The Death of Wallenstein Part 22

ILLO.

They refused obedience to them.

TERZKY.

Fire on them instantly! Give out the order.

WALLENSTEIN.

Gently! what cause did they a.s.sign?

ILLO.

No other, They said, had right to issue orders but Lieutenant-General Piccolomini.

WALLENSTEIN (in a convulsion of agony).

What? How is that?

ILLO.

He takes that office on him by commission, Under sign-manual from the emperor.

TERZKY.

From the emperor--hearest thou, duke?

ILLO.

At his incitement The generals made that stealthy flight----

TERZKY.

Duke, hearest thou?

ILLO.

Caraffa too, and Montecuculi, Are missing, with six other generals, All whom he had induced to follow him.

This plot he has long had in writing by him From the emperor; but 'twas finally concluded, With all the detail of the operation, Some days ago with the Envoy Questenberg.

[WALLENSTEIN sinks down into a chair and covers his face.

TERZKY.

Oh, hadst thou but believed me!

SCENE IX.

To them enter the COUNTESS.

COUNTESS.

This suspense, This horrid fear--I can no longer bear it.

For heaven's sake tell me what has taken place?

ILLO.

The regiments are falling off from us.

TERZKY.

Octavio Piccolomini is a traitor.

COUNTESS.

O my foreboding!

[Rushes out of the room.

TERZKY.

Hadst thou but believed me!

Now seest thou how the stars have lied to thee.

WALLENSTEIN.

The stars lie not; but we have here a work Wrought counter to the stars and destiny.

The science is still honest: this false heart Forces a lie on the truth-telling heaven, On a divine law divination rests; Where nature deviates from that law, and stumbles Out of her limits, there all science errs.

True I did not suspect! Were it superst.i.tion Never by such suspicion to have affronted The human form, oh, may the time ne'er come In which I shame me of the infirmity.

The wildest savage drinks not with the victim, Into whose breast he means to plunge the sword.

This, this, Octavio, was no hero's deed 'Twas not thy prudence that did conquer mine; A bad heart triumphed o'er an honest one.

No shield received the a.s.sa.s.sin stroke; thou plungest Thy weapon on an unprotected breast-- Against such weapons I am but a child.

SCENE X.

To these enter BUTLER.

TERZKY (meeting him).

Oh, look there, Butler! Here we've still a friend!

WALLENSTEIN (meets him with outspread arms and embraces him with warmth).

Come to my heart, old comrade! Not the sun Looks out upon us more revivingly, In the earliest month of spring, Than a friend's countenance in such an hour.

BUTLER.

My general; I come----

WALLENSTEIN (leaning on BUTLER'S shoulder).

Knowest thou already That old man has betrayed me to the emperor.

What sayest thou? Thirty years have we together Lived out, and held out, sharing joy and hardship.

We have slept in one camp-bed, drank from one gla.s.s, One morsel shared! I leaned myself on him, As now I lean me on thy faithful shoulder, And now in the very moment when, all love, All confidence, my bosom beat to his He sees and takes the advantage, stabs the knife Slowly into my heart.

[He hides his face on BUTLER's breast.

BUTLER.

Forget the false one.

What is your present purpose?

WALLENSTEIN.

Well remembered!

Courage, my soul! I am still rich in friends, Still loved by destiny; for in the moment That it unmasks the plotting hypocrite It sends and proves to me one faithful heart.

Of the hypocrite no more! Think not his loss Was that which struck the pang: Oh, no! his treason Is that which strikes the pang! No more of him!

Dear to my heart, and honored were they both, And the young man--yes--he did truly love me, He--he--has not deceived me. But enough, Enough of this--swift counsel now beseems us.