No More Learning

I should hope so.

DEVEREUX.
Soldiers of fortune are we--who bids most
He has us.

MACDONALD.
'Tis e'en so!

BUTLER.
Well, for the present
You must remain honest and faithful soldiers.

DEVEREUX.
We wish no other.

BUTLER.
Ay, and make your fortunes.

MACDONALD.
That is still better.

BUTLER.
Listen!

BOTH.
We attend.

BUTLER.
It is the emperor's will and ordinance
To seize the person of the Prince-Duke Friedland
Alive or dead.

DEVEREUX.
It runs so in the letter.

MACDONALD.
Alive or dead--these were the very words.

BUTLER.
And he shall be rewarded from the state
In land and gold who proffers aid thereto.

DEVEREUX.
Ay! that sounds well. The words sound always well
That travel hither from the court. Yes! yes!
We know already what court-words import.
A golden chain perhaps in sign of favor,
Or an old charger, or a parchment-patent,
And such like. The prince-duke pays better.

MACDONALD.
Yes,
The duke's a splendid paymaster.

BUTLER.
All over
With that, my friends. His lucky stars are set.

MACDONALD.
And is that certain?

BUTLER.
You have my word for it.

DEVEREUX.
His lucky fortune's all passed by?

BUTLER.
Forever.
He is as poor as we.

MACDONALD.
As poor as we?

DEVEREUX.
Macdonald, we'll desert him.

BUTLER.
We'll desert him?
Full twenty thousand have done that already;
We must do more, my countrymen! In short--
We--we must kill him.

BOTH (starting back)
Kill him!

BUTLER.
Yes, must kill him;
And for that purpose have I chosen you.

BOTH.
Us!

BUTLER.
You, Captain Devereux, and thee, Macdonald.

DEVEREUX (after a pause).
Choose you some other.

BUTLER.
What! art dastardly?
Thou, with full thirty lives to answer for--
Thou conscientious of a sudden?

DEVEREUX.
Nay
To assassinate our lord and general----

MACDONALD.
To whom we swore a soldier's oath----

BUTLER.
The oath
Is null, for Friedland is a traitor.

DEVEREUX.
No, no! it is too bad!

MACDONALD.
Yes, by my soul!
It is too bad. One has a conscience too----

DEVEREUX.
If it were not our chieftain, who so long
Has issued the commands, and claimed our duty----

BUTLER.
Is that the objection?

DEVEREUX.
Were it my own father,
And the emperor's service should demand it of me,
It might be done perhaps--but we are soldiers,
And to assassinate our chief commander,
That is a sin, a foul abomination,
From which no monk or confessor absolves us.

BUTLER.
I am your pope, and give you absolution.
Determine quickly!

DEVEREUX.
'Twill not do.

MACDONALD.
'Twont do!

BUTLER.
Well, off then! and--send Pestalutz to me.

DEVEREUX (hesitates).
The Pestalutz----

MACDONALD.
What may you want with him?

BUTLER.
If you reject it, we can find enough----

DEVEREUX.
Nay, if he must fall, we may earn the bounty
As well as any other. What think you,
Brother Macdonald?

MACDONALD.
Why, if he must fall,
And will fall, and it can't be otherwise,
One would not give place to this Pestalutz.

DEVEREUX (after some reflection).
When do you purpose he should fall?

BUTLER.
This night.
To-morrow will the Swedes be at our gates.

DEVEREUX.
You take upon you all the consequences?

BUTLER.
I take the whole upon me.

DEVEREUX.
And it is
The emperor's will, his express absolute will?
For we have instances that folks may like
The murder, and yet hang the murderer.

BUTLER.
The manifesto says--"alive or dead. "
Alive--'tis not possible--you see it is not.

DEVEREUX.
Well, dead then! dead! But bow can we come at him.
The town is filled with Terzky's soldiery.

MACDONALD.
Ay! and then Terzky still remains, and Illo----

BUTLER.
With these you shall begin--you understand me?

DEVEREUX.
How! And must they too perish?

BUTLER.
They the first.

MACDONALD.
Hear, Devereux! A bloody evening this.

