The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition). Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Countess (to Max). Remunerate your trouble! For his joy
He makes you recompense. ‘Tis not unfitting
For you, Count Piccolomini, to feel
So tenderly — my brother it beseems
To shew himself for ever great and princely. 25
Thekla. Then I too must have scruples of his love:
For his munificent hands did ornament me
Ere yet the father’s heart had spoken to me.
Max. Yes; ‘tis his nature ever to be giving
And making happy.
How my heart pours out 30
Its all of thanks to him: O! how I seem
To utter all things in the dear name Friedland.
While I shall live, so long will I remain
The captive of this name: in it shall bloom
My every fortune, every lovely hope. 35
Inextricably as in some magic ring
In this name hath my destiny charm-bound me!
Countess. My brother wishes us to leave him. Come.
Wallenstein (turns himself round quick, collects himself, and
speaks with cheerfulness to the Duchess). Once more I
bid thee welcome to the camp,
Thou art the hostess of this court. You, Max, 40
Will now again administer your old office,
While we perform the sovereign’s business here.
[MAX PICCOLOMINI offers the DUCHESS his arm, the
COUNTESS accompanies the PRINCESS.
Tertsky (calling after him). Max, we depend on seeing you at the
meeting.
And making happy. [He grasps the hand of the DUCHESS with still
increasing warmth.
1800, 1828, 1829.
[Before 38] Countess (who during this time has been anxiously watching
the Duke, and remarks that he is lost in thought over the letters).
1800, 1828, 1829.
SCENE X
WALLENSTEIN, COUNT TERTSKY.
Wallenstein (to himself). She hath seen all things as they are — It
is so
And squares completely with my other notices.
They have determined finally in Vienna,
Have given me my successor already;
It is the king of Hungary, Ferdinand, 5
The Emperor’s delicate son! he’s now their saviour,
He’s the new star that’s rising now! Of us
They think themselves already fairly rid,
And as we were deceased, the heir already
Is entering on possession — Therefore — dispatch! 10
[As he turns round he observes TERTSKY, and gives him
a letter.
Count Altringer will have himself excused,
And Galas too — I like not this!
Tertsky. And if
Thou loiterest longer, all will fall away,
One following the other.
Wallenstein. Altringer
Is master of the Tyrole passes. I must forthwith 15
Send some one to him, that he let not in
The Spaniards on me from the Milanese.
—— Well, and the old Sesin, that ancient trader
In contraband negotiations, he
Has shewn himself again of late. What brings he 20
From the Count Thur?
Tertsky. The Count communicates,
He has found out the Swedish chancellor
At Halberstadt, where the convention’s held,
Who says, you’ve tired him out, and that he’ll have
No further dealings with you.
Wallenstein. And why so? 25
speeches,
That you decoy the Swedes — to make fools of them,
Will league yourself with Saxony against them,
And at last make yourself a riddance of them
With a paltry sum of money.
Wallenstein. So then, doubtless, 30
Yes, doubtless, this same modest Swede expects
That I shall yield him some fair German tract
For his prey and booty, that ourselves at last
On our own soil and native territory,
May be no longer our own lords and masters! 35
An excellent scheme! No, no! They must be off,
Off, off! away! we want no such neighbours.
Tertsky. Nay, yield them up that dot, that speck of land —
It goes not from your portion. If you win
The game what matters it to you who pays it? 40
Wallenstein. Off with them, off! Thou understand’st not this.
Never shall it be said of me, I parcelled
My native land away, dismembered Germany,
Betrayed it to a foreigner, in order
To come with stealthy tread, and filch away 45
My own share of the plunder — Never! never! —
No foreign power shall strike root in the empire,
And least of all, these Goths! these hunger-wolves!
Who send such envious, hot and greedy glances
T’wards the rich blessings of our German lands! 50
I’ll have their aid to cast and draw my nets,
But not a single fish of all the draught
Shall they come in for.
Tertsky. You will deal, however,
More fairly with the Saxons? They lose patience
While you shift ground and make so many curves. 55
Say, to what purpose all these masks? Your friends
Are plunged in doubts, baffled, and led astray in you.
There’s Oxenstirn, there’s Arnheim — neither knows
What he should think of your procrastinations.
And in the end I prove the liar: all 60
Passes through me. I have not even your handwriting.
Wallenstein. I never give my handwriting; thou knowest it.
Tertsky. But how can it be known that you’re in earnest,
If the act follows not upon the word?
You must yourself acknowledge, that in all 65
Your intercourses hitherto with the enemy