of Bohemia
Must sink.
Thou hast forsworn the ancient colours, 5
Blind man! yet trustest to thy ancient fortunes.
[765] Profaner of the altar and the hearth,
Against thy Emperor and fellow-citizens
Thou mean'st to wage the war. Friedland, beware—
The evil spirit of revenge impels thee— 10
Beware thou, that revenge destroy thee not!

LINENOTES:

Scene II

Gordon. Is it you?
How my heart sinks! The Duke a fugitive traitor!
His princely head attainted! O my God!

Butler. You have received the letter which I sent you
By a post-courier?

Gordon. Yes! and in obedience to it 5
Opened the strong hold to him without scruple.
For an imperial letter orders me
To follow your commands implicitly.
But yet forgive me; when even now I saw
The Duke himself, my scruples recommenced. 10
For truly, not like an attainted man,
Into this town did Friedland make his entrance;
His wonted majesty beamed from his brow,
And calm, as in the days when all was right,
Did he receive from me the accounts of office; 15
'Tis said, that fallen pride learns condescension:
But sparing and with dignity the Duke
Weighed every syllable of approbation,
As masters praise a servant who has done
His duty, and no more.

Butler. 'Tis all precisely 20
As I related in my letter. Friedland
Has sold the army to the enemy,
And pledged himself to give up Prague and Egra.
On this report the regiments all forsook him,
The five excepted that belong to Tertsky, 25
And which have followed him, as thou hast seen.
The sentence of attainder is passed on him,
And every loyal subject is required
To give him in to justice, dead or living.

Gordon. A traitor to the Emperor—Such a noble! 30
Of such high talents! What is human greatness!
I often said, this can't end happily.
His might, his greatness, and this obscure power
[766] Are but a covered pit-fall. The human being
May not be trusted to self-government. 35
The clear and written law, the deep trod foot-marks
Of ancient custom, are all necessary
To keep him in the road of faith and duty.
The authority entrusted to this man
Was unexampled and unnatural 40
It placed him on a level with his Emperor,
Till the proud soul unlearned submission. Wo is me;
I mourn for him! for where he fell, I deem
Might none stand firm. Alas! dear General,
We in our lucky mediocrity 45
Have ne'er experienced, cannot calculate,
What dangerous wishes such a height may breed
In the heart of such a man.

Butler. Spare your laments
Till he need sympathy; for at this present
He is still mighty, and still formidable. 50
The Swedes advance to Egra by forced marches,
And quickly will the junction be accomplished.
This must not be! The Duke must never leave
This strong hold on free footing; for I have
Pledged life and honour here to hold him prisoner, 55
And your assistance 'tis on which I calculate.

Gordon. O that I had not lived to see this day!
From his hand I received this dignity,
He did himself entrust this strong hold to me,
Which I am now required to make his dungeon. 60
We subalterns have no will of our own:
The free, the mighty man alone may listen
To the fair impulse of his human nature.
Ah! we are but the poor tools of the law,
Obedience the sole virtue we dare aim at! 65

Butler. Nay, let it not afflict you, that your power
Is circumscribed. Much liberty, much error!
The narrow path of duty is securest.

Gordon. And all then have deserted him, you say?
He has built up the luck of many thousands; 70
For kingly was his spirit: his full hand
Was ever open! Many a one from dust
Hath he selected, from the very dust
Hath raised him into dignity and honour.
[767] And yet no friend, not one friend hath he purchased, 75
Whose heart beats true to him in the evil hour.

Butler. Here's one, I see.

Gordon. I have enjoyed from him
No grace or favour. I could almost doubt,
If ever in his greatness he once thought on
An old friend of his youth. For still my office 80
Kept me at distance from him; and when first
He to this citadel appointed me,
He was sincere and serious in his duty.
I do not then abuse his confidence,
If I preserve my fealty in that 85
Which to my fealty was first delivered.

Butler. Say, then, will you fulfil the attainder on him?

Gordon. If it be so—if all be as you say—
If he've betrayed the Emperor, his master,
Have sold the troops, have purposed to deliver 90
The strong holds of the country to the enemy—
Yea, truly!—-there is no redemption for him!
Yet it is hard, that me the lot should destine
To be the instrument of his perdition;
For we were pages at the court of Bergau 95
At the same period; but I was the senior.

Butler. I have heard so——

Gordon. 'Tis full thirty years since then.
A youth who scarce had seen his twentieth year
Was Wallenstein, when he and I were friends:
Yet even then he had a daring soul: 100
His frame of mind was serious and severe
Beyond his years: his dreams were of great objects.
He walked amidst us of a silent spirit,
Communing with himself: yet I have known him
Transported on a sudden into utterance 105
Of strange conceptions; kindling into splendour
His soul revealed itself, and he spake so
That we looked round perplexed upon each other,
Not knowing whether it were craziness,
Or whether it were a god that spoke in him. 110

Butler. But was it where he fell two story high
From a window-ledge, on which he had fallen asleep;
And rose up free from injury? From this day
(It is reported) he betrayed clear marks
[768] Of a distempered fancy.