DEVEREUX.
Have you a man for that? Commission me----

BUTLER.
'Tis given in trust to Major Geraldin;
This is a carnival night, and there's a feast
Given at the castle--there we shall surprise them,
And hew them down. The Pestalutz and Lesley
Have that commission. Soon as that is finished----

DEVEREUX.
Hear, general! It will be all one to you--
Hark ye, let me exchange with Geraldin.

BUTLER.
'Twill be the lesser danger with the duke.

DEVEREUX.
Danger! The devil! What do you think me, general,
'Tis the duke's eye, and not his sword, I fear.

BUTLER.
What can his eye do to thee?

DEVEREUX.
Death and hell!
Thou knowest that I'm no milksop, general!
But 'tis not eight days since the duke did send me
Twenty gold pieces for this good warm coat
Which I have on! and then for him to see me
Standing before him with the pike, his murderer.
That eye of his looking upon this coat--
Why--why--the devil fetch me! I'm no milksop!

BUTLER.
The duke presented thee this good warm coat,
And thou, a needy wight, hast pangs of conscience
To run him through the body in return,
A coat that is far better and far warmer
Did the emperor give to him, the prince's mantle.
How doth he thank the emperor? With revolt
And treason.

DEVEREUX.
That is true. The devil take
Such thankers! I'll despatch him.

BUTLER.
And would'st quiet
Thy conscience, thou hast naught to do but simply
Pull off the coat; so canst thou do the deed
With light heart and good spirits.

DEVEREUX.
You are right,
That did not strike me. I'll pull off the coat--
So there's an end of it.

MACDONALD.
Yes, but there's another
Point to be thought of.

BUTLER.
And what's that, Macdonald?

MACDONALD.
What avails sword or dagger against him?
He is not to be wounded--he is----

BUTLER (starting up).
What!

MACDONALD.
Safe against shot, and stab, and flash! Hard frozen.
Secured and warranted by the black art
His body is impenetrable, I tell you.

DEVEREUX.
In Ingolstadt there was just such another:
His whole skin was the same as steel; at last
We were obliged to beat him down with gunstocks.

MACDONALD.
Hear what I'll do.

DEVEREUX.
Well.

MACDONALD.
In the cloister here
There's a Dominican, my countryman.
I'll make him dip my sword and pike for me
In holy water, and say over them
One of his strongest blessings. That's probatum!
Nothing can stand 'gainst that.

BUTLER.
So do, Macdonald!
But now go and select from out the regiment
Twenty or thirty able-bodied fellows,
And let them take the oaths to the emperor.
Then when it strikes eleven, when the first rounds
Are passed, conduct them silently as may be
To the house. I will myself be not far off.

DEVEREUX.
But how do we get through Hartschier and Gordon,
That stand on guard there in the inner chamber?

BUTLER.
I have made myself acquainted with the place,
I lead you through a back door that's defended
By one man only. Me my rank and office
Give access to the duke at every hour.
I'll go before you--with one poinard-stroke
Cut Hartschier's windpipe, and make way for you.

DEVEREUX.
And when we are there, by what means shall we gain
The duke's bed-chamber, without his alarming
The servants of the court? for he has here
A numerous company of followers.

BUTLER.
The attendants fills the right wing: he hates bustle,
And lodges in the left wing quite alone.

DEVEREUX.
Were it well over--hey, Macdonald! I
Feel queerly on the occasion, devil knows.

MACDONALD.
And I, too. 'Tis too great a personage.
People will hold us for a brace of villains.

BUTLER.
In plenty, honor, splendor--you may safely
Laugh at the people's babble.

DEVEREUX.
If the business
Squares with one's honor--if that be quite certain.

BUTLER.
Set your hearts quite at ease. Ye save for Ferdinand
His crown and empire. The reward can be
No small one.

DEVEREUX.
And 'tis his purpose to dethrone the emperor?

BUTLER.
Yes! Yes! to rob him of his crown and life.

DEVEREUX.
And must he fall by the executioner's hands,
Should we deliver him up to the emperor
Alive?

BUTLER.
It were his certain destiny.

DEVEREUX.
Well! Well! Come then, Macdonald, he shall not
Lie long in pain.

