The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 71

I but amused myself with thinking of it.

The free-will tempted me, the power to do Or not to do it.--Was it criminal To make the fancy minister to hope, 15 To fill the air with pretty toys of air, And clutch fantastic sceptres moving t'ward me?

Was not the will kept free? Beheld I not The road of duty close beside me--but One little step, and once more I was in it! 20 Where am I? Whither have I been transported?

No road, no track behind me, but a wall, Impenetrable, insurmountable, Rises obedient to the spells I muttered And meant not--my own doings tower behind me. 25 A punishable man I seem, the guilt, Try what I will, I cannot roll off from me; The equivocal demeanour of my life Bears witness on my prosecutor's party; And even my purest acts from purest motives 30 Suspicion poisons with malicious gloss.

Were I that thing, for which I pa.s.s, that traitor, A goodly outside I had sure reserved, Had drawn the coverings thick and double round me, Been calm and chary of my utterance. 35 But being conscious of the innocence Of my intent, my uncorrupted will, I gave way to my humours, to my pa.s.sion: Bold were my words, because my deeds were not.

Now every planless measure, chance event, 40 The threat of rage, the vaunt of joy and triumph, And all the May-games of a heart o'erflowing, Will they connect, and weave them all together Into one web of treason; all will be plan, My eye ne'er absent from the far-off mark, 45 Step tracing step, each step a politic progress; And out of all they'll fabricate a charge So specious, that I must myself stand dumb.

I am caught in my own net, and only force, Naught but a sudden rent can liberate me. 50 How else! since that the heart's unbia.s.s'd instinct Impelled me to the daring deed, which now Necessity, self-preservation, orders.

Stern is the On-look of Necessity, Not without shudder many a human hand 55 Grasps the mysterious urn of destiny.

My deed was mine, remaining in my bosom, Once suffered to escape from its safe corner Within the heart, its nursery and birthplace, Sent forth into the Foreign, it belongs 60 For ever to those sly malicious powers Whom never art of man conciliated.

What is thy enterprize? thy aim? thy object?

Hast honestly confessed it to thyself?

Power seated on a quiet throne thou'dst shake, 65 Power on an ancient consecrated throne, Strong in possession, founded in old custom; Power by a thousand tough and stringy roots Fixed to the people's pious nursery-faith.

This, this will be no strife of strength with strength. 70 That feared I not. I brave each combatant, Whom I can look on, fixing eye to eye, Who full himself of courage kindles courage In me too. 'Tis a foe invisible, The which I fear--a fearful enemy, 75 Which in the human heart opposes me, By its coward fear alone made fearful to me.

Not that, which full of life, instinct with power, Makes known its present being, that is not The true, the perilously formidable. 80 O no! it is the common, the quite common, The thing of an eternal yesterday, What ever was, and evermore returns, Sterling to-morrow, for to-day 'twas sterling!

For of the wholly common is man made, 85 And custom is his nurse! Woe then to them, Who lay irreverent hands upon his old House furniture, the dear inheritance From his forefathers. For time consecrates; And what is grey with age becomes religion. 90 Be in possession, and thou hast the right, And sacred will the many guard it for thee!

[_To the_ Page, _who here enters._

The Swedish officer?--Well, let him enter.

[_The_ Page _exit, WALLENSTEIN fixes his eye in deep thought on the door._

Yet is it pure--as yet!--the crime has come Not o'er this threshold yet--so slender is 95 The boundary that divideth life's two paths.

LINENOTES:

[Before 1] _Wallenstein (in soliloquy)._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[2] _can . . . would_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[4] _do . . . thought_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[After 25] [_Pauses and remains in deep thought._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[39] _not_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[48] _dumb_ 1800.

[50] _rent_ 1800.

[After 50] [_Pauses again._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[53] _orders_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[55] many] may 1800, 1828, 1829.

[56] Grasps] Grasp 1800, 1828, 1829.

[After 62] [_Paces in agitation through the chamber, then pauses, and, after the pause, breaks out again into audible soliloquy._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

SCENE V

_WALLENSTEIN and WRANGEL._

_Wallenstein._ Your name is Wrangel?

_Wrangel._ Gustave Wrangel, General Of the Sudermanian Blues.

_Wallenstein._ It was a Wrangel Who injured me materially at Stralsund, And by his brave resistance was the cause Of the opposition which that sea-port made. 5

_Wrangel._ It was the doing of the element With which you fought, my Lord! and not my merit.

The Baltic Neptune did a.s.sert his freedom, The sea and land, it seemed, were not to serve One and the same.

_Wallenstein (makes a motion for him to take a seat, and seats himself)._ And where are your credentials? 10 Come you provided with full powers, Sir General?

_Wrangel._ There are so many scruples yet to solve----

_Wallenstein (having read the credentials)._ An able letter!--Ay--he is a prudent, Intelligent master, whom you serve, Sir General!

The Chancellor writes me, that he but fulfils 15 His late departed Sovereign's own idea In helping me to the Bohemian crown.

_Wrangel._ He says the truth. Our great King, now in heaven, Did ever deem most highly of your Grace's Pre-eminent sense and military genius; 20 And always the commanding Intellect, He said, should have command, and be the King.

_Wallenstein._ Yes, he might say it safely.--General Wrangel,

[_Taking his hand._

Come, fair and open--Trust me, I was always A Swede at heart. Ey! that did you experience 25 Both in Silesia and at Nuremburg; I had you often in my power, and let you Always slip out by some back door or other.

'Tis this for which the Court can ne'er forgive me, Which drives me to this present step: and since 30 Our interests so run in one direction, E'en let us have a thorough confidence Each in the other.

_Wrangel._ Confidence will come Has each but only first security.

_Wallenstein._ The Chancellor still, I see, does not quite trust me; 35 And, I confess--the gain does not wholly lie To my advantage--Without doubt he thinks If I can play false with the Emperor, Who is my Sov'reign, I can do the like With the enemy, and that the one too were 40 Sooner to be forgiven me than the other.

Is not this your opinion too, Sir General?

_Wrangel._ I have here an office merely, no opinion.

_Wallenstein._ The Emperor hath urged me to the uttermost.

I can no longer honourably serve him. 45 For my security, in self-defence, I take this hard step, which my conscience blames.

_Wrangel._ That I believe. So far would no one go Who was not forced to it. [_After a pause._ What may have impelled Your princely Highness in this wise to act 50 Toward your Sovereign Lord and Emperor, Beseems not us to expound or criticize.

The Swede is fighting for his good old cause.

With his good sword and conscience. This concurrence, This opportunity, is in our favour, 55 And all advantages in war are lawful.

We take what offers without questioning; And if all have its due and just proportions----

_Wallenstein._ Of what then are ye doubting? Of my will?

Or of my power? I pledged me to the Chancellor, 60 Would he trust me with sixteen thousand men, That I would instantly go over to them With eighteen thousand of the Emperor's troops.

_Wrangel._ Your Grace is known to be a mighty war-chief, To be a second Attila and Pyrrhus. 65 'Tis talked of still with fresh astonishment, How some years past, beyond all human faith, You called an army forth, like a creation: But yet----