The Death of Wallenstein Part 8

Oh, do it not, I pray thee, do it not!

There is a pure and n.o.ble soul within thee, Knows not of this unblest unlucky doing.

Thy will is chaste, it is thy fancy only Which hath polluted thee--and innocence, It will not let itself be driven away From that world-awing aspect. Thou wilt not, Thou canst not end in this. It would reduce All human creatures to disloyalty Against the n.o.bleness of their own nature.

'Twill justify the vulgar misbelief, Which holdeth nothing n.o.ble in free will, And trusts itself to impotence alone, Made powerful only in an unknown power.

WALLENSTEIN.

The world will judge me harshly, I expect it.

Already have I said to my own self All thou canst say to me. Who but avoids The extreme, can he by going round avoid it?

But here there is no choice. Yes, I must use Or suffer violence--so stands the case, There remains nothing possible but that.

MAX.

Oh, that is never possible for thee!

'Tis the last desperate resource of those Cheap souls, to whom their honor, their good name, Is their poor saving, their last worthless keep, Which, having staked and lost, they staked themselves In the mad rage of gaming. Thou art rich And glorious; with an unpolluted heart Thou canst make conquest of whate'er seems highest!

But he who once hath acted infamy Does nothing more in this world.

WALLENSTEIN (grasps his hand).

Calmly, Max.!

Much that is great and excellent will we Perform together yet. And if we only Stand on the height with dignity, 'tis soon Forgotten, Max., by what road we ascended.

Believe me, many a crown shines spotless now, That yet was deeply sullied in the winning.

To the evil spirit doth the earth belong, Not to the good. All that the powers divine Send from above are universal blessings Their light rejoices us, their air refreshes, But never yet was man enriched by them: In their eternal realm no property Is to be struggled for--all there is general.

The jewel, the all-valued gold we win From the deceiving powers, depraved in nature, That dwell beneath the day and blessed sunlight.

Not without sacrifices are they rendered Propitious, and there lives no soul on earth That e'er retired unsullied from their service.

MAX.

Whate'er is human to the human being Do I allow--and to the vehement And striving spirit readily I pardon The excess of action; but to thee, my general!

Above all others make I large concession.

For thou must move a world and be the master-- He kills thee who condemns thee to inaction.

So be it then! maintain thee in thy post By violence. Resist the emperor, And if it must be force with force repel; I will not praise it, yet I can forgive it.

But not--not to the traitor--yes! the word Is spoken out-- Not to the traitor can I yield a pardon.

That is no mere excess! that is no error Of human nature--that is wholly different, Oh, that is black, black as the pit of h.e.l.l!

[WALLENSTEIN betrays a sudden agitation.

Thou canst not hear it named, and wilt thou do it?

O turn back to thy duty. That thou canst, I hold it certain. Send me to Vienna; I'll make thy peace for thee with the emperor.

He knows thee not. But I do know thee. He Shall see thee, duke! with my unclouded eye, And I bring back his confidence to thee.

WALLENSTEIN.

It is too late! Thou knowest not what has happened.

MAX.

Were it too late, and were things gone so far, That a crime only could prevent thy fall, Then--fall! fall honorably, even as thou stoodest, Lose the command. Go from the stage of war!

Thou canst with splendor do it--do it too With innocence. Thou hast lived much for others, At length live thou for thy own self. I follow thee.

My destiny I never part from thine.

WALLENSTEIN.

It is too late! Even now, while thou art losing Thy words, one after another, are the mile-stones Left fast behind by my post couriers, Who bear the order on to Prague and Egra.

[MAX. stands as convulsed, with a gesture and countenance expressing the most intense anguish.

Yield thyself to it. We act as we are forced.

I cannot give a.s.sent to my own shame And ruin. Thou--no--thou canst not forsake me!

So let us do, what must be done, with dignity, With a firm step. What am I doing worse Than did famed Caesar at the Rubicon, When he the legions led against his country, The which his country had delivered to him?

Had he thrown down the sword, he had been lost.

As I were, if I but disarmed myself.

I trace out something in me of this spirit.

Give me his luck, that other thing I'll bear.

[MAX. quits him abruptly. WALLENSTEIN startled and overpowered, continues looking after him, and is still in this posture when TERZKY enