Out of his fearful and enormous being, Will but prepare the joys of life for me COUNTESS. Thou see'st it with a lovelorn maiden's eyes. THEKLA. Such ever was my lesson in the convent. COUNTESS. That is thy fate. Mould thou thy wishes to it. I and thy mother gave thee the example. THEKLA. My fate hath shown me him, to whom behoves it COUNTERS Not thy fate hath shown him! Thy heart, say rather-'t was thy heart, my child! THEKLA. Fate hath no voice but the heart's impulses. COUNTESS. Thou wouldst oppose thy father then, should he THEKLA. My name too is Friedland. He shall have found a genuine daughter in me. COUNTESS. What! he has vanquish'd all impediment, Unknown to me: 'tis possible his aims [Exit COUNTESS. THEKLA (who during the last speech had been standing evidently lost in her reflections). I thank thee for the hint. It turns And it is so-Not one friend have we here, [The music from the banquet-room becomes louder. O when a house is doom'd in fire to perish, Many and dark, heaven drives his clouds together. Yea, shoots his lightnings down from sunny heights, Flames burst from out the subterraneous chasms, *And fiends and angels mingling in their fury, Sling fire-brands at the burning edifice. SCENE VIII. [Exit THEKLA. A large Saloon lighted up with festal Splendor; in the midst of it, and in the Centre of the Stage, a Table richly set out, at which eight Generals are sitting, among whom are OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, TERTSKY, and MARADAS. Right and left of this, but farther back, two other Tables, at each of which six Persons are placed. The Middle Door, which is standing open, gives to the Prospect a fourth Table, with the same Number of Persons. More forward stands the Sideboard. The whole front of the Stage is kept open for the Pages and Servants in waiting. All is in motion. The Band of Music belonging to TERTSKY'S Regiment march across the Stage, and draw up round the Tables. Before they are quite off from the Front of the Stage, MAX. PICCOLOMINI appears, TERTSKY advances towards There are few, who will not have taste enough to laugh at the two concluding lines of this soliloquy; and still fewer, I would fain hope, who would not have been more disposed to shudder, had I given a faithful translation. For the readers The eye of his rage thou hast not seen. Dear child, of German I have added the origina: I trust, it ne'er shall come. His will is yet Blind-wüthend schleudert selbst der Gott der Freude Den Pechkranz in das brennende Gebænde. him with a Paper, IsOLANI comes up to meet him with a Beaker or Service-Cup. TERTSKY, ISOLANI, MAX. PICCOLOMINI. ISOLANI Here brother, what we love! Why, where hast been? Be nimble, lad! and something may turn up For thee-who knows? off-to thy place! quick! TIEFENBACH and GOETZ (call out from the second and TERTSKY. Stop, ye shall have him in an instant.-Read MAX. (reads). "Ingratis servire nefas." ISOLANI. That sounds to my ears very much like Latin, TERTSKY. No honest man will serve a thankless master. MAX. "Inasmuch as our supreme Commander, the illus- O, quite cordial, TERTSKY. Now! are you willing to subscribe this paper? ISOLANI. Why should he not? All officers of honor TERTSKY. Nay, let it rest till after meal. ISOLANI (drawing Max. along). [Both seat themselves at their table. Were it not for these said Piccolomini, With or without the clause, all one to me! You understand me? My fidelity The Duke may put to any proof-I'm with him! Tell him so! I'm the Emperor's officer, As long as 'tis his pleasure to remain TERTSKY. You would make a good exchange. No stern economist, no Ferdinand, Is he to whom you plight your services. BUTLER (with a haughty look). I do not put up my fidelity To sale, Count Tertsky! Half a year ago I would not have advised you to have made me But that is past! and to the Duke, Field Marshal, ILLO. Who is ignorant, That the whole army look to Colonel Butler, As to a light that moves before them? BUTLER. Ey? Then I repent me not of that fidelity ILLO. Say, And speak roundly, what are we to deem you? BUTLER. A friend! I give you here my hand! I'm your's ILLO. "Tis not your money that he needs a heart ILLO. All powerful souls have kindred with each other. BUTLER. This is an awful moment! to the brave, To the determined, an auspicious moment. To have mark'd out with his good sword a lordship TERTSKY That's spoken like a man! BUTLER. Do you secure the Spaniard and Italian- TERTSKY. Where is the master of the cellar? Ho! Let the best wines come up. Ho! cheerly, boy! Luck comes to-day, so give her hearty welcome. [Exeunt, each to his table SCENE XII. The MASTER OF THE CELLAR advancing with NEUMANN, Servants passing backwards and forwards. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The best wine! O: if my old mistress, his lady mother, could but see these wild goings on, she would turn herself round in her grave. Yes, yes, sir officer. 'tis all down the hill with this noble house! no end, no moderation! And this marriage with the Duke's sister, a splendid connexion, a very splendid connex. ion! but I will tell you, sir officer, it looks no good. NEUMANN. Heaven forbid! Why, at this very moment the whole prospect is in bud and blossom! MASTER OF THE CELLAR. You think so?-Well, well! much may be said on that head. FIRST SERVANT (comes). Burgundy for the fourth table. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Now, sir lieutenant, if this an't the seventieth flask FIRST SERVANT. Why, the reason is, that German lord, Tiefenbach, sits at that table. MASTER OF THE CELLAR (continuing his discourse to NEUMANN). They are soaring too high. They would rival kings and electors in their pomp and splendor; and wherever the Duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious master, the count, loiter on the brink(to the Like yours weighs tons of gold down, weighs down Servants.)-What do you stand there listening for? I the artist William-there was not such another prize in the whole booty at Prague. RUNNER. The same!-a health is to go round in him. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. O let me never more hear of that day. It was the three-and-twentieth of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand, six hundred, and eighteen. It seems to me as it were but yesterday-from that unlucky MASTER OF THE CELLAR (shaking his head while he day it all began, all the heart-aches of the country. fetches and rinses the cups). This will be something for the tale-bearers-this goes to Vienna. NEUMANN. Permit me to look at it.-Well, this is a cup indeed! How heavy! as well as it may be, being all gold-And what neat things are embossed on it! how natural and elegant they look!-There, on that first quarter, let me see. That proud Amazon there on horseback, she that is taking a leap over the crosier and mitres, and carries on a wand a hat together with a banner, on which there's a goblet represented. Can you tell me what all this signifies? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The woman whom you see here on horseback, is the Free Election of the Bohemian Crown. That is signified by the round hat, and by that fiery steed on which she is riding. The hat is the pride of man; for he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors is no free man. NEWMANN. But what is the cup there on the banner? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The cup signifies the freedom of the Bohemian Church, as it was in our forefathers' times. Our forefathers in the wars of the Hussites forced from the Pope this noble privilege: for the Pope, you know, will not grant the cup to any layman. Your true Moravian values nothing beyond the cup; it is his costly jewel, and has cost the Bohemians their precious blood in many and many a battle. NEWMANN. And what says that chart that hangs in the air there, over it all? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. That signifies the Bohemian letter-royal, which we forced from the Emperor Rudolph-a precious, never to be enough valued parchment, that secures to the new church the old privileges of free ringing and open psalmody. But since he of Steirmark has ruled over us, that is at an end; and after the battle at Prague, in which Count Palatine Frederick lost crown and empire, our faith hangs upon the pulpit and the altar-and our brethren look at their homes over their shoulders; but the letter-royal the Emperor himself cut to pieces with his scissars. NEUMANN. Why, my good master of the cellar! you are deep read in the chronicles of your country! MASTER OF THE cellar. So were my forefathers, and for that reason were the minstrels, and served under Procopius and Ziska. Peace be with their ashes! Well, well! they fought for a good cause though-There! carry it up! NEWMANN. Stay! let me but