The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 48

I come with shame: yea, not without a pang!

For scarce have I arrived here, scarce delivered 10 The mother and the daughter to your arms, But there is brought to me from your equerry A splendid richly-plated hunting dress So to remunerate me for my troubles---- Yes, yes, remunerate me! Since a trouble 15 It must be, a mere office, not a favour Which I leapt forward to receive, and which I came already with full heart to thank you for.

No! 'twas not so intended, that my business Should be my highest best good fortune! 20

[_TERTSKY enters, and delivers letters to the DUKE, which he breaks open hurryingly._

_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 d.u.c.h.ess)._ 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 d.u.c.h.eSS his arm, the COUNTESS accompanies the PRINCESS._

_Tertsky (calling after him)._ Max, we depend on seeing you at the meeting.

LINENOTES:

[30]

And making happy. [_He grasps the hand of the d.u.c.h.eSS 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 pa.s.ses. 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

[625:1]_Tertsky._ He says, you are never in earnest in your 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 s.h.i.+ft 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 Pa.s.ses through me. I have not even your hand-writing.

_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. .h.i.therto with the enemy You might have done with safety all you have done, Had you meant nothing further than to gull him For the Emperor's service.

_Wallenstein (after a pause, during which he looks narrowly on Tertsky)._ And from whence dost thou know That I'm not gulling him for the Emperor's service? 70 Whence knowest thou that I'm not gulling all of you?

Dost thou know me so well? When made I thee The intendant of my secret purposes?

I am not conscious that I ever open'd My inmost thoughts to thee. The Emperor, it is true, 75 Hath dealt with me amiss; and if I would, I could repay him with usurious interest For the evil he hath done me. It delights me To know my power; but whether I shall use it, Of that, I should have thought that thou could'st speak 80 No wiselier than thy fellows.

_Tertsky._ So hast thou always played thy game with us.

[_Enter ILLO._

FOOTNOTES:

[625:1] This pa.s.sing off of his real irresolution and fancy-dalliance for depth of Reserve and for Plan formed within the magic circle of his own inapproachable spirits is very fine; but still it is not tragic--nay scarce obvious enough to be altogether _dramatic_, if in this word we involve theatre-representation. Iago (so far only a.n.a.logous to Wallenstein as in him an _Impulse_ is the source of his conduct rather than the _motive_), always acting is not the object of Interest, [but]

derives a constant interest from Oth.e.l.lo, on whom he is acting; from Desdemona, Ca.s.sio, every one; and, besides, for the purpose of theatric comprehensibility he is furnished with a set of outside motives that actually pa.s.s with the groundling for the true springs of action. _MS.

R_.

LINENOTES:

[Before 1] _Wallenstein (in deep thought to himself)._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[37] _we_ 1800

[62] _never_ 1800.

[63] _known_ 1800.

[69] _thou_ 1800.