Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I know not what to do.

Countess. What! you know not?

Does not your own heart tell you? O! then I

Will tell it you. Your father is a traitor,

A frightful traitor to us — he has plotted

Against our General’s life, has plunged us all 20

In misery — and you’re his son! ‘Tis yours

To make the amends — Make you the son’s fidelity

Outweigh the father’s treason, that the name

Of Piccolomini be not a proverb

Of infamy, a common form of cursing 25

To the posterity of Wallenstein.

Max. Where is that voice of truth which I dare follow?

It speaks no longer in my heart. We all

But utter what our passionate wishes dictate:

O that an angel would descend from Heaven, 30

And scoop for me the right, the uncorrupted,

With a pure hand from the pure Fount of Light.

[His eyes glance on THEKLA.

What other angel seek I? To this heart,

To this unerring heart, will I submit it,

Will ask thy love, which has the power to bless 35

The happy man alone, averted ever

From the disquieted and guilty — canst thou

Still love me, if I stay? Say that thou canst,

And I am the Duke’s ——

Countess. Think, niece ——

Max. Think nothing, Thekla!

Speak what thou feelest.

Countess. Think upon your father. 40

Max. I did not question thee, as Friedland’s daughter.

Thee, the beloved and the unerring god

Within thy heart, I question. What’s at stake?

Not whether diadem of royalty

Be to be won or not — that might’st thou think on. 45

Thy friend, and his soul’s quiet, are at stake;

The fortune of a thousand gallant men,

Who will all follow me; shall I forswear

My oath and duty to the Emperor?

Say, shall I send into Octavio’s camp 50

The parricidal ball? For when the ball

Has left its cannon, and is on its flight,

It is no longer a dead instrument!

It lives, a spirit passes into it,

The avenging furies seize possession of it, 55

And with sure malice guide it the worst way.

Thekla. O! Max ——

Max. Nay, not precipitately either, Thekla.

I understand thee. To thy noble heart

The hardest duty might appear the highest.

The human, not the great part, would I act. 60

Ev’n from my childhood to this present hour,

Think what the Duke has done for me, how loved me,

And think too, how my father has repaid him.

O likewise the free lovely impulses

Of hospitality, the pious friend’s 65

Faithful attachment, these too are a holy

Religion to the heart; and heavily

The shudderings of nature do avenge

Themselves on the barbarian that insults them.

Lay all upon the balance, all — then speak, 70

And let thy heart decide it.

Thekla. O, thy own

Hath long ago decided. Follow thou

Thy heart’s first feeling ——

Countess. Oh! illfated woman!

Thekla. Is it possible, that that can be the right,

The which thy tender heart did not at first 75

Detect and seize with instant impulse? Go,

Fulfil thy duty! I should ever love thee.

Whate’er thou had’st chosen, thou would’st still have acted

Nobly and worthy of thee — but repentance

Shall ne’er disturb thy soul’s fair peace.

Max. Then I 80

Must leave thee, must part from thee!

Thekla. Being faithful

To thine own self, thou art faithful too to me:

If our fates part, our hearts remain united.

A bloody hatred will divide for ever

The houses Piccolomini and Friedland; 85

But we belong not to our houses — Go!

Quick! quick! and separate thy righteous cause

From our unholy and unblessed one!

The curse of heaven lies upon our head:

‘Tis dedicate to ruin. Even me 90

My father’s guilt drags with it to perdition.

Mourn not for me:

My destiny will quickly be decided.

[MAX clasps her in his arms. There is heard from behind

the Scene a loud, wild, long continued cry, ‘Vivat

Ferdinandus,’ accompanied by warlike instruments.

[Before 3] Max (who … distance in a visible struggle of feelings,

advances). 1800, 1828, 1829.

[After 92] [MAX … in extreme emotion. There is … instruments.

MAX and THEKLA remain without motion in each other’s embraces. 1800,

1828, 1829.

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To these enter TERTSKY.

Countess (meeting him). What meant that cry? What was it?

Tertsky. All is

lost!

Countess. What! they regarded not his countenance?

Tertsky. ‘Twas all in vain.

Duchess. They shouted Vivat!

Tertsky. To the Emperor.

Countess. The traitors!

Tertsky. Nay! he was not once permitted

Even to address them. Soon as he began, 5

With deafening noise of warlike instruments

They drowned his words. But here he comes.

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To these enter WALLENSTEIN, accompanied by ILLO and BUTLER.

Wallenstein (as he enters). Tertsky!

Tertsky. My General?

Wallenstein. Let our regiments hold themselves

In readiness to march; for we shall leave

Pilsen ere evening. [Exit TERTSKY.

Butler!

Butler. Yes, my General.

Wallenstein. The Governor at Egra is your friend 5

And countryman. Write to him instantly

By a Post Courier. He must be advised,

That we are with him early on the morrow.

You follow us yourself, your regiment with you.

Butler. It shall be done, my General!

Wallenstein (steps between Max and Thekla). Part!

Max. O God! 10

[Cuirassiers enter with drawn swords, and assemble in

the background. At the same time there are heard

from below some spirited passages out of the

Pappenheim March, which seem to address MAX.

Wallenstein (to the Cuirassiers). Here he is, he is at liberty: I

keep him

No longer.

[He turns away, and stands so that MAX cannot pass by

him nor approach the PRINCESS.

Max. Thou know’st that I have not yet learnt to live

Without thee! I go forth into a desert,

Leaving my all behind me. O do not turn 15

Thine eyes away from me! O once more shew me

Thy ever dear and honoured countenance.

[MAX attempts to take his hand, but is repelled; he

turns to the COUNTESS.

Is there no eye that has a look of pity for me?

[The COUNTESS turns away from him; he turns to the

DUCHESS.

My mother!

Duchess. Go where duty calls you. Haply

The time may come, when you may prove to us 20

A true friend, a good angel at the throne

Of the Emperor.

Max. You give me hope; you would not

Suffer me wholly to despair. No! No!

Mine is a certain misery — Thanks to heaven

That offers me a means of ending it. 25

[The military music begins again. The stage fills more

and more with armed men. MAX sees BUTLER, and

addresses him.

And you here, Colonel Butler — and will you

Not follow me? Well, then! remain more faithful

To your new lord, than you have proved yourself

To the Emperor. Come, Butler! promise me,

Give me your hand upon it, that you’ll be 30

The guardian of his life, its shield, its watchman.

He is attainted, and his princely head

Fair booty for each slave that trades in murder.

Now he doth need the faithful eye of friendship,

And those whom here I see —

[Casting suspicious looks on ILLO and BUTLER.

Illo. Go — seek for traitors 35

In Galas’, in your father’s quarters. Here

Is only one. Away! away! and free us

From his detested sight! Away!

[MAX attempts once more to approach THEKLA. WALLENSTEIN