Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Illo. Who is ignorant,

That the whole army look to Colonel Butler, 25

As to a light that moves before them?

Butler. Ey?

Then I repent me not of that fidelity

Which for the length of forty years I held,

If in my sixtieth year my old good name

Can purchase for me a revenge so full. 30

Start not at what I say, sir Generals!

My real motives — they concern not you.

And you yourselves, I trust, could not expect

That this your game had crooked my judgment — or

That fickleness, quick blood, or such light cause, 35

Had driven the old man from the track of honour,

Which he so long had trodden. — Come, my friends!

I’m not thereto determined with less firmness,

Because I know and have looked steadily

At that on which I have determined.

Illo. Say, 40

And speak roundly, what are we to deem you?

Butler. A friend! I give you here my hand! I’m yours

With all I have. Not only men, but money

Will the Duke want. —— Go, tell him, sirs!

I’ve earned and laid up somewhat in his service, 45

I lend it him; and is he my survivor,

It has been already long ago bequeathed him.

He is my heir. For me, I stand alone,

Here in the world; nought know I of the feeling

That binds the husband to a wife and children. 50

My name dies with me, my existence ends.

Illo. ‘Tis not your money that he needs — a heart

Like yours weighs tons of gold down, weighs down millions!

Butler. I came a simple soldier’s boy from Ireland

To Prague — and with a master, whom I buried. 55

From lowest stable-duty I climbed up,

Such was the fate of war, to this high rank,

The plaything of a whimsical good fortune.

And Wallenstein too is a child of luck,

I love a fortune that is like my own. 60

Illo. All powerful souls have kindred with each other.

Butler. This is an awful moment! to the brave,

To the determined, an auspicious moment.

The Prince of Weimar arms, upon the Maine

To found a mighty dukedom. He of Halberstadt, 65

That Mansfeld, wanted but a longer life

To have marked out with his good sword a lordship

That should reward his courage. Who of these

Equals our Friedland? there is nothing, nothing

So high, but he may set the ladder to it! 70

Tertsky. That’s spoken like a man!

Butler. Do you secure the Spaniard and Italian —

I’ll be your warrant for the Scotchman Lesly.

Come! to the company!

Tertsky. Where is the master of the cellar? Ho! 75

Let the best wines come up. Ho! cheerly, boy!

Luck comes to-day, so give her hearty welcome.

[Exeunt, each to his table.

[After 3] [with an air of mystery 1800, 1828, 1829.

Table of Contents

The Master of the Cellar advancing with NEUMANN, Servants passing

backwards and forwards.

Master of the Cellar. The best wine! O! if my old mistress,

his lady mother, could but see these wild goings on, she

would turn herself round in her grave. Yes, yes, sir officer!

‘tis all down the hill with this noble house! no end, no

moderation! And this marriage with the Duke’s sister, a 5

splendid connection, a very splendid connection! but I tell you,

sir officer, it bodes no good.

Neumann. Heaven forbid! Why, at this very moment the

whole prospect is in bud and blossom!

Master of the Cellar. You think so? — Well, well! much 10

may be said on that head.

First Servant (comes). Burgundy for the fourth table.

Master of the Cellar. Now, sir lieutenant, if this isn’t the

seventieth flask ——

First Servant. Why, the reason is, that German lord, 15

Tiefenbach, sits at that table.

Master of the Cellar (continuing his discourse to Neumann).

They are soaring too high. They would rival kings and

electors in their pomp and splendour; and wherever the

Duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious master, the

Count, loiter on the brink —— (To the Servants) — What do 20

you stand there listening for? I will let you know you have

legs presently. Off! see to the tables, see to the flasks!

Look there! Count Palfi has an empty glass before him!

Runner (comes). The great service-cup is wanted, sir; that

rich gold cup with the Bohemian arms on it. The Count 25

says you know which it is.

Master of the Cellar. Ay! that was made for Frederick’s

coronation by the artist William — there was not such

another prize in the whole booty at Prague.

Runner. The same! — a health is to go round in him. 30

Master of the Cellar. This will be something for the

tale-bearers — this goes to Vienna.

Neumann. Permit me to look at it. — Well, this is a cup

indeed! How heavy! as well it may be, being all

gold. — And what neat things are embossed on it! how natural 35

and elegant they look! There, on that first quarter, let me

see. That proud Amazon there on horseback, she that is

taking a leap over the crosier and mitres, and carries on a

wand a hat together with a banner, on which there’s

a goblet represented. Can you tell me what all this signifies? 40

Master of the Cellar. The woman whom you see there on

horseback, is the Free Election of the Bohemian Crown.

That is signified by the round hat, and by that fiery steed

on which she is riding. The hat is the pride of man; for

he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors 45

is no free man.

Neumann. But what is the cup there on the banner?

Master of the Cellar. The cup signifies the freedom of the

Bohemian Church, as it was in our forefathers’ times. Our

forefathers in the wars of the Hussites forced from the Pope 50

this noble privilege: for the Pope, you know, will not grant

the cup to any layman. Your true Moravian values nothing

beyond the cup; it is his costly jewel, and has cost the

Bohemians their precious blood in many and many a battle.

Neumann. And what says that chart that hangs in the air 55

there, over it all?

Master of the Cellar. That signifies the Bohemian letter

royal, which we forced from the Emperor Rudolph — a

precious, never to be enough valued parchment that secures

to the new Church the old privileges of free ringing and 60

open psalmody. But since he of Steiermärk has ruled over

us, that is at an end; and after the battle of Prague, in

which Count Palatine Frederick lost crown and empire, our

faith hangs upon the pulpit and the altar — and our brethren

look at their homes over their shoulders; but the letter 65

royal the Emperor himself cut to pieces with his scissors.

Neumann. Why, my good Master of the Cellar! you are

deep read in the chronicles of your country!

Master of the Cellar. So were my forefathers, and for that

reason were they minstrels, and served under Procopius and 70

Ziska. Peace be with their ashes! Well, well! they fought

for a good cause though — There! carry it up!

Neumann. Stay! let me but look at this second quarter.

Look there! That is, when at Prague Castle the Imperial

Counsellors, Martinitz and Stawata were hurled down head 75

over heels. ‘Tis even so! there stands Count Thur who

commands it.

[Runner takes the service-cup and goes off with it.

Master of the Cellar. O let me never more hear of that day.

It was the three and twentieth of May, in the year of our

Lord one thousand, six hundred, and eighteen. It seems to me 80

as it were but yesterday — from that unlucky day it all began,