Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Duke will satisfy my creditors?

Will be himself my banker for the future, 75

Make me once more a creditable man! —

And this is now the third time, think of that!

This kingly-minded man has rescued me

From absolute ruin, and restored my honour.

Illo. O that his power but kept pace with his wishes! 80

Why, friend! he’d give the whole world to his soldiers.

But at Vienna, brother! here’s the grievance! —

What politic schemes do they not lay to shorten

His arm, and, where they can, to clip his pinions.

Then these new dainty requisitions! these, 85

Which this same Questenberg brings hither! —

Butler. Ay,

These requisitions of the Emperor, —

I too have heard about them; but I hope

The Duke will not draw back a single inch! 90

Illo. Not from his right most surely, unless first

— From office!

Butler. Know you aught then? You alarm me.

Isolani (at the same time with Butler, and in a hurrying voice).

We should be ruined, every one of us!

Illo. No more!

Yonder I see our worthy friend approaching

With the Lieutenant-General, Piccolomini.

Butler. I fear we shall not go hence as we came. 95

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

WALLENSTEIN, Duke of Friedland, Generalissimo of the Imperial Forces

in The Thirty-years’ War.

OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, Lieutenant-General.

MAX PICCOLOMINI, his son, Colonel of a Regiment of Cuirassiers.

COUNT TERTSKY, the Commander of several Regiments, and Brother-in-law

of Wallenstein.

ILLO, Field Marshal, Wallenstein’s Confidant.

ISOLANI, General of the Croats.

BUTLER, an Irishman, Commander of a Regiment of Dragoons.

TIEFENBACH, }

DON MARADAS, } Generals under Wallenstein.

GOETZ, }

KOLATTO, }

NEUMANN, Captain of Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp to Tertsky.

The War Commissioner, VON QUESTENBERG, Imperial Envoy.

GENERAL WRANGEL, Swedish Envoy.

BAPTISTA SENI, Astrologer.

DUCHESS OF FRIEDLAND, Wife of Wallenstein.

THEKLA, her Daughter, Princess of Friedland.

The COUNTESS TERTSKY, Sister of the Duchess.

A CORNET.

Several COLONELS and GENERALS.

PAGES and ATTENDANTS belonging to Wallenstein.

ATTENDANTS and HOBÖISTS belonging to Tertsky.

The MASTER OF THE CELLAR to Count Tertsky.

VALET DE CHAMBRE of Count Piccolomini.

and daughters are entitled Princes and Princesses. 1800, 1828,

1829.

[After 12] [Casts his eye round. 1817, 1828, 1829.

1829.

[Before 25] Isolani (interrupting him). 1817, 1828, 1829.

Butler, whom he leads a little on one side). And how, &c. 1817, 1828,

1829.

Illo (with warmth). And you? — You hold out firmly?

[Grasping his hand with affection.

1817, 1828, 1829.

[Before 91] Butler (shocked and confused). 1817, 1828, 1829. aught

1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 95] Butler (shaking his head significantly). 1817, 1828, 1829.

Table of Contents

Enter OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI and QUESTENBERG.

Octavio. Ay, ay! more still! Still more new visitors!

Acknowledge, friend! that never was a camp,

Which held at once so many heads of heroes.

Welcome, Count Isolani!

Isolani. My noble brother,

Even now am I arrived; it had been else my duty — 5

Octavio. And Colonel Butler — trust me, I rejoice

Thus to renew acquaintance with a man

Whose worth and services I know and honour.

See, see, my friend!

There might we place at once before our eyes 10

The sum of war’s whole trade and mystery —

[To QUESTENBERG, presenting BUTLER and ISOLANI at the

same time to him.

These two the total sum — Strength and Dispatch.

Questenberg (to Octavio). And lo! betwixt them both experienced

Prudence!

Octavio (presenting Questenberg to Butler and Isolani). The

Chamberlain and War-commissioner Questenberg,

The bearer of the Emperor’s behests, 15

The long-tried friend and patron of all soldiers,

We honour in this noble visitor.

Illo. ‘Tis not the first time, noble Minister,

You have shewn our camp this honour.

Questenberg. Once before

I stood before these colours. 20

Illo. Perchance too you remember where that was.

It was at Znäim in Moravia, where

You did present yourself upon the part

Of the Emperor, to supplicate our Duke

That he would straight assume the chief command. 25

Questenberg. To supplicate? Nay, noble General!

So far extended neither my commission

(At least to my own knowledge) nor my zeal.

Illo. Well, well, then — to compel him, if you choose.

I can remember me right well, Count Tilly 30

Had suffered total rout upon the Lech.

Bavaria lay all open to the enemy,

Whom there was nothing to delay from pressing

Onwards into the very heart of Austria.

At that time you and Werdenberg appeared 35

Before our General, storming him with prayers,

And menacing the Emperor’s displeasure,

Unless he took compassion on this wretchedness.

Isolani. Yes, yes, ‘tis comprehensible enough,

Wherefore with your commission of to-day 40

You were not all too willing to remember

Your former one.

Questenberg. Why not, Count Isolan?

No contradiction sure exists between them.

It was the urgent business of that time 45

To snatch Bavaria from her enemy’s hand;

And my commission of to-day instructs me

To free her from her good friends and protectors.

Illo. A worthy office! After with our blood

We have wrested this Bohemia from the Saxon, 50

To be swept out of it is all our thanks,

The sole reward of all our hard-won victories.

Questenberg. Unless that wretched land be doomed to suffer

Only a change of evils, it must be

Freed from the scourge alike of friend and foe. 55

Illo. What? ‘Twas a favourable year; the Boors

Can answer fresh demands already.

Questenberg. Nay,

If you discourse of herds and meadow-grounds —

Isolani. The war maintains the war. Are the Boors ruined,

The Emperor gains so many more new soldiers. 60

Questenberg. And is the poorer by even so many subjects.

Isolani. Poh! We are all his subjects.

Questenberg. Yet with a difference, General! The one fill

With profitable industry the purse,

The others are well skilled to empty it. 65

The sword has made the Emperor poor; the plough

Must reinvigorate his resources.

Isolani. Sure!

Times are not yet so bad. Methinks I see

[Examining with his eye the dress and ornaments

of QUESTENBERG.

Good store of gold that still remains uncoined.

Questenberg. Thank Heaven! that means have been found out to

hide 70

Some little from the fingers of the Croats.

Illo. There! The Stawata and the Martinitz,

On whom the Emperor heaps his gifts and graces,

To the heart-burning of all good Bohemians —

Those minions of court favour, those court harpies, 75

Who fatten on the wrecks of citizens

Driven from their house and home — who reap no harvests

Save in the general calamity —

Who now, with kingly pomp, insult and mock

The desolation of their country — these, 80

Let these, and such as these, support the war,

The fatal war, which they alone enkindled!

Butler. And those state-parasites, who have their feet

So constantly beneath the Emperor’s table,

Who cannot let a benefice fall, but they 85

Snap at it with dog’s hunger — they, forsooth,

Would pare the soldier’s bread, and cross his reckoning!

Isolani. My life long will it anger me to think,