Gordon. He became 115
Doubtless more self-enwrapt and melancholy;
He made himself a Catholic. Marvellously
His marvellous preservation had transformed him.
Thenceforth he held himself for an exempted
And privileged being, and, as if he were 120
Incapable of dizziness or fall,
He ran along the unsteady rope of life.
But now our destinies drove us asunder:
He paced with rapid step the way of greatness,
Was Count, and Prince, Duke-regent, and Dictator. 125
And now is all, all this too little for him;
He stretches forth his hands for a king's crown,
And plunges in unfathomable ruin.

Butler. No more, he comes.

LINENOTES:

Scene III

Wallenstein. You were at one time a free town. I see,
Ye bear the half eagle in your city arms.
Why the half eagle only?

Burgomaster. We were free,
But for these last two hundred years has Egra
Remained in pledge to the Bohemian crown, 5
Therefore we bear the half eagle, the other half
Being cancelled till the empire ransom us,
If ever that should be.

Wallenstein. Ye merit freedom.
Only be firm and dauntless. Lend your ears
To no designing whispering court-minions. 10
What may your imposts be?

Burgomaster. So heavy that
We totter under them. The garrison
Lives at our costs.

Wallenstein. I will relieve you. Tell me,
There are some Protestants among you still? [The Burgomaster hesitates.
Yes, yes; I know it. Many lie concealed 15
[769] Within these walls—Confess now—you yourself—
Be not alarmed. I hate the Jesuits.
Could my will have determined it, they had
Been long ago expelled the empire. Trust me—
Mass-book or Bible—'tis all one to me. 20
Of that the world has had sufficient proof.
I built a church for the reformed in Glogan
At my own instance. Hark'e, Burgomaster!
What is your name?

Burgomaster. Pachhälbel, may it please you.

Wallenstein. Hark'e!—— 25
But let it go no further, what I now
Disclose to you in confidence. [Laying his hand on the Burgomaster's shoulder.
The times
Draw near to their fulfilment, Burgomaster!
The high will fall, the low will be exalted.
Hark'e! But keep it to yourself! The end 30
Approaches of the Spanish double monarchy—
A new arrangement is at hand. You saw
The three moons that appeared at once in the Heaven.

Burgomaster. With wonder and affright!

Wallenstein. Whereof did two
Strangely transform themselves to bloody daggers. 35
And only one, the middle moon, remained
Steady and clear.

Burgomaster. We applied it to the Turks.

Wallenstein. The Turks! That all?—I tell you, that two empires
Will set in blood, in the East and in the West,
And Luth'ranism alone remain. [Observing Gordon and Butler.
I'faith, 40
'Twas a smart cannonading that we heard
This evening, as we journeyed hitherward;
'Twas on our left hand. Did you hear it here?

Gordon. Distinctly. The wind brought it from the South.

Butler. It seemed to come from Weiden or from Neustadt. 45

Wallenstein. Tis likely. That's the route the Swedes are taking.
[770] How strong is the garrison?

Gordon. Not quite two hundred
Competent men, the rest are invalids.

Wallenstein. Good! And how many in the vale of Jochim?

Gordon. Two hundred arquebussiers have I sent thither 50
To fortify the posts against the Swedes.

Wallenstein. Good! I commend your foresight. At the works too
You have done somewhat?

Gordon. Two additional batteries
I caused to be run up. They were needless.
The Rhinegrave presses hard upon us, General! 55

Wallenstein. You have been watchful in your Emperor's service.
I am content with you, Lieutenant-Colonel. [To Butler.
Release the outposts in the vale of Jochim
With all the stations in the enemy's route. [To Gordon.
Governor, in your faithful hands I leave 60
My wife, my daughter, and my sister. I
Shall make no stay here, and wait but the arrival
Of letters, to take leave of you, together
With all the regiments.

LINENOTES:

Scene IV

Tertsky. Joy, General; joy! I bring you welcome tidings.

Wallenstein. And what may they be?

Tertsky. There has been an engagement
At Neustadt; the Swedes gained the victory.

Wallenstein. From whence did you receive the intelligence?

Tertsky. A countryman from Tirschenseil conveyed it. 5
Soon after sunrise did the fight begin!
A troop of the Imperialists from Fachau
Had forced their way into the Swedish camp;
The cannonade continued full two hours;
There were left dead upon the field a thousand 10
Imperialists, together with their Colonel;
Further than this he did not know.

Wallenstein. How came
Imperial troops at Neustadt? Altringer,
But yesterday, stood sixty miles from there.
Count Galas' force collects at Frauenberg, 15
[771] And have not the full complement. Is it possible,
That Suys perchance had ventured so far onward?
It cannot be.

Tertsky. We shall soon know the whole,
For here comes Illo, full of haste, and joyous.

Scene V

Illo (to Wallenstein). A courier, Duke! he wishes to speak with thee.

