Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

No war can be conducted? Chieftains, speak!

You be the judges, generals! What deserves

That officer, who of his oath neglectful

Is guilty of contempt of orders?

Illo. Death.

Wallenstein. Count Piccolomini! what has he deserved? 170

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. 175

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

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. 190

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.

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! 200

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

To understand, that folks are tired of seeing 205

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 210

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 215

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, 220

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! — 225

Well! — I will gratify him!

[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 235

After his pedigree or catechism.

This will be otherwise, i’the time to come.

Well — me no longer it concerns. [He seats himself.

Max Piccolomini. Forbid it. Heaven, that it should come to this!

Our troops will swell in dreadful fermentation — 240

The Emperor is abused — it cannot be.

Isolani. It cannot be; all goes to instant wreck.

Wallenstein. Thou hast said truly, faithful Isolani!

What we with toil and foresight have built up,

Will go to wreck — all go to instant wreck. 245

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.

[During this speech, ISOLANI, TERTSKY, ILLO and MARADAS

talk confusedly with great agitation.

Max Piccolomini (busily and passionately going from one to

another, and soothing them). Hear, my commander! Hear me,

generals! 250

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 255

Find we the others. [They go.

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. 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 265

To separate the office from the man.

[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?

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. [Exit. 270

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

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 5

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 10

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! 15

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 20

That they’ll believe themselves bound by an oath,

Which we had tricked them into by a juggle?

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 30