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SCENE V

THEKLA and MAX. PICCOLOMINI.

THEKLA (as soon as the COUNTESS is out of sight, in a quick, low voice to PICCOLOMINI)

 
   Don't trust them! They are false!
 

MAX

 
                     Impossible!
 

THEKLA

 
   Trust no one here but me. I saw at once,
   They had a purpose.
 

MAX

 
              Purpose! but what purpose?
   And how can we be instrumental to it?
 

THEKLA

 
   I know no more than you; but yet believe me
   There's some design in this; to make us happy,
   To realize our union – trust me, love!
   They but pretend to wish it.
 

MAX

 
                  But these Terzkys —
   Why use we them at all? Why not your mother?
   Excellent creature! She deserves from us
   A full and filial confidence.
 

THEKLA

 
                   She doth love you,
   Doth rate you high before all others – but —
   But such a secret – she would never have
   The courage to conceal it from my father.
   For her own peace of mind we must preserve it
   A secret from her too.
 

MAX

 
               Why any secret?
   I love not secrets. Mark what I will do.
   I'll throw me at your father's feet – let him
   Decide upon my fortune! He is true,
   He wears no mask – he hates all crooked ways —
   He is so good, so noble!
 

THEKLA. (falls on his neck)

 
                That are you!
 

MAX

 
   You knew him only from this morn! But I
   Have lived ten years already in his presence;
   And who knows whether in this very moment
   He is not merely waiting for us both
   To own our loves in order to unite us?
   You are silent!
   You look at me with such a hopelessness!
   What have you to object against your father?
 

THEKLA

 
   I? Nothing. Only he's so occupied —
   He has no leisure time to think about
   The happiness of us two.
 

[Taking his hand tenderly.

 
                Follow me
   Let us not place too great a faith in men.
   These Terzkys – we will still be grateful to them
   For every kindness, but not trust them further
   Than they deserve; – and in all else rely
   On our own hearts!
 

MAX

 
             O! shall we e'er be happy?
 

THEKLA

 
   Are we not happy now? Art thou not mine?
   Am I not thine? There lives within my soul
   A lofty courage – 'tis love gives it me!
   I ought to be less open – ought to hide
   My heart more from thee – so decorum dictates:
   But where in this place couldst thou seek for truth,
   If in my mouth thou didst not find it?
   We now have met, then let us hold each other
   Clasped in a lasting and a firm embrace.
   Believe me this was more than their intent.
   Then be our loves like some blest relic kept
   Within the deep recesses of the heart.
   From heaven alone the love has been bestowed,
   To heaven alone our gratitude is due;
   It can work wonders for us still.
 

SCENE VI

To them enters the COUNTESS TERZKY.

COUNTESS (in a pressing manner)

 
                 Come, come!
   My husband sends me for you. It is now
   The latest moment.
      [They not appearing to attend to what she says,
      she steps between them.
             Part you!
 

THEKLA

 
                   Oh, not yet!
   It has been scarce a moment.
 

COUNTESS

 
                  Ay! Then time
   Flies swiftly with your highness, princess niece!
 

MAX

 
   There is no hurry, aunt.
 

COUNTESS

 
                Away! Away!
   The folks begin to miss you. Twice already
   His father has asked for him.
 

THEKLA

 
                   Ha! His father!
 

COUNTESS

 
   You understand that, niece!
 

THEKLA

 
                  Why needs he
   To go at all to that society?
   'Tis not his proper company. They may
   Be worthy men, but he's too young for them;
   In brief, he suits not such society.
 

COUNTESS

 
   You mean, you'd rather keep him wholly here?
   THEKLA (with energy).
   Yes! You have hit it aunt! That is my meaning,
   Leave him here wholly! Tell the company —
 

COUNTESS

 
   What! have you lost your senses, niece?
   Count, you remember the conditions. Come!
 

MAX (to THEKLA)

 
   Lady, I must obey. Fairwell, dear lady!
 

[THEKLA turns away from him with a quick motion.

 
   What say you then, dear lady?
 

THEKLA (without looking at him)

 
                   Nothing. Go!
 

MAX

 
   Can I when you are angry —
 

[He draws up to her, their eyes meet, she stands silent a moment, then throws herself into his arms; he presses her fast to his heart.

COUNTESS

 
   Off! Heavens! if any one should come!
   Hark! What's that noise! It comes this way. Off!
 

[MAX. tears himself away out of her arms and goes. The COUNTESS accompanies him. THEKLA follows him with her eyes at first, walks restlessly across the room, then stops, and remains standing, lost in thought. A guitar lies on the table, she seizes it as by a sudden emotion, and after she has played awhile an irregular and melancholy symphony, she falls gradually into the music and sings.