[Exeunt BUTLER through one door, MACDONALD and DEVEREUX
through the other.



SCENE III.

A saloon, terminated by a gallery, which extends far
into the background.

WALLENSTIN sitting at a table. The SWEDISH CAPTAIN
standing before him.

WALLENSTEIN.
Commend me to your lord. I sympathize
In his good fortune; and if you have seen me
Deficient in the expressions of that joy,
Which such a victory might well demand,
Attribute it to no lack of good-will,
For henceforth are our fortunes one. Farewell,
And for your trouble take my thanks. To-morrow
The citadel shall be surrendered to you
On your arrival.

[The SWEDISH CAPTAIN retires. WALLENSTEIN sits lost in thought,
his eyes fixed vacantly, and his head sustained by his hand. The
COUNTESS TERZKY enters, stands before him for awhile, unobserved
by him; at length he starts, sees her and recollects himself.

WALLENSTEIN.
Comest thou from her? Is she restored? How is she?

COUNTESS.
My sister tells me she was more collected
After her conversation with the Swede.
She has now retired to rest.

WALLENSTEIN.
The pang will soften
She will shed tears.

COUNTESS.
I find thee altered, too,
My brother! After such a victory
I had expected to have found in thee
A cheerful spirit. Oh, remain thou firm!
Sustain, uphold us! For our light thou art,
Our sun.

WALLENSTEIN.
Be quiet. I ail nothing. Where's
Thy husband?

COUNTESS.
At a banquet--he and Illo.

WALLENSTEIN (rises and strides across the saloon).
The night's far spent. Betake thee to thy chamber.

COUNTESS.
Bid me not go, oh, let me stay with thee!

WALLENSTEIN (moves to the window).
There is a busy motion in the heaven,
The wind doth chase the flag upon the tower,
Fast sweep the clouds, the sickle [11] of the moon,
Struggling, darts snatches of uncertain light.
No form of star is visible! That one
White stain of light, that single glimmering yonder,
Is from Cassiopeia, and therein
Is Jupiter. (A pause. ) But now
The blackness of the troubled element hides him!

[He sinks into profound melancholy, and looks vacantly
into the distance.

COUNTESS (looks on him mournfully, then grasps his hand).
What art thou brooding on?

WALLENSTEIN.
Methinks
If I but saw him, 'twould be well with me.
He is the star of my nativity,
And often marvellously hath his aspect
Shot strength into my heart.

COUNTESS.
Thou'lt see him again.

WALLENSTEIN (remains for awhile with absent mind, then assumes a livelier
manner, and turning suddenly to the COUNTESS).
See him again? Oh, never, never again!

COUNTESS.
How?

WALLENSTEIN.
He is gone--is dust.

COUNTESS.
Whom meanest thou, then?

WALLENSTEIN.
He, the more fortunate! yea, he hath finished!
For him there is no longer any future,
His life is bright--bright without spot it was,
And cannot cease to be. No ominous hour
Knocks at his door with tidings of mishap,
Far off is he, above desire and fear;
No more submitted to the change and chance
Of the unsteady planets. Oh, 'tis well
With him! but who knows what the coming hour
Veiled in thick darkness brings us?

COUNTESS.
Thou speakest of Piccolomini. What was his death?
The courier had just left thee as I came.

[WALLENSTEIN by a motion of his hand makes signs to her
to be silent.

Turn not thine eyes upon the backward view,
Let us look forward into sunny days,
Welcome with joyous heart the victory,
Forget what it has cost thee. Not to-day,
For the first time, thy friend was to thee dead;
To thee he died when first he parted from thee.

WALLENSTEIN.
This anguish will be wearied down [12], I know;
What pang is permanent with man? From the highest,
As from the vilest thing of every day,
He learns to wean himself: for the strong hours
Conquer him. Yet I feel what I have lost
In him. The bloom is vanished from my life,
For oh, he stood beside me, like my youth,
Transformed for me the real to a dream,
Clothing the palpable and the familiar
With golden exhalations of the dawn,
Whatever fortunes wait my future toils,
The beautiful is vanished--and returns not.

