SCENE VII-To these enter Neumann.

Wal. What now?

Neu.

The Pappenheimers are dismounted,

And are advancing now on foot, determined
With sword in hand to storm the house, and free
The Count, their colonel.

Wal. (to Tertsky.) Have the cannon planted.

I will receive them with chain-shot. [Exit Tertsky. Prescribe to me with sword in hand! Go, Neumann! 'Tis my command that they retreat this moment, And in their ranks in silence wait my pleasure.

[Neumann exit. Illo steps to the window. Coun. Let him go, I entreat thee, let him go. Illo. (at the window.) Hell and perdition!

Wal.

What is it?

Illo. They scale the council-house, the roof's uncovered. They level at this house the cannon

Max.

Madmen!

Illo. They are making preparations now to fire on us.
Duch. and Coun. Merciful Heaven!

Max. (to Wallenstein.) Let me go to them!

Wal.

Not a step!

Max. (pointing to Thekla and the Duchess.) But their life!

Wal.

Thine!

What tidings bring'st thou, Tertsky?

SCENE VIII. To these Tertsky (returning).

Ter. Message and greeting from our faithful reg'ments.
Their ardor may no longer be curbed in.

They entreat permission to commence th' attack,
And if thou wouldst but give the word of onset,
They could now charge the enemy in rear,
Into the city wedge them, and with ease
O'erpower them in the narrow streets.

Illo.

O come!

Let not their ardor cool. The soldiery
Of Butler's corps stand by us faithfully;
We are the greater number. Let us charge them,
And finish here in Pilsen the revolt.

Wal. What? shall this town become a field of slaughter, And brother-killing discord, fire-eyed,

Be let loose through its streets to roam and rage?

Shall the decision be delivered over

To deaf remorseless rage, that hears no leader?
Here is not room for battle, only for butchery.
Well, let it be! I have long thought of it,

So let it burst then!

[Turns to Max.

Well, how is it with thee?

Wilt thou attempt a heat with me? Away!

Thou art free to go.

Oppose thyself to me,

Front against front, and lead them to the battle;

Thou'rt skilled in war, thou hast learned somewhat under me,

I need not be ashamed of my opponent,

And never hadst thou fairer opportunity
To pay me for thy schooling.

Can it have come to this ?-What! Cousin! Cousin!
Have you the heart?

Max. The regiments that are trusted to my care
I have pledged my troth to bring away from Pilsen
True to the Emperor, and this promise will I
Make good, or perish. More than this no duty
Requires of me. I will not fight against thee,
Unless compelled; for though an enemy,

Thy head is holy to me still.

[Two reports of cannon. Illo and Tertsky hurry to the

window.

Wal. What's that?

Ter.

Wal.

Illo.

Discharged the ordnance.

Wal.

Illo.

Your messenger.

Upon whom?

On Neumann,

Wal. (starting up.) Ha! Death and hell! I will—

Ter. Expose thyself to their blind frenzy?

Duch. and Coun.

For God's sake, no!

No!

Not yet! This rash and bloody deed has thrown them
Into a frenzy-fit-allow them time-

Wal. Away! too long already have I loitered.
They are emboldened to these outrages,
Beholding not my face. They shall behold
My countenance, shall hear my voice-

Are they not my troops? Am I not their General,
And their long-feared commander! Let me see
Whether indeed they do no longer know

That countenance, which was their sun in battle!
From the balcony, (mark!) I show myself

To these rebellious forces, and at once

Revolt is mounded, and the high-swoln current

Shrinks back into the old bed of obedience.

[Exit Wallenstein; Illo, Tertsky, and Butler follow.

SCENE IX.-Countess, Duchess, Max. and Thekla.

Coun. (to the Duchess.) Let them but see him—there is hope, still, sister.

Duch. Hope! I have none!

Max. (who during the last scene has been standing at a dis tance, in a visible struggle of feelings, advances.)

This can I not endure.

With most determined soul did I come hither,
My purposed action seemed unblamable
To my own conscience-and I must stand here
Like one abhorred, a hard inhuman being;
Yea, loaded with the curse of all I love!
Must see all whom I love in this sore anguish,
Whom I with one word can make happy-O'
My heart revolts within me, and two voices
Make themselves audible within my bosom.
My soul's benighted; I no longer can
Distinguish the right track. O well and truly
Didst thou say, father, I relied too much

On my own heart. My mind moves to and fro-
I know not what to do.

Coun.

What? you know not?

Does not your own heart tell you?

Oh! then I

Will tell it you. Your father is a traitor,
A frightful traitor to us-he has plotted
Against our General's life, has plunged us all
In misery and you're his son! 'Tis yours
To make the amends-Make you the son's fidelity
Outweigh the father's treason, that the name
Of Piccolomini be not a proverb

Of infamy, a common form of cursing

To the posterity of Wallenstein.

Max. Where is that voice of truth which I dare follow? It speaks no longer in my heart. We all

But utter what our passionate wishes dictate :
O that an angel would descend from Heaven,
And scoop for me the right, the uncorrupted,
With a pure hand from the pure fount of Light.

[His eyes glance on Thekla
What other angel seek I? To this heart,
To this unerring heart, will I submit it,
Will ask thy love, which has the power to bless
The happy man alone, averted ever

From the disquieted and guilty-canst thou
Still love me if I stay? Say that thou canst,
And I am the Duke's-

Max. I did not question thee as Friedland's daughter.

Thee, the beloved and the unerring god

Within thy heart, I question. What's at stake?
Not whether diadem of royalty

Be to be won or not-that mightst thou think on.

Thy friend, and his soul's quiet, are at stake;

The fortune of a thousand gallant men,

Who will all follow me; shall I forswear

My oath and duty to the Emperor?

Say, shall I send into Octavio's camp

The parricidal ball? For when the ball
Has left its cannon, and is on its flight,
It is no longer a dead instrument!

It lives, a spirit passes into it,

The avenging furies seize possession of it,

And with sure malice guide it the worst way.
Thek. O Max.-

Max. (interrupting her.) Nay, not precipitately either, Thekla.

I understand thee. To thy noble heart,

The hardest duty might appear the highest.

The human, not the great part, would I act.

Ev'n from my childhood to this present hour,

Think what the Duke has done for me, how loved me,

And think too, how my father has repaid him.

O likewise the free lovely impulses

Of hospitality, the pious friend's

Faithful attachment, these too are a holy

Religion to the heart; and heavily

The shudderings of nature do avenge

Themselves on the barbarian that insults them.

Lay all upon the balance, all-then speak,

And let thy heart decide it.

Thek. Is it possible that that can be the right,

The which thy tender heart did not at first

Detect and seize with instant impulse? Go,

Fulfil thy duty! I should ever love thee.

Whate'er thou hadst chosen, thou wouldst still have acted
Nobly and worthy of thee-but repentance

Shall ne'er disturb thy soul's fair peace.

Max.

Must leave thee, must part from thee!

Thek.

Then I

Being faithful

To thine own self, thou art faithful too to me :
If our fates part, our hearts remain united.
A bloody hatred will divide forever