SCENE VII

THEKLA (plays and sings)

 
      The cloud doth gather, the greenwood roar,
      The damsel paces along the shore;
      The billows, they tumble with might, with might;
      And she flings out her voice to the darksome night;
        Her bosom is swelling with sorrow;
      The world it is empty, the heart will die,
      There's nothing to wish for beneath the sky
      Thou Holy One, call thy child away!
      I've lived and loved, and that was to-day;
        Make ready my grave-clothes to-morrow.¹²
 

SCENE VIII

COUNTESS (returns), THEKLA.

COUNTESS

 
   Fie, lady niece! to throw yourself upon him
   Like a poor gift to one who cares not for it,
   And so must be flung after him! For you,
   Duke Friedland's only child, I should have thought
   It had been more beseeming to have shown yourself
   More chary of your person.
 

THEKLA (rising)

 
                 And what mean you?
 

DUCHESS

 
   I mean, niece, that you should not have forgotten
   Who you are, and who he is. But perchance
   That never once occurred to you.
 

THEKLA

 
                    What then?
 

COUNTESS

 
   That you're the daughter of the Prince Duke Friedland.
 

THEKLA

 
   Well, and what farther?
 

DUCHESS

 
                What? A pretty question!
 

THEKLA

 
   He was born that which we have but become.
   He's of an ancient Lombard family,
   Son of a reigning princess.
 

COUNTESS

 
                  Are you dreaming?
   Talking in sleep? An excellent jest, forsooth!
   We shall no doubt right courteously entreat him
   To honor with his hand the richest heiress
   In Europe.
 

THEKLA

 
         That will not be necessary.
 

COUNTESS

 
   Methinks 'twere well, though, not to run the hazard.
 

THEHLA

 
   His father loves him; Count Octavio
   Will interpose no difficulty —
 

COUNTESS

 
                    His!
   His father! His! But yours, niece, what of yours?
 

THERLA

 
   Why, I begin to think you fear his father,
   So anxiously you hide it from the man!
   His father, his, I mean.
 

COUNTESS (looks at her as scrutinizing)

 
                Niece, you are false.
 

THEBLA

 
   Are you then wounded? O, be friends with me!
 

COUNTESS

 
   You hold your game for won already. Do not
   Triumph too soon!
 

THEKLA (interrupting her, and attempting to soothe her)

 
             Nay now, be friends with me.
 

COUNTESS

 
   It is not yet so far gone.
 

THEKLA

 
                 I believe you.
 

COUNTESS

 
   Did you suppose your father had laid out
   His most important life in toils of war,
   Denied himself each quiet earthly bliss,
   Had banished slumbers from his tent, devoted
   His noble head to care, and for this only,
   To make a happier pair of you? At length
   To draw you from your convent, and conduct
   In easy triumph to your arms the man
   That chanced to please your eyes! All this, methinks,
   He might have purchased at a cheaper rate.
 

THEKLA

 
   That which he did not plant for me might yet
   Bear me fair fruitage of its own accord.
   And if my friendly and affectionate fate,
   Out of his fearful and enormous being,
   Will but prepare the joys of life for me —
 

COUNTESS

 
   Thou seest it with a lovelorn maiden's eyes,
   Cast thine eye round, bethink thee who thou art; —
   Into no house of joyance hast thou stepped,
   For no espousals dost thou find the walls
   Decked out, no guests the nuptial garland wearing;
   Here is no splendor but of arms. Or thinkest thou
   That all these thousands are here congregated
   To lead up the long dances at thy wedding!
   Thou see'st thy father's forehead full of thought,
   Thy mother's eye in tears: upon the balance
   Lies the great destiny of all our house.
   Leave now the puny wish, the girlish feeling;
   Oh, thrust it far behind thee! Give thou proof
   Thou'rt the daughter of the mighty – his
   Who where he moves creates the wonderful.
   Not to herself the woman must belong,
   Annexed and bound to alien destinies.
   But she performs the best part, she the wisest,
   Who can transmute the alien into self,
   Meet and disarm necessity by choice;
   And what must be, take freely to her heart,
   And bear and foster it with mother's love.
 

THEKLA

 
   Such ever was my lesson in the convent.
   I had no loves, no wishes, knew myself
   Only as his – his daughter – his, the mighty!
   His fame, the echo of whose blast drove to me
   From the far distance, weakened in my soul
   No other thought than this – I am appointed
   To offer myself up in passiveness to him.
 

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
   That I should offer up myself. In gladness
   Him will I follow.
 

COUNTESS

 
             Not thy fate hath shown him!
   Thy heart, say rather – 'twas thy heart, my child!
 

THEKLA

 
   Faith hath no voice but the heart's impulses.
   I am all his! His present – his alone.
   Is this new life, which lives in me? He hath
   A right to his own creature. What was I
   Ere his fair love infused a soul into me?
 

