No More Learning

NEUBRUNN (to THEKLA, who has hidden her countenance).
Look up, my dearest lady----

THEKLA.
Where is his grave?

CAPTAIN.
At Neustadt, lady; in a cloister church
Are his remains deposited, until
We can receive directions from his father.

THEKLA.
What is the cloister's name?

CAPTAIN.
Saint Catherine's.

THEKLA.
And how far is it thither?

CAPTAIN.
Near twelve leagues.

THEKLA.
And which the way?

CAPTAIN.
You go by Tirschenreut
And Falkenberg, through our advanced posts.

THEKLA
Who
Is their commander?

CAPTAIN.
Colonel Seckendorf.

[THEKLA steps to the table, and takes a ring from a casket.

THEKLA.
You have beheld me in my agony,
And shown a feeling heart. Please you, accept
[Giving him the ring.
A small memorial of this hour. Now go!

CAPTAIN (confusedly).
Princess----

[THEKLA silently makes signs to him to go, and turns from him.
The captain lingers, and is about to speak. LADY NEUBRUNN repeats
the signal, and he retires.



SCENE XI.

THEKLA, LADY NEUBRUNN.

THEKLA (falls on LADY NEUBRUNN's neck).
Now gentle Neubrunn, show me the affection
Which thou hast ever promised--prove thyself
My own true friend and faithful fellow-pilgrim.
This night we must away!

NEUBRUNN.
Away! and whither?

THEKLA.
Whither! There is but one place in the world.
Thither, where he lies buried! To his coffin!

NEUBRUNN.
What would you do there?

THEKLA.
What do there?
That wouldst thou not have asked, hadst thou e'er loved.
There, that is all that still remains of him!
That single spot is the whole earth to me.

NEUBRUNN.
That place of death----

THEKLA.
Is now the only place
Where life yet dwells for me: detain me not!
Come and make preparations; let us think
Of means to fly from hence.

NEUBRUNN.
Your father's rage

THEKLA.
That time is past--
And now I fear no human being's rage.

NEUBRUNN.
The sentence of the world! The tongue of calumny!

THEKLA.
Whom am I seeking? Him who is no more.
Am I then hastening to the arms--O God!
I haste--but to the grave of the beloved.

NEUBRUNN.
And we alone, two helpless, feeble women?

THEKLA.
We will take weapons: my arm shall protect thee.

NEUBRUNN.
In the dark night-time?

THEKLA.
Darkness will conceal us.

NEUBRUNN.
This rough tempestuous night----

THEKLA.
Had he a soft bed
Under the hoofs of his war-horses?

NEUBRUNN.
Heaven!
And then the many posts of the enemy!

THEKLA.
They are human beings. Misery travels free
Through the whole earth.

NEUBRUNN.
The journey's weary length----

THEKLA.
The pilgrim, travelling to a distant shrine
Of hope and healing doth not count the leagues.

NEUBRUNN.
How can we pass the gates?

THEKLA.
Gold opens them.
Go, do but go.

NEUBRUNN.
Should we be recognized----

THEKLA.
In a despairing woman, a poor fugitive,
Will no one seek the daughter of Duke Friedland.

NEUBRUNN.
And where procure we horses for our flight?

THEKLA.
My equerry procures them. Go and fetch him.

NEUBRUNN.
Dares he, without the knowledge of his lord?

THEKLA.
He will. Go, only go. Delay no longer.

NEUBRUNN.
Dear lady! and your mother?

THEKLA.
Oh! my mother!

NEUBRUNN.
So much as she has suffered too already;
Your tender mother. Ah! how ill prepared
For this last anguish!

THEKLA.
Woe is me! My mother!
[Pauses.
Go instantly.

NEUBRUNN.
But think what you are doing!

THEKLA.
What can be thought, already has been thought.

NEUBRUNN.
And being there, what purpose you to do?

THEKLA.
There a divinity will prompt my soul.

NEUBRUNN.
Your heart, dear lady, is disquieted!
And this is not the way that leads to quiet.

THEKLA.
To a deep quiet, such as he has found,
It draws me on, I know not what to name it,
Resistless does it draw me to his grave.
There will my heart be eased, my tears will flow.
Oh hasten, make no further questioning!
There is no rest for me till I have left
These walls--they fall in on me--a dim power
Drives me from hence--oh mercy! What a feeling!
What pale and hollow forms are those! They fill,
They crowd the place! I have no longer room here!
Mercy! Still more! More still! The hideous swarm,
They press on me; they chase me from these walls--
Those hollow, bodiless forms of living men!

NEUBRUNN.
You frighten me so, lady, that no longer
I dare stay here myself. I go and call
Rosenberg instantly.

[Exit LADY NEUBRUNN.



SCENE XII.

THEKLA.
His spirit 'tis that calls me: 'tis the troop
Of his true followers, who offered up
Themselves to avenge his death: and they accuse me
Of an ignoble loitering--they would not
Forsake their leader even in his death; they died for him,
And shall I live?
For me too was that laurel garland twined
That decks his bier. Life is an empty casket:
I throw it from me. Oh, my only hope;
To die beneath the hoofs of trampling steeds--
That is a lot of heroes upon earth!

[Exit THEKLA. [10]

(The Curtain drops. )



SCENE XIII.

THEKLA, LADY NEUBRUNN, and ROSENBERG.

NEUBRUNN.
He is here, lady, and he will procure them.

THEKLA.
Wilt thou provide us horses, Rosenberg?

ROSENBERG.
I will, my lady.

THEKLA.
And go with us as well?

ROSENBERG.
To the world's end, my lady.

THEKLA.
But consider,
Thou never canst return unto the duke.

ROSENBERG.
I will remain with thee.

THEKLA.
I will reward thee.
And will commend thee to another master.
Canst thou unseen conduct us from the castle?

ROSENBERG.
I can.

THEKLA.
When can I go?

ROSENBERG.
This very hour.
But whither would you, lady?

THEKLA.
To--Tell him, Neubrunn.

NEUBRUNN.
To Neustadt.

ROSENBERG.
So; I leave you to get ready.

[Exit.

NEUBRUNN.
Oh, see, your mother comes.

THEKLA.
Indeed! O Heaven!



SCENE XIV.

THEKLA, LADY NEUBRUNN, the DUCHESS.

DUCHESS.
He's gone! I find thee more composed, my child.

THEKLA.
I am so, mother; let me only now
Retire to rest, and Neubrunn here be with me.
I want repose.

DUCHESS.
My Thekla, thou shalt have it.
I leave thee now consoled, since I can calm
Thy father's heart.

THEKLA.
Good night, beloved mother!

(Falling on her neck and embracing her with deep emotion).

DUCHESS.
Thou scarcely art composed e'en now, my daughter.
Thou tremblest strongly, and I feel thy heart
Beat audibly on mine.

THEKLA.
Sleep will appease
Its beating: now good-night, good-night, dear mother.

(As she withdraws from her mother's arms the curtain falls).




ACT V.

SCENE I.

Butler's Chamber.

BUTLER, and MAJOR GERALDIN.

BUTLER.
Find me twelve strong dragoons, arm them with pikes
For there must be no firing--
Conceal them somewhere near the banquet-room,
And soon as the dessert is served up, rush all in
And cry--"Who is loyal to the emperor? "
I will overturn the table--while you attack
Illo and Terzky, and despatch them both.
The castle-palace is well barred and guarded,
That no intelligence of this proceeding
May make its way to the duke. Go instantly;
Have you yet sent for Captain Devereux
And the Macdonald?

GERALDIN.
They'll be here anon.

[Exit GERALDIN.

BUTLER.
Here's no room for delay. The citizens
Declare for him--a dizzy drunken spirit
Possesses the whole town. They see in the duke
A prince of peace, a founder of new ages
And golden times. Arms, too, have been given out
By the town-council, and a hundred citizens
Have volunteered themselves to stand on guard.
Despatch! then, be the word; for enemies
Threaten us from without and from within.



SCENE II.

BUTLER, CAPTAIN DEVEREUX, and MACDONALD.

MACDONALD.
Here we are, general.

DEVEREUX.
What's to be the watchword?

BUTLER.
Long live the emperor!

BOTH (recoiling).
How?

BUTLER.
Live the house of Austria.

DEVEREUX.
Have we not sworn fidelity to Friedland?

MACDONALD.
Have we not marched to this place to protect him?

BUTLER.
Protect a traitor and his country's enemy?

DEVEREUX.
Why, yes! in his name you administered
Our oath.

MACDONALD.
And followed him yourself to Egra.

BUTLER.
I did it the more surely to destroy him.

DEVEREUX.
So then!

MACDONALD.
An altered case!

BUTLER (to DEVEREU%).
Thou wretched man
So easily leavest thou thy oath and colors?

DEVEREUX.
The devil! I but followed your example;
If you could prove a villain, why not we?

MACDONALD.
We've naught to do with thinking--that's your business.
You are our general, and give out the orders;
We follow you, though the track lead to hell.

BUTLER (appeased).
Good, then! we know each other.

MACDONALD.
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?