The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition). Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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[Before 53] Octavio (stepping nearer to him friendlily). 1800, 1828,
1829.
[Before 68] Butler (coldly). 1800, 1828, 1829.
[Before 76] Octavio (advancing still nearer). 1800, 1828, 1829.
[Before 80] Isolani (who has been attending to them from some distance,
steps up). 1800, 1828, 1829.
SCENE XIV
To these enter ILLO from the inner room. He has in his hand the golden
service-cup, and is extremely distempered with drinking: GOETZ and
BUTLER follow him, endeavouring to keep him back.
Illo. What do you want? Let me go.
Goetz and Butler. Drink no more, Illo! For heaven’s sake,
drink no more.
Illo (goes up to Octavio, and shakes him cordially by the hand,
and then drinks). Octavio! I bring this to you! Let all grudge
be drowned in this friendly bowl! I know well enough, ye 5
never loved me — Devil take me! — and I never loved you! — I am
always even with people in that way! — Let what’s past be past — that
is, you understand — forgotten! I esteem you infinitely.
(Embracing him repeatedly.) You have not a dearer friend on
earth than I — but that you know. The fellow that cries rogue 10
to you calls me villain — and I’ll strangle him! — my dear friend!
Tertsky (whispering to him). Art in thy senses? For heaven’s
sake, Illo! think where you are!
Illo (aloud). What do you mean? — There are none but friends
here, are there? Not a sneaker among us, thank heaven! 15
Tertsky (to Butler). Take him off with you, force him off,
I entreat you, Butler!
Butler (to Illo). Field Marshal! a word with you.
[Leads him to the sideboard.
Illo. A thousand for one! Fill — Fill it once more up to the
brim. — To this gallant man’s health! 20
Isolani (to Max, who all the while has been staring on the paper
with fixed but vacant eyes). Slow and sure, my noble
brother! — Hast parsed it all yet? — Some words yet to go
through? — Ha?
Max. What am I to do?
Tertsky (and at the same time Isolani). Sign your name.
Max (returns the paper). Let it stay till tomorrow. It is 25
business — to-day I am not sufficiently collected. Send it to me
tomorrow.
Tertsky. Nay, collect yourself a little.
Isolani. Awake, man! awake! — Come, thy signature, and
have done with it! What? Thou art the youngest in the 30
whole company, and wouldest be wiser than all of us together?
Look there! thy father has signed — we have all signed.
Tertsky (to Octavio). Use your influence. Instruct him.
Octavio. My son is at the age of discretion.
Illo (leaves the service-cup on the sideboard). What’s the
dispute? 35
Tertsky. He declines subscribing the paper.
Max. I say, it may as well stay till tomorrow.
Illo. It cannot stay. We have all subscribed to it — and so
must you. — You must subscribe.
Max. Illo, good night! 40
Illo. No! You come not off so! The Duke shall learn
who are his friends. [All collect round ILLO and MAX.
Max. What my sentiments are towards the Duke, the Duke
knows, every one knows — what need of this wild stuff? 45
Illo. This is the thanks the Duke gets for his partiality to
Italians and foreigners. — Us Bohemians he holds for little better
than dullards — nothing pleases him but what’s outlandish.
Tertsky (to the commanders, who at Illo’s words give a sudden
start, as preparing to resent them). It is the wine that speaks,
and not his reason. Attend not to him, I entreat you. 50
Isolani. Wine invents nothing: it only tattles.
Illo. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender
consciences! Unless they can slip out by a back-door, by a
puny proviso ——
Tertsky. He is stark mad — don’t listen to him! 55
Illo. Unless they can slip out by a proviso. — What of the
proviso? The devil take this proviso!
Max. What is there here then of such perilous import?
You make me curious — I must look closer at it.
Tertsky (in a low voice to Illo). What are you doing, Illo? 60
You are ruining us.
Tiefenbach (to Kolatto). Ay, ay! I observed, that before we
sat down to supper, it was read differently.
Goetz. Why, I seemed to think so too.
Isolani. What do I care for that? Where there stand other 65
names, mine can stand too.
Tiefenbach. Before supper there was a certain proviso therein,
or short clause concerning our duties to the Emperor.
Butler (to one of the commanders). For shame, for shame!
Bethink you. What is the main business here? The question 70
now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire.
One must not take these things too nicely and
over-scrupulously.
Isolani (to one of the Generals). Did the Duke make any of
these provisos when he gave you your regiment? 75
Tertsky (to Goetz). Or when he gave you the office of
army-purveyancer, which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles!
Illo. He is a rascal who makes us out to be rogues. If
there be any one that wants satisfaction, let him say so, — I am
his man. 80
Tiefenbach. Softly, softly! ‘Twas but a word or two.
Max (having read the paper gives it back). Till tomorrow,
therefore!
Illo (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over
himself, and presents the paper to Max with one hand, and his