Friedrich Schiller - The Piccolomini

You'll see him yet ere evening. He conducts

Both wife and daughter does the duke call hither?
He crowds in visitants from all sides.

Hm!
So much the better! I had framed my mind
To hear of naught but warlike circumstance,
Of marches and attacks, and batteries;
And lo! the duke provides, and something too
Of gentler sort and lovely, should be present
To feast our eyes.

And how came you to know
That the Count Gallas joins us not?

Because
He importuned me to remain behind.

And you? You hold out firmly!

Noble Butler!

After the obligation which the duke
Had laid so newly on me —

I had forgotten
A pleasant duty – major-general,
I wish you joy!

What, you mean, of this regiment?
I hear, too, that to make the gift still sweeter,
The duke has given him the very same
In which he first saw service, and since then
Worked himself step by step, through each preferment,
From the ranks upwards. And verily, it gives
A precedent of hope, a spur of action
To the whole corps, if once in their remembrance
An old deserving soldier makes his way.

I am perplexed and doubtful whether or no
I dare accept this your congratulation.
The emperor has not yet confirmed the appointment.

Seize it, friend, seize it! The hand which in that post
Placed you is strong enough to keep you there,
Spite of the emperor and his ministers!

Ay, if we would but so consider it! —
If we would all of us consider it so!
The emperor gives us nothing; from the duke
Comes all – whate'er we hope, whate'er we have.

My noble brother! did I tell you how
The duke will satisfy my creditors?
Will be himself my bankers for the future,
Make me once more a creditable man!
And this is now the third time, think of that!
This kingly-minded man has rescued me
From absolute ruin and restored my honor.

Oh that his power but kept pace with his wishes!
Why, friend! he'd give the whole world to his soldiers.
But at Vienna, brother! – here's the grievance, —
What politic schemes do they not lay to shorten
His arm, and where they can to clip his pinions.
Then these new dainty requisitions! these
Which this same Questenberg brings hither!

Ay!
Those requisitions of the emperor —
I too have heard about them; but I hope
The duke will not draw back a single inch!

Not from his right most surely, unless first
From office!

Know you aught then? You alarm me.

We should be ruined, every one of us!

Yonder I see our worthy friend [spoken with a sneer] approaching
With the Lieutenant-General Piccolomini.

I fear we shall not go hence as we came.

Ay! ah! more still! Still more new visitors!
Acknowledge, friend! that never was a camp,
Which held at once so many heads of heroes.

Let none approach a camp of Friedland's troops
Who dares to think unworthily of war;
E'en I myself had nigh forgot its evils
When I surveyed that lofty soul of order,
By which, while it destroys the world – itself
Maintains the greatness which itself created.

Welcome, Count Isolani!

My noble brother!
Even now am I arrived; it has been else my duty —

And Colonel Butler – trust me, I rejoice
Thus to renew acquaintance with a man
Whose worth and services I know and honor.
See, see, my friend!
There might we place at once before our eyes
The sum of war's whole trade and mystery —

to him.
These two the total sum – strength and despatch.

And lo! betwixt them both, experienced prudence!

The Chamberlain and War-Commissioner Questenberg.
The bearer of the emperor's behests, —
The long-tried friend and patron of all soldiers,
We honor in this noble visitor.

'Tis not the first time, noble minister,
You've shown our camp this honor.

Once before
I stood beside these colors.

Perchance too you remember where that was;
It was at Znaeim 4 4 A town not far from the Mine-mountains, on the high road from Vienna to Prague. in Moravia, where
You did present yourself upon the part
Of the emperor to supplicate our duke
That he would straight assume the chief command.

To supplicate? Nay, bold general!
So far extended neither my commission
(At least to my own knowledge) nor my zeal.

Well, well, then – to compel him, if you choose,
I can remember me right well, Count Tilly
Had suffered total rout upon the Lech.
Bavaria lay all open to the enemy,
Whom there was nothing to delay from pressing
Onwards into the very heart of Austria.
At that time you and Werdenberg appeared
Before our general, storming him with prayers,
And menacing the emperor's displeasure,
Unless he took compassion on this wretchedness.

Yes, yes, 'tis comprehensible enough,
Wherefore with your commission of to-day,
You were not all too willing to remember
Your former one.