Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

To them enters ILLO.

Illo (to Tertsky). Has he heard it?

Tertsky. He has heard it.

Illo (to Wallenstein). Thinkest thou

still

To make thy peace with the Emperor, to regain

His confidence? — E’en were it now thy wish

To abandon all thy plans, yet still they know

What thou hast wished; then forwards thou must press; 5

Retreat is now no longer in thy power.

Tertsky. They have documents against us, and in hands,

Which shew beyond all power of contradiction —

Wallenstein. Of my handwriting — no iota. Thee

I punish for thy lies.

Illo. And thou believest, 10

That what this man, that what thy sister’s husband,

Did in thy name, will not stand on thy reck’ning?

His word must pass for thy word with the Swede,

And not with those that hate thee at Vienna.

Tertsky. In writing thou gav’st nothing — But bethink thee, 15

How far thou ventured’st by word of mouth

With this Sesina? And will he be silent?

If he can save himself by yielding up

Thy secret purposes, will he retain them?

Illo. Thyself dost not conceive it possible; 20

And since they now have evidence authentic

How far thou hast already gone, speak! — tell us,

What art thou waiting for? thou canst no longer

Keep thy command; and beyond hope of rescue

Thou’rt lost, if thou resign’st it.

Wallenstein. In the army 25

Lies my security. The army will not

Abandon me. Whatever they may know,

The power is mine, and they must gulp it down —

And substitute I caution for my fealty,

They must be satisfied, at least appear so. 30

Illo. The army, Duke, is thine now — for this moment —

‘Tis thine: but think with terror on the slow,

The quiet power of time. From open violence

The attachment of thy soldiery secures thee

To-day — tomorrow; but grant’st thou them a respite, 35

Unheard, unseen, they’ll undermine that love

On which thou now dost feel so firm a footing,

With wily theft will draw away from thee

One after the other ——

Wallenstein. ‘Tis a curséd accident!

Illo. O, I will call it a most blessed one, 40

If it work on thee as it ought to do,

Hurry thee on to action — to decision.

The Swedish General ——

Wallenstein. He’s arrived! Know’st thou

What his commission is ——

Illo. To thee alone

Will he entrust the purpose of his coming. 45

Wallenstein. A curséd, curséd accident! Yes, yes,

Sesina knows too much, and won’t be silent.

Tertsky. He’s a Bohemian fugitive and rebel,

His neck is forfeit. Can he save himself

At thy cost, think you he will scruple it? 50

And if they put him to the torture, will he,

Will he, that dastardling, have strength enough ——

Wallenstein. Their confidence is lost — irreparably!

And I may act what way I will, I shall

Be and remain for ever in their thought 55

A traitor to my country. How sincerely

Soever I return back to my duty,

It will no longer help me ——

Illo. Ruin thee,

That it will do! Not thy fidelity,

Thy weakness will be deemed the sole occasion —— 60

Wallenstein. What! I must realize it now in earnest,

Because I toy’d too freely with the thought?

Accurséd he who dallies with a devil!

And must I — I must realize it now —

Now, while I have the power, it must take place? 65

Illo. Now — now — ere they can ward and parry it!

Wallenstein (looking at the paper of signatures). I have the

Generals’ word — a written promise!

Max Piccolomini stands not here — how’s that?

Tertsky. It was —— he fancied ——

Illo. Mere self-willedness.

There needed no such thing ‘twixt him and you. 70

Wallenstein. He is quite right — there needeth no such thing.

The regiments, too, deny to march for Flanders —

Have sent me in a paper of remonstrance,

And openly resist the Imperial orders.

The first step to revolt’s already taken. 75

Illo. Believe me, thou wilt find it far more easy

To lead them over to the enemy

Than to the Spaniard.

Wallenstein. I will hear, however,

What the Swede has to say to me.

Illo (to Tertsky). Go, call him!

He stands without the door in waiting.

Wallenstein. Stay! 80

Stay yet a little. It hath taken me

All by surprise, — it came too quick upon me;

‘Tis wholly novel, that an accident,

With its dark lordship, and blind agency,

Should force me on with it.

Illo. First hear him only, 85

And after weigh it. [Exeunt TERTSKY and ILLO.

[Before 53] Wallenstein (lost in thought). 1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 61] Wallenstein (pacing up and down in extreme agitation).

1800, 1828, 1829.

Table of Contents

Wallenstein. Is it possible?

Is’t so? I can no longer what I would?

No longer draw back at my liking? I

Must do the deed, because I thought of it,

And fed this heart here with a dream? Because 5

I did not scowl temptation from my presence,

Dallied with thoughts of possible fulfilment,

Commenced no movement, left all time uncertain,

And only kept the road, the access open?

By the great God of Heaven! it was not 10

My serious meaning, it was ne’er resolve.

I but amused myself with thinking of it.

The freewill tempted me, the power to do

Or not to do it. — Was it criminal

To make the fancy minister to hope, 15

To fill the air with pretty toys of air,

And clutch fantastic sceptres moving t’ward me?

Was not the will kept free? Beheld I not

The road of duty close beside me — but

One little step, and once more I was in it! 20

Where am I? Whither have I been transported?

No road, no track behind me, but a wall,

Impenetrable, insurmountable,

Rises obedient to the spells I muttered

And meant not — my own doings tower behind me. 25

A punishable man I seem, the guilt,

Try what I will, I cannot roll off from me;

The equivocal demeanour of my life

Bears witness on my prosecutor’s party;

And even my purest acts from purest motives 30

Suspicion poisons with malicious gloss.

Were I that thing, for which I pass, that traitor,

A goodly outside I had sure reserved,

Had drawn the coverings thick and double round me,

Been calm and chary of my utterance. 35

But being conscious of the innocence

Of my intent, my uncorrupted will,

I gave way to my humours, to my passion:

Bold were my words, because my deeds were not.

Now every planless measure, chance event, 40

The threat of rage, the vaunt of joy and triumph,

And all the May-games of a heart o’erflowing,

Will they connect, and weave them all together

Into one web of treason; all will be plan,

My eye ne’er absent from the far-off mark, 45

Step tracing step, each step a politic progress;

And out of all they’ll fabricate a charge

So specious, that I must myself stand dumb.

I am caught in my own net, and only force,

Naught but a sudden rent can liberate me. 50

How else! since that the heart’s unbiass’d instinct

Impelled me to the daring deed, which now

Necessity, self-preservation, orders.

Stern is the On-look of Necessity,

Not without shudder many a human hand 55

Grasps the mysterious urn of destiny.

My deed was mine, remaining in my bosom,

Once suffered to escape from its safe corner

Within the heart, its nursery and birthplace,

Sent forth into the Foreign, it belongs 60