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BUTLER.

You know not. Ask not! Wherefore should it happen,
That the Swedes gain'd the victory, and hasten
With such forced marches hitherward? Fain would I
Have given him to the Emperor's mercy.-Gordon!
I do not wish his blood-But I must ransom
The honor of my word,-it lies in pledge-
And he must die, or-

[Passionately grasping GORDON's hand.
Listen then, and know!

I am dishonor'd if the Duke escape us.

GORDON.

O! to save such a man

BUTLER.

What!

GORDON.

It is worth

A sacrifice.-Come, friend! Be noble-minded!
Our own heart, and not other men's opinions,
Forms our true honor.

BUTLER (with a cold and haughty air).
He is a great Lord,

This Duke-and I am but of mean importance.
This is what you would say? Wherein concerns it
The world at large, you mean to hint to me,
Whether the man of low extraction keeps
Or blemishes his honor-

So that the man of princely rank be saved?
We all do stamp our value on ourselves.
The price we challenge for ourselves is given us.
There does not live on earth the man so station'd,
That I despise myself compared with him.
Man is made great or little by his own will;
Because I am true to mine, therefore he dies.

GORDON.

I am endeavoring to move a rock.
Thou hadst a mother, yet no human feelings.
I cannot hinder you, but may some God
Rescue him from you!

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

SCENE-Butler's Chamber.

BUTLER, MAJOR, and 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 Tertsky, and dispatch them both.
The castle-palace is well barr'd 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 volunteer'd themselves to stand on guard.
Dispatch 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.

[Exit GORDON.

DEVEREUX.

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The worse man of the two. What, though the world Why, yes! in his name you administer'd

Is ignorant of my purposed treason, yet

One man does know it, and can prove it too

High-minded Piccolomini !

There lives the man who can dishonor me!

This ignominy blood alone can cleanse!

Duke Friedland, thou or I-Into my own hands Fortuno delivers me-The dearest thing a man has

is himself.

(The curtain drops.)

Our oath.

MACDONALD.

And followed him yourself to Egra.

BUTLER.

I did it the more surely to destroy him.

DEVEREUX.

So then!

MACDONALD.

An alter'd case!

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The Duke presented thee this good warm coat,

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

Hear what I'll do.

MACDONALD.

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 strikes eleven, when the first rounds Are pass'd, 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 poniard-stroke
Cut Hartschier's windpipe, and make way for you.

DEVEREUX.

And thou, a needy wight, hast pangs of conscience 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.

THEKLA (looking around her).
Where am I?

WALLENSTEIN (steps to her, raising her up in his arms).
Come, cheerly, Thekla! be my own brave girl!

The attendants fill the right wing; he hates bustle, See, there's thy loving mother. Thou art in

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. T is 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 he must 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.

SCENE-A Gothic and gloomy Apartment at the DUCHESS FRIEDLAND'S. THEKLA on a seat, pale, her eyes closed. The DUCHESS and LADY NEUBRUNN busied about her. WALLENSTEIN and the COUNTESS in conversation.

WALLENSTEIN.

How knew she it so soon?

COUNTESS.

She seems to have

Foreboded some misfortune. The report
Of an engagement, in the which had fallen

A colonel of the Imperial army, frighten'd her.

I saw it instantly. She flew to meet

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The Swedish courier, and with sudden questioning, Hush! Wherefore wouldst thou speak with him, my

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I sank into his arms; and that has shamed me.
I must replace myself in his esteem,
And I must speak with him, perforce, that he,
The stranger, may not think ungently of me.

WALLENSTEIN.

I see she is in the right, and am inclined
To grant her this request of hers. Go, call him.

(LADY NEUBRUNN goes to call him).

DUCHESS.

But I, thy mother, will be present—

THEKLA.

"T were

More pleasing to me, if alone I saw him: Trust me, I shall behave myself the more Collectedly.

WALLENSTEIN.

Permit her her own will.

Leave her alone with him: for there are sorrows, Where of necessity the soul must be

Its own support. A strong heart will rely

On its own strength alone. In her own bosom,
Not in her mother's arms, must she collect
The strength to rise superior to this blow.
It is mine own brave girl. I'll have her treated
Not as the woman, but the heroine.

COUNTESS (detaining him).

Where art thou going? I heard Tertsky say
That 'tis thy purpose to depart from hence
To-morrow early, but to leave us here.

WALLENSTEIN.

(Going.

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We, lay, expecting no attack, at Neustadt,
Intrench'd but insecurely in our camp,
When towards evening rose a cloud of dust
From the wood thitherward; our vanguard fled
Into the camp, and sounded the alarm.

Scarce had we mounted, ere the Pappenheimers,
Their horses at full speed, broke through the lines,
And leapt the trenches; but their heedless courage
Had borne them onward far before the others-
The infantry were still at distance only.
The Pappenheimers follow'd daringly
Their daring leader—

[THEKLA betrays agitation in her gestures. The Officer pauses till she makes a sign to him to proceed.

CAPTAIN.

Both in van and flanks

With our whole cavalry we now received them;

These walls breathe on me, like a church-yard vault. Back to the trenches drove them, where the foot

I cannot tell you, brother, how this place
Doth go against my nature. Take us with you.
Come, sister, join you your entreaty !---Niece,
Yours too. We all entreat you, take us with you!

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Stretch'd out a solid ridge of pikes to meet them.
They neither could advance, nor yet retreat;
And as they stood on every side wedged in,
The Rhinegrave to their leader call'd aloud,
Inviting a surrender; but their leader,
Young Piccolomini-

[THEKLA, as giddy, grasps a chair. Known by his plume, And his long hair, gave signal for the trenches; Himself leapt first, the regiment all plunged after. His charger, by a halbert gored, rear'd up, Flung him with violence off, and over him The horses, now no longer to be curb'd,————— [THEKLA who has accompanied the last speech with all the marks of increasing agony, trembles through her whole frame, and is falling. The LADY NEUBRUNN runs to her, and receives her in her arms.

[Exeunt DUCHESS and COUNTESS. My dearest lady

NEUBRUNN.

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