COUNTESS.
Oh, be not treacherous to thy own power.
Thy heart is rich enough to vivify
Itself. Thou lovest and prizest virtues in him,
The which thyself didst plant, thyself unfold.

WALLENSTEIN (stepping to the door).
Who interrupts us now at this late hour?
It is the governor. He brings the keys
Of the citadel. 'Tis midnight. Leave me, sister!

COUNTESS.
Oh, 'tis so hard to me this night to leave thee;
A boding fear possesses me!

WALLENSTEIN.
Fear! Wherefore?

COUNTESS.
Shouldst thou depart this night, and we at waking
Never more find thee!

WALLENSTEIN.
Fancies!

COUNTESS.
Ob, my soul
Has long been weighed down by these dark forebodings,
And if I combat and repel them waking,
They still crush down upon my heart in dreams,
I saw thee, yesternight with thy first wife
Sit at a banquet, gorgeously attired.

WALLENSTHIN.
This was a dream of favorable omen,
That marriage being the founder of my fortunes.

COUNTESS.
To-day I dreamed that I was seeking thee
In thy own chamber. As I entered, lo!
It was no more a chamber: the Chartreuse
At Gitschin 'twas, which thou thyself hast founded,
And where it is thy will that thou shouldst be
Interred.

WALLENSTEIN.
Thy soul is busy with these thoughts.

COUNTESS.
What! dost thou not believe that oft in dreams
A voice of warning speaks prophetic to us?

WALLENSTEIN.
There is no doubt that there exist such voices,
Yet I would not call them
Voices of warning that announce to us
Only the inevitable. As the sun,
Ere it is risen, sometimes paints its image
In the atmosphere, so often do the spirits
Of great events stride on before the events,
And in to-day already walks to-morrow.
That which we read of the fourth Henry's death
Did ever vex and haunt me like a tale
Of my own future destiny. The king
Felt in his breast the phantom of the knife
Long ere Ravaillac armed himself therewith.
His quiet mind forsook him; the phantasma
Started him in his Louvre, chased him forth
Into the open air; like funeral knells
Sounded that coronation festival;
And still with boding sense he heard the tread
Of those feet that even then were seeking him
Throughout the streets of Paris.

COUNTESS.
And to thee
The voice within thy soul bodes nothing?

WALLENSTEIN.
Nothing.
Be wholly tranquil.

COUNTESS.
And another time
I hastened after thee, and thou rann'st from me
Through a long suite, through many a spacious hall.
There seemed no end of it; doors creaked and clapped;
I followed panting, but could not overtake thee;
When on a sudden did I feel myself
Grasped from behind,--the hand was cold that grasped me;
'Twas thou, and thou didst kiss me, and there seemed
A crimson covering to envelop us.

WALLENSTEIN.
That is the crimson tapestry of my chamber.

COUNTESS (gazing on him).
If it should come to that--if I should see thee,
Who standest now before me in the fulness
Of life----

[She falls on his breast and weeps.

WALLENSTEIN.
The emperor's proclamation weighs upon thee--
Alphabets wound not--and he finds no hands.

COUNTESS.
If he should find them, my resolve is taken--
I bear about me my support and refuge.

[Exit COUNTESS.



SCENE V.

WALLENSTEIN, GORDON.

WALLENSTEIN.
All quiet in the town?

GORDON.
The town is quiet.

WALLENSTEIN.
I hear a boisterous music! and the castle
Is lighted up. Who are the revellers?

GORDON.
There is a banquet given at the castle
To the Count Terzky and Field-Marshal Illo.

WALLENSTEIN.
In honor of the victory--this tribe
Can show their joy in nothing else but feasting.
[Rings. The GROOM OF THE CHAMBER enters.
Unrobe me. I will lay me down to sleep.
[WALLENSTEIN takes the keys from GORDON.
So we are guarded from all enemies,
And shut in with sure friends.
For all must cheat me, or a face like this
[Fixing his eyes on GORDON.
Was ne'er a hypocrite's mask.

[The GROOM OF THE CHAMBER takes off his mantle, collar, and scarf.

WALLENSTEIN.
Take care--what is that?

GROOM OF THE CHAMBER.