Tertsky. Does he bring confirmation of the victory?

Wallenstein. What does he bring? Whence comes he?

Illo. From the Rhinegrave.
And what he brings I can announce to you
Beforehand. Seven leagues distant are the Swedes; 5
At Neustadt did Max Piccolomini
Throw himself on them with the cavalry;
A murderous fight took place! o'erpower'd by numbers
The Pappenheimers all, with Max their leader,
Were left dead on the field. 10

Wallenstein (after a pause). Where is the messenger? Conduct me to him.

[Wallenstein is going, when Lady Neubrunn rushes into the room. Some servants follow her and run across the stage.

Neubrunn. Help! Help!

Illo and Tertsky (at the same time). What now?

Neubrunn. The Princess!

Wallenstein and Tertsky. Does she know it?

Neubrunn. She is dying!

LINENOTES:

Scene VI

Gordon. What's this?

Butler. She has lost the man she lov'd—
Young Piccolomini, who fell in the battle.

[772]Gordon. Unfortunate Lady!

Butler. You have heard what Illo
Reporteth, that the Swedes are conquerors,
And marching hitherward.

Gordon. Too well I heard it. 5

Butler. They are twelve regiments strong, and there are five
Close by us to protect the Duke. We have
Only my single regiment; and the garrison
Is not two hundred strong.

Gordon. 'Tis even so.

Butler. It is not possible with such small force 10
To hold in custody a man like him.

Gordon. I grant it.

Butler. Soon the numbers would disarm us.
And liberate him.

Gordon. It were to be feared.

Butler (after a pause). Know, I am warranty for the event;
With my head have I pledged myself for his, 15
Must make my word good, cost it what it will,
And if alive we cannot hold him prisoner,
Why—death makes all things certain!

Gordon. Butler! What?
Do I understand you? Gracious God! You could—

Butler. He must not live.

Gordon. And you can do the deed! 20

Butler. Either you or I. This morning was his last.

Gordon. You would assassinate him.

Butler. 'Tis my purpose.

Gordon. Who leans with his whole confidence upon you!

Butler. Such is his evil destiny!

Gordon. Your General!
The sacred person of your General! 25

Butler. My General he has been.

Gordon. That 'tis only
A 'has been' washes out no villainy.
And without judgment passed?

Butler. The execution
Is here instead of judgment.

Gordon. This were murder,
Not justice. The most guilty should be heard. 30

Butler. His guilt is clear, the Emperor has passed judgment,
[773] And we but execute his will.

Gordon. We should not
Hurry to realize a bloody sentence.
A word may be recalled, a life can never be.

Butler. Dispatch in service pleases sovereigns. 35

Gordon. No honest man's ambitious to press forward
To the hangman's service.

Butler. And no brave man loses
His colour at a daring enterprize.

Gordon. A brave man hazards life, but not his conscience.

Butler. What then? Shall he go forth anew to kindle 40
The unextinguishable flame of war?

Gordon. Seize him, and hold him prisoner—do not kill him.

Butler. Had not the Emperor's army been defeated,
I might have done so.—But 'tis now past by.

Gordon. O, wherefore opened I the strong hold to him! 45

Butler. His destiny and not the place destroys him.

Gordon. Upon these ramparts, as beseemed a soldier,
I had fallen, defending the Emperor's citadel!

Butler. Yes! and a thousand gallant men have perished.

Gordon. Doing their duty—that adorns the man! 50
But murder's a black deed, and nature curses it.

Butler (brings out a paper). Here is the manifesto which commands us
To gain possession of his person. See—
It is addressed to you as well as me.
Are you content to take the consequences, 55
If through our fault he escape to the enemy?

Gordon. I?—Gracious God!

Butler. Take it on yourself.
Let come of it what may, on you I lay it.

Gordon. O God in heaven!

Butler. Can you advise aught else
Wherewith to execute the Emperor's purpose? 60
Say if you can. For I desire his fall,
Not his destruction.

Gordon. Merciful heaven! what must be
I see as clear as you. Yet still the heart
Within my bosom beats with other feelings!

Butler. Mine is of harder stuff! Necessity 65
In her rough school hath steeled me. And this Illo
And Tertsky likewise, they must not survive him.

[774]Gordon. I feel no pang for these. Their own bad hearts
Impelled them, not the influence of the stars.
'Twas they who strewed the seeds of evil passions 70
In his calm breast, and with officious villainy
Watered and nursed the pois'nous plants. May they
Receive their earnests to the uttermost mite!

Butler. And their death shall precede his!
We meant to have taken them alive this evening 75
Amid the merry-making of a feast,
And kept them prisoners in the citadels.
But this makes shorter work. I go this instant
To give the necessary orders.

Scene X

Scene XI

LINENOTES:

ACT III

Scene I

LINENOTES:

Scene II

LINENOTES:

Scene III

LINENOTES:

Scene IV

Scene V

LINENOTES:

Scene VI

LINENOTES: