Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Anspessade. Most fair and noble has thy conduct been

To us, my General! With thy confidence

Thou hast honoured us, and shewn us grace and favour

Beyond all other regiments; and thou seest 85

We follow not the common herd. We will

Stand by thee faithfully. Speak but one word —

Thy word shall satisfy us, that it is not

A treason which thou meditatest — that

Thou meanest not to lead the army over 90

To the enemy; nor e’er betray thy country.

Wallenstein. Me, me are they betraying. The Emperor

Hath sacrificed me to my enemies,

And I must fall, unless my gallant troops

Will rescue me. See! I confide in you. 95

And be your hearts my strong hold! At this breast

The aim is taken, at this hoary head.

This is your Spanish gratitude, this is our

Requital for that murderous fight at Lutzen!

For this we threw the naked breast against 100

The halbert, made for this the frozen earth

Our bed, and the hard stone our pillow! never stream

Too rapid for us, nor wood too impervious:

With cheerful spirit we pursued that Mansfield

Through all the turns and windings of his flight; 105

Yea, our whole life was but one restless march;

And homeless, as the stirring wind, we travelled

O’er the war-wasted earth. And now, even now,

That we have well-nigh finished the hard toil,

The unthankful, the curse-laden toil of weapons, 110

With faithful indefatigable arm

Have rolled the heavy war-load up the hill,

Behold! this boy of the Emperor’s bears away

The honours of the peace, an easy prize!

He’ll weave, forsooth, into his flaxen locks 115

The olive branch, the hard-earn’d ornament

Of this grey head, grown grey beneath the helmet.

Anspessade. That shall he not, while we can hinder it!

No one, but thou, who hast conducted it

With fame, shall end this war, this frightful war. 120

Thou led’st us out into the bloody field

Of death, thou and no other shalt conduct us home,

Rejoicing, to the lovely plains of peace —

Shalt share with us the fruits of the long toil —

Wallenstein. What? Think you then at length in late old age 125

To enjoy the fruits of toil? Believe it not.

Never, no never, will you see the end

Of the contest! you and me, and all of us,

This war will swallow up! War, war, not peace,

Is Austria’s wish; and therefore, because I 130

Endeavoured after peace, therefore I fall.

For what cares Austria, how long the war

Wears out the armies and lays waste the world?

She will but wax and grow amid the ruin,

And still win new domains.

[The Cuirassiers express agitation by their gestures.

Ye’re moved — I see 135

A noble rage flash from your eyes, ye warriors!

Oh that my spirit might possess you now

Daring as once it led you to the battle!

Ye would stand by me with your veteran arms,

Protect me in my rights; and this is noble! 140

But think not that you can accomplish it,

Your scanty number! to no purpose will you

Have sacrificed you for your General.

No! let us tread securely, seek for friends;

The Swedes have proffered us assistance, let us 145

Wear for a while the appearance of good will,

And use them for your profit, till we both

Carry the fate of Europe in our hands,

And from our camp to the glad jubilant world

Lead Peace forth with the garland on her head! 150

Anspessade. ‘Tis then but mere appearances which thou

Dost put on with the Swede? Thou’lt not betray

The Emperor? Wilt not turn us into Swedes?

This is the only thing which we desire

To learn from thee.

Wallenstein. What care I for the Swedes? 155

I hate them as I hate the pit of hell,

And under Providence I trust right soon

To chase them to their homes across their Baltic.

My cares are only for the whole: I have

A heart — it bleeds within me for the miseries 160

And piteous groaning of my fellow-Germans.

Ye are but common men, but yet ye think

With minds not common; ye appear to me

Worthy before all others, that I whisper ye

A little word or two in confidence! 165

See now! already for full fifteen years

The war-torch has continued burning, yet

No rest, no pause of conflict. Swede and German,

Papist and Lutheran! neither will give way

To the other, every hand’s against the other. 170

Each one is party and no one a judge.

Where shall this end? Where’s he that will unravel

This tangle, ever tangling more and more.

It must be cut asunder.

I feel that I am the man of destiny, 175

And trust, with your assistance, to accomplish it.

Table of Contents

To these enter BUTLER.

Butler (passionately). General! This is not right!

Wallenstein. What is not right?

Butler. It must needs injure us with all honest men.

Wallenstein. But what?

Butler. It is an open proclamation

Of insurrection.

Wallenstein. Well, well — but what is it?

Butler. Count Tertsky’s regiments tear the Imperial Eagle 5

From off the banners, and instead of it,

Have reared aloft thy arms.

Anspessade (abruptly to the Cuirassiers). Right about! March!

Wallenstein. Cursed be this counsel, and accursed who gave it!

[To the Cuirassiers, who are retiring.

Halt, children, halt! There’s some mistake in this;

Hark! — I will punish it severely. Stop! 10

They do not hear. (To ILLO.) Go after them, assure them,

And bring them back to me, cost what it may.

[ILLO hurries out.

This hurls us headlong. Butler! Butler!

You are my evil genius, wherefore must you

Announce it in their presence? It was all 15

In a fair way. They were half won, those madmen

With their improvident over-readiness —

A cruel game is fortune playing with me.

The zeal of friends it is that razes me,

And not the hate of enemies. 20

Table of Contents

To these enter the DUCHESS, who rushes into the Chamber. THEKLA and the

COUNTESS follow her.

Duchess. O Albrecht!

What hast thou done?

Wallenstein. And now comes this beside.

Countess. Forgive me, brother! It was not in my power.

They know all.

Duchess. What hast thou done?

Countess (to Tertsky). Is there no hope? Is all lost utterly? 5

Tertsky. All lost. No hope. Prague in the Emperor’s hands,

The soldiery have ta’en their oaths anew.

Countess. That lurking hypocrite. Octavio!

Count Max is off too?

Tertsky. Where can he be? He’s

Gone over to the Emperor with his father. 10

[THEKLA rushes out into the arms of her mother, hiding

her face in her bosom.

Duchess (enfolding her in her arms). Unhappy child! and more

unhappy mother!

Wallenstein (aside to Tertsky). Quick! Let a carriage stand in

readiness

In the court behind the palace. Scherfenberg

Be their attendant; he is faithful to us;

To Egra he’ll conduct them, and we follow. 15

[To ILLO, who returns.

Thou hast not brought them back?

Illo. Hear’st thou the uproar?

The whole corps of the Pappenheimers is

Drawn out: the younger Piccolomini,

Their colonel, they require; for they affirm,

That he is in the palace here, a prisoner; 20

And if thou dost not instantly deliver him,

They will find means to free him with the sword.

Tertsky. What shall we make of this?

Wallenstein. Said I not so?

O my prophetic heart! he is still here.

He has not betrayed me — he could not betray me. 25