Tried troops and true, all honourable soldiers,
More than a thousand noblemen among them, From oaths, from duty, from their honour lure them, And make them all unanimous to do
A deed that brands them scoundrels?
Oct. With such a front of infamy, the Duke Noways desires-what he requires of us Bears a far gentler appellation. Nothing He wishes, but to give the Empire peace. And so, because the Emperor hates this peace, Therefore the Duke-the Duke will force him to it. All parts of the Empire will he pacify.
And for his trouble will retain in payment
(What he has already in his gripe)—Bohemia ! Max. Has he, Octavio, merited of us,
—that we should think so vilely of him? Oct. What we would think is not the question here. The affair speaks for itself-and clearest proofs ! Hear me, my son—'tis not unknown to thee, In what ill credit with the Court we stand. But little dost thou know, or guess what tricks, What base intrigues, what lying artifices, Have been employ'd-for this sole end-to sow Mutiny in the camp! All bands are loos'd— Loos'd all the bands that link the officer To his liege Emperor, all that bind the soldier Affectionately to the citizen.
Lawless he stands, and threat'ningly beleaguers The state he's bound to guard. To such a height "T is swoln, that at this hour the Emperor Before his armies-his own armies-trembles; Yea, in his capital, his palace, fears
The traitors' poniards, and is meditating
To hurry off and hide his tender offspring
Not from the Swedes, not from the Lutherans— No! from his own troops hide and hurry them! Max. Cease, cease! thou tortur'st, shatter'st me. I know
That oft we tremble at an empty terror;
But the false phantasm brings a real misery. Oct. It is no phantasm. An intestine war, Of all the most unnatural and cruel, Will burst out into flames, if instantly We do not fly and stifle it. The Generals Are many of them long ago won over; The subalterns are vacillating-whole Regiments and garrisons are vacillating. To foreigners our strong holds are intrusted; l'o that suspected Shafgotch is the whole Force of Silesia given up; to Tertsky Five Regiments, foot and horse-to Isolani, To Illo, Kinsky, Butler, the best troops.
Max. Likewise to both of us.
Believes he has secur'd us-means to lure us Still further on by splendid promises. To me he portions forth the princedoms Glatz And Sagan; and too plain I see the angel With which he doubts not to catch thee.
And to what purpose think'st thou he has call'd us Hither to Pilsen? To avail himself
Of our advice? O when did Friedland ever Need our advice? Be calm, and listen to me. To sell ourselves are we call'd hither, and Decline we that—to be his hostages. Therefore doth noble Galas stand aioof;
Thy father, too, thou would'st not have seen here, If higher duties had not held him fetter'd.
Max. He makes no secret of it-needs make none- That we're call'd hither for his sake-he owns it. He needs our aidance to maintain himself-
He did so much for us; and 'tis but fair
That we, too, should do somewhat now for him.
Oct. And know'st thou what it is which we must
That Illo's drunken mood betray'd it to thee. Bethink thyself--what hast thou heard, what seen? The counterfeited paper--the omission
Of that particular clause, so full of meaning, Does it not prove that they would bind us down To nothing good?
That counterfeited paper
Appears to me no other than a trick
Of Illo's own device. These underhand Traders in great men's interests, ever use To urge and hurry all things to the extreme. They see the Duke at variance with the court,
And fondly think to serve him, when they widen The breach irreparably. Trust me, father,
The Duke knows nothing of all this.
Oct. That I must dash to earth, that I must shatter A faith so specious; but I may not spare thee!
For this is not a time for tenderness.
Thou must take measures, speedy ones-must act. I therefore will confess to thee, that all
Which I've intrusted to thee now-that all Which seems to thee so unbelievable,
That—yes, I will tell thee—(a pause)—Max. I had it all From his own mouth-from the Duke's mouth I had it. Max. (in excessive agitation). No!-no!-never!
Himself confided to me What I, 't is true, had long before discover'd By other means—himself confided to me, That 't was his settled plan to join the Swedes; And, at the head of the united armies,
The court has stung him-he is sore all over With injuries and affronts; and in a moment Of irritation, what if he, for once,
Forgot himself? He's an impetuous man.
Oct. Nay, in cold blood he did confess this to me;
And having construed my astonishment
Into a scruple of his power, he show'd me
His written evidences-show'd me letters,
Both from the Saxon and the Swede, that gave Promise of aidance, and defin'd th' amount.
Max. It cannot be !-can not be—can not be! Dost thou not see, it cannot!
Thou wouldest of necessity have shown him Such horror, such deep loathing—that or he Had tak'n thee for his better genius, or
Thou stood'st not now a living man before me- Oct. I have laid open my objections to him, Dissuaded him with pressing earnestness; But my abhorrence, the full sentiment
Of my whole heart-that I have still kept sacred To my own consciousness.
So treacherous? That looks not like my father! I trusted not thy words, when thou didst tell me Evil of him; much less can I now do it.
That thou calumniatest thy own self.
Oct. I did not thrust myself into his secresy. Max. Uprightness merited his confidence.
Oct. He was no longer worthy of sincerity. Max. Dissimulation, sure, was still less worthy Of thee, Octavio !
Gave I him a cause
To entertain a scruple of my honour?
Max. That he did not, evinc'd his confidence. Oct. Dear son, it is not always possible Still to preserve that infant purity
Which the voice teaches in our inmost heart. Still in alarm, for ever on the watch
Against the wiles of wicked men, e'en Virtue Will sometimes bear away her outward robes Soil'd in the wrestle with Iniquity. This is the curse of every evil deed, That, propagating still, it brings forth evil. I do not cheat my better soul with sophisms; I but perform my orders; the Emperor Prescribes my conduct to me. Dearest boy, Far better were it, doubtless, if we all Obey'd the heart at all times; but so doing, In this our present sojourn with bad men, We must abandon many an honest object. 'Tis now our call to serve the Emperor, By what means he can best be serv'd-the heart May whisper what it will—this is our call!
Max. It seems a thing appointed, that to-day I should not comprehend, not understand thee. The Duke, thou say'st, did honestly pour out His heart to thee, but for an evil purpose; And thou dishonestly hast cheated him For a good purpose! Silence, I intreat thee— My friend thou stealest not from me-
Let me not lose my father!
Oct. (suppressing resentment). As yet thou know'st not all, my son. I have
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