Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

remaining.

Butler. Your obliged humble servant, my Lord

Lieutenant-General!

[The paper comes to BUTLER, who goes to the table to

subscribe it. The front of the stage is vacant,

so that both the PICCOLOMINIS, each on the side

where he had been from the commencement of the

scene, remain alone.

Octavio (after having some time watched his son in silence, advances

somewhat nearer to him). You were long absent from us,

friend! 70

Max. I —— urgent business detained me.

Octavio. And, I observe, you are still absent!

Max. You know this crowd and bustle always makes me

silent. 75

Octavio. May I be permitted to ask what business ‘twas that

detained you? Tertsky knows it without asking!

Max. What does Tertsky know?

Octavio. He was the only one who did not miss you.

Isolani. Well done, father! Rout out his baggage! Beat 80

up his quarters! there is something there that should not be.

Tertsky (with the paper). Is there none wanting? Have the

whole subscribed?

Octavio. All.

Tertsky (calling aloud). Ho! Who subscribes? 85

Butler (to Tertsky). Count the names. There ought to be

just thirty.

Tertsky. Here is a cross.

Tiefenbach. That’s my mark.

Isolani. He cannot write; but his cross is a good cross, and 90

is honoured by Jews as well as Christians.

Octavio (presses on to Max). Come, general! let us go. It is late.

Tertsky. One Piccolomini only has signed.

Isolani (pointing to Max). Look! that is your man, that statue

there, who has had neither eye, ear, nor tongue for us the 95

whole evening.

[MAX receives the paper from TERTSKY, which he looks

upon vacantly.

[After 4] (making the usual compliment after meals) 1800, 1828, 1829.

[After 15] [He continues to fix his eye on the whole following scene.

1800, 1828, 1829.

should 1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 53] Octavio (stepping nearer to him friendlily). 1800, 1828,

1829.

[Before 68] Butler (coldly). 1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 76] Octavio (advancing still nearer). 1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 80] Isolani (who has been attending to them from some distance,

steps up). 1800, 1828, 1829.

Table of Contents

To these enter ILLO from the inner room. He has in his hand the golden

service-cup, and is extremely distempered with drinking: GOETZ and

BUTLER follow him, endeavouring to keep him back.

Illo. What do you want? Let me go.

Goetz and Butler. Drink no more, Illo! For heaven’s sake,

drink no more.

Illo (goes up to Octavio, and shakes him cordially by the hand,

and then drinks). Octavio! I bring this to you! Let all grudge

be drowned in this friendly bowl! I know well enough, ye 5

never loved me — Devil take me! — and I never loved you! — I am

always even with people in that way! — Let what’s past be past — that

is, you understand — forgotten! I esteem you infinitely.

(Embracing him repeatedly.) You have not a dearer friend on

earth than I — but that you know. The fellow that cries rogue 10

to you calls me villain — and I’ll strangle him! — my dear friend!

Tertsky (whispering to him). Art in thy senses? For heaven’s

sake, Illo! think where you are!

Illo (aloud). What do you mean? — There are none but friends

here, are there? Not a sneaker among us, thank heaven! 15

Tertsky (to Butler). Take him off with you, force him off,

I entreat you, Butler!

Butler (to Illo). Field Marshal! a word with you.

[Leads him to the sideboard.

Illo. A thousand for one! Fill — Fill it once more up to the

brim. — To this gallant man’s health! 20

Isolani (to Max, who all the while has been staring on the paper

with fixed but vacant eyes). Slow and sure, my noble

brother! — Hast parsed it all yet? — Some words yet to go

through? — Ha?

Max. What am I to do?

Tertsky (and at the same time Isolani). Sign your name.

Max (returns the paper). Let it stay till tomorrow. It is 25

business — to-day I am not sufficiently collected. Send it to me

tomorrow.

Tertsky. Nay, collect yourself a little.

Isolani. Awake, man! awake! — Come, thy signature, and

have done with it! What? Thou art the youngest in the 30

whole company, and wouldest be wiser than all of us together?

Look there! thy father has signed — we have all signed.

Tertsky (to Octavio). Use your influence. Instruct him.

Octavio. My son is at the age of discretion.

Illo (leaves the service-cup on the sideboard). What’s the

dispute? 35

Tertsky. He declines subscribing the paper.

Max. I say, it may as well stay till tomorrow.

Illo. It cannot stay. We have all subscribed to it — and so

must you. — You must subscribe.

Max. Illo, good night! 40

Illo. No! You come not off so! The Duke shall learn

who are his friends. [All collect round ILLO and MAX.

Max. What my sentiments are towards the Duke, the Duke

knows, every one knows — what need of this wild stuff? 45

Illo. This is the thanks the Duke gets for his partiality to

Italians and foreigners. — Us Bohemians he holds for little better

than dullards — nothing pleases him but what’s outlandish.

Tertsky (to the commanders, who at Illo’s words give a sudden

start, as preparing to resent them). It is the wine that speaks,

and not his reason. Attend not to him, I entreat you. 50

Isolani. Wine invents nothing: it only tattles.

Illo. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender

consciences! Unless they can slip out by a back-door, by a

puny proviso ——

Tertsky. He is stark mad — don’t listen to him! 55

Illo. Unless they can slip out by a proviso. — What of the

proviso? The devil take this proviso!

Max. What is there here then of such perilous import?

You make me curious — I must look closer at it.

Tertsky (in a low voice to Illo). What are you doing, Illo? 60

You are ruining us.

Tiefenbach (to Kolatto). Ay, ay! I observed, that before we

sat down to supper, it was read differently.

Goetz. Why, I seemed to think so too.

Isolani. What do I care for that? Where there stand other 65

names, mine can stand too.

Tiefenbach. Before supper there was a certain proviso therein,

or short clause concerning our duties to the Emperor.

Butler (to one of the commanders). For shame, for shame!

Bethink you. What is the main business here? The question 70

now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire.

One must not take these things too nicely and

over-scrupulously.

Isolani (to one of the Generals). Did the Duke make any of

these provisos when he gave you your regiment? 75

Tertsky (to Goetz). Or when he gave you the office of

army-purveyancer, which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles!

Illo. He is a rascal who makes us out to be rogues. If

there be any one that wants satisfaction, let him say so, — I am

his man. 80

Tiefenbach. Softly, softly! ‘Twas but a word or two.

Max (having read the paper gives it back). Till tomorrow,

therefore!

Illo (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over

himself, and presents the paper to Max with one hand, and his

sword in the other). Subscribe — Judas!

Isolani. Out upon you, Illo! 85

Octavio, Tertsky, Butler (all together). Down with the sword!

Max (rushes on him suddenly and disarms him, then to Count

Tertsky). Take him off to bed.

[MAX leaves the stage. ILLO cursing and raving is held