COUNTESS

 
   Thou wouldst oppose thy father, then, should he
   Have otherwise determined with thy person?
 

[THEKLA remains silent. The COUNTESS continues.

 
   Thou meanest to force him to thy liking? Child,
   His name is Friedland.
 

THEKLA

 
               My name too is Friedland.
   He shall have found a genuine daughter in me.
 

COUNTESS

 
   What! he has vanquished all impediment,
   And in the wilful mood of his own daughter
   Shall a new struggle rise for him? Child! child!
   As yet thou hast seen thy father's smiles alone;
   The eye of his rage thou hast not seen. Dear child,
   I will not frighten thee. To that extreme,
   I trust it ne'er shall come. His will is yet
   Unknown to me; 'tis possible his aims
   May have the same direction as thy wish.
   But this can never, never be his will,
   That thou, the daughter of his haughty fortunes,
   Shouldest e'er demean thee as a lovesick maiden
   And like some poor cost-nothing, fling thyself
   Toward the man, who, if that high prize ever
   Be destined to await him, yet with sacrifices
   The highest love can bring, must pay for it.
 

[Exit COUNTESS.

SCENE IX

THEKLA (who during the last speech had been standing evidently lost in her reflections)

 
   I thank thee for the hint. It turns
   My sad presentiment to certainty.
   And it is so! Not one friend have we here,
   Not one true heart! we've nothing but ourselves!
   Oh, she said rightly – no auspicious signs
   Beam on this covenant of our affections.
   This is no theatre where hope abides
   The dull thick noise of war alone stirs here,
   And love himself, as he were armed in steel,
   Steps forth, and girds him for the strife of death.
 

[Music from the banquet-room is heard.

 
   There's a dark spirit walking in our house.
   And swiftly will the destiny close on us.
   It drove me hither from my calm asylum,
   It mocks my soul with charming witchery,
   It lures me forward in a seraph's shape,
   I see it near, I see it nearer floating,
   It draws, it pulls me with a godlike power —
   And lo! the abyss – and thither am I moving —
   I have no power within me not to move!
 

[The music from the banquet-room becomes louder.

 
   Oh, when a house is, doomed 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 firebrands at the burning edifice.¹³
 

[Exit THEKLA.

ACT IV

SCENE I

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, TERZKY, and MARADAS. Right and left of this, but further 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 TERZKY's regiment march across the stage, and draw up around the tables. Before they are quite off from the front of the stage, MAX. PICCOLOMINI appears, TERZKY advances towards him with a paper, ISOLANI comes up to meet him with a beaker, or service-cup.

TERZKY, ISOLANI, MAX. PICCOLOMINI.

ISOLANI

 
   Here, brother, what we love! Why, where hast been?
   Off to thy place – quick! Terzky here has given
   The mother's holiday wine up to free booty.
   Here it goes on as at the Heidelberg castle.
   Already hast thou lost the best. They're giving
   At yonder table ducal crowns in shares;
   There Sternberg's lands and chattels are put up,
   With Eggenberg's, Stawata's, Lichtenstein's,
   And all the great Bohemian feudalities.
   Be nimble, lad! and something may turn up
   For thee, who knows? off – to thy place! quick! march!
 

TIEFENBACH and GOETZ (call out from the second and third tables)

 
   Count Piccolomini!
 

TERZKY

 
   Stop, ye shall have him in an instant. Read
   This oath here, whether as 'tis here set forth,
   The wording satisfies you. They've all read it,
   Each in his turn, and each one will subscribe
   His individual signature.
 

MAX. (reads)

 
   "Ingratis servire nefas."
 

ISOLANI

 
   That sounds to my ears very much like Latin,
   And being interpreted, pray what may it mean?
 

TERZKY

 
   No honest man will serve a thankless master.
 

MAX

"Inasmuch as our supreme commander, the illustrious Duke of Friedland, in consequence of the manifold affronts and grievances which he has received, had expressed his determination to quit the emperor, but on our unanimous entreaty has graciously consented to remain still with the army, and not to part from us without our approbation thereof, so we, collectively and each in particular, in the stead of an oath personally taken, do, hereby oblige ourselves – likewise by him honorably and faithfully to hold, and in nowise whatsoever from him to part, and to be ready to shed for his interests the last drop of our blood, so far, namely, as our oath to the emperor will permit it. (These last words are repeated by ISOLANI.) In testimony of which we subscribe our names."

TERZKY

 
   Now! are you willing to subscribe to this paper?
 

ISOLANI

 
   Why should he not? All officers of honor
   Can do it, ay, must do it. Pen and ink here!
 

TERZKY

 
   Nay, let it rest till after meal.
 

ISOLANI (drawing MAX. along)

 
                     Come, Max!
 