look at this second quarter. Look there! That is, when at Prague Castle the Imperial There is a humor in the original which cannot be given in Counsellors, Martinitz and Stawata, were hurled the translation. "Die Welschen alle," etc. which word in clas down head over heels. "Tis even so! there stands and at present in the vulgar use of the word, signifies foreignerw sical German means the Italians alone; but in its first sense. Count Thur, who commands it. in general. Our word walnuts, I suppose, means outlandish [Runner takes the service-cup and goes off with it.uuts-Walla nuces, in German "Welsche Nusse." T. 155 NEWMANN. cedence here. (OCTAVIO runs over the Paper with Fy, fy! you should not say so, friend. There are apparent indifference. TERTSKY watches him at some among them our very best generals, and those on distance). whom the Duke at this moment relies the most. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. [Taking the flask out of the Runner's pocket. My son, it will be broken to pieces in your pocket. [TERTSKY hurries in, fetches away the paper, and calls to a Servant for Pen and Ink, and goes to the back of the Stage. MASTER OF THE CELLAR (to the Servants). The Lieutenant-General stands up.-Be on the watch.-Now! They break up.-Off, and move back the forms. [They rise at all the tables, the Servants hurry off the front of the Stage to the tables; part of the guests come forward. SCENE XIII. GOETZ (to TERTSKY) won't carry me any longer. ISOLANI (pointing at his corpulence). OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI enters into conversation with MARADAS, and both place themselves quite on the edge of the Stage on one side of the Proscenium. On the side directly opposite, MAX. PICCOLOMINI, by Poor legs! how should they? such an unmerciful himself, lost in thought, and taking no part in any load! (OCTAVIO subscribes his name, and reaches over thing that is going forward. The middle space be the Paper to TERTSKY, who gives it to ISOLANI; and tween both, but rather more distant from the edge of he goes to the table to sign his name). the Stage, is filled up by BUTLER, ISOLANI, GOETZ, TIEFENBACH, and KOLATTO. ISOLANI (while the Company is coming forward). Good night, good night, Kolatto! Good night, Lieutenant-General!-I should rather say, good morning. GOETZ (to TIEFENBACH). TIEFENBACH. "Twas that war in Pomerania that first brought it on. Out in all weathers-ice and snow-no help for it.—I shall never get the better of it all the days of my life. GOETZ. Why, in simple verity, your Swede makes no nice Noble brother! (making the usual compliment after inquiries about the season. meals). TIEFENBACH. Ay! 'twas a royal feast indeed. GOETZ. Yes, my Lady Countess understands these matters. Her mother-in-law, Heaven rest her soul, taught her! -Ah! that was a housewife for you! TIEFENBACH. There was not her like in all Bohemia for setting out a table. OCTAVIO (aside to MARADAS). Do me the favor to talk to me-talk of what you will-or of nothing. Only preserve the appearance at least of talking. I would not wish to stand by myself, and yet I conjecture that there will be goings on here worthy of our attentive observation. (He continues to fix his eye on the whole following scene). ISOLANI (on the point of going). Lights! lights! TERTSKY (advancing with the Paper to ISOLANI). Noble brother; two minutes longer!-Here is something to subscribe. ISOLANI. TERTSKY (observing ISOLANI, whose hand trembles excessively, so that he can scarce direct his pen). Have you had that ugly complaint long, noble brother?Dispatch it. ISOLANI. The sins of youth! I have already tried the chalybeate waters. Well-I must bear it. [TERTSKY gives the Paper to MARADAS; he steps to the table to subscribe. OCTAVIO (advancing to BUTLER). You are not over-fond of the orgies of Bacchus, Colonel! I have observed it. You would, I think, find yourself more to your liking in the uproar of a battle, than of a feast. BUTLER. I must confess, 't is not in my way. OCTAVIO (stepping nearer to him friendlily). Nor in mine either, I can assure you; and I am not a little glad, my much-honored Colonel Butler, that we agree so well in our opinions. A half-dozen good friends at most, at a small round table, a glass of genuine Tokay, open hearts, and a rational conversa Subscribe as much as you like-but you must ex- tion-that's my taste! cuse me from reading it. |