[Both seat themselves at their table.

SCENE II

TERZKY, NEUMANN.

TERZKY (beckons to NEUMANN, who is waiting at the side-table and steps forward with him to the edge of the stage)

 
   Have you the copy with you, Neumann? Give it.
   It may be changed for the other?
 

NEUMANN

 
                    I have copied it
   Letter by letter, line by line; no eye
   Would e'er discover other difference,
   Save only the omission of that clause,
   According to your excellency's order.
 

TERZKY

 
   Right I lay it yonder and away with this —
   It has performed its business – to the fire with it.
 

[NEUMANN lays the copy on the table, and steps back again to the side-table.

SCENE III

ILLO (comes out from the second chamber), TERZKY.

ILLO

 
   How goes it with young Piccolomini!
 

TERZKY

 
   All right, I think. He has started no object.
 

ILLO

 
   He is the only one I fear about —
   He and his father. Have an eye on both!
 

TERZKY

 
   How looks it at your table: you forget not
   To keep them warm and stirring?
 

ILLO

 
                    Oh, quite cordial,
   They are quite cordial in the scheme. We have them
   And 'tis as I predicted too. Already
   It is the talk, not merely to maintain
   The duke in station. "Since we're once for all
   Together and unanimous, why not,"
   Says Montecuculi, "ay, why not onward,
   And make conditions with the emperor
   There in his own Venice?" Trust me, count,
   Were it not for these said Piccolomini,
   We might have spared ourselves the cheat.
 

TERZEY

 
                         And Butler?
   How goes it there? Hush!
 

SCENE IV

To them enter BUTLER from a second table.

BUTLER

 
                 Don't disturb yourselves;
   Field-marshal, I have understood you perfectly.
   Good luck be to the scheme; and as to me,
 

[With an air of mystery.

 
   You may depend upon me.
 

ILLO (with vivacity)

 
                May we, Butler?
 

BUTLER

 
   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
   The emperor's general! and Friedland's servant,
   As soon as it shall please him to become
   His own lord.
 

TERZKY

 
           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 Terzky! Half a year ago
   I would not have advised you to have made me
   An overture to that, to which I now
   Offer myself of my own free accord.
   But that is past! and to the duke, field-marshal,
   I bring myself, together with my regiment.
   And mark you, 'tis my humor to believe,
   The example which I give will not remain
   Without an influence.
 

ILLO

 
               Who is ignorant,
   That the whole army looks to Colonel Butler
   As to a light that moves before them?
 

BUTLER

 
                       Ay?
   Then I repent me not of that fidelity
   Which for the length of forty years I held,
   If in my sixtieth year my good old name
   Can purchase for me a revenge so full.
   Start not at what I say, sir generals!
   My real motives – they concern not you.
   And you yourselves, I trust, could not expect
   That this your game had crooked my judgment – or
   That fickleness, quick blood, or such like cause,
   Has driven the old man from the track of honor,
   Which he so long had trodden. Come, my friends!
   I'm not thereto determined with less firmness,
   Because I know and have looked steadily
   At that on which I have determined.
 

ILLO

 
                      Say,
   And speak roundly, what are we to deem you?
 

BUTLER

 
   A friend! I give you here my hand! I'm yours
   With all I have. Not only men, but money
   Will the duke want. Go, tell him, sirs!
   I've earned and laid up somewhat in his service,
   I lend it him; and is he my survivor,
   It has been already long ago bequeathed to him;
   He is my heir. For me, I stand alone
   Here in the world; naught know I of the feeling
   That binds the husband to a wife and children.
   My name dies with me, my existence ends.
 

ILLO

 
   'Tis not your money that he needs – a heart
   Like yours weighs tons of gold down, weighs down millions!
 

BUTLER

 
   I came a simple soldier's boy from Ireland
   To Prague – and with a master, whom I buried.
   From lowest stable duty I climbed up,
   Such was the fate of war, to this high rank,
   The plaything of a whimsical good fortune.
   And Wallenstein too is a child of luck:
   I love a fortune that is like my own.
 

ILLO

 
   All powerful souls have kindred with each other.
 

BUTLER

 
   This is an awful moment! to the brave,
   To the determined, an auspicious moment.
   The Prince of Weimar arms, upon the Maine,
   To found a mighty dukedom. He of Halberstadt,
   That Mansfeldt, wanted but a longer life
   To have marked out with his good sword a lordship
   That should reward his courage. Who of these
   Equals our Friedland? There is nothing, nothing
   So high, but he may set the ladder to it!
 

TERZKY

 
   That's spoken like a man!
 

BUTLER

 
   Do you secure the Spaniard and Italian —
   I'll be your warrant for the Scotchman Lesly.
   Come to the company!
 

TERZKY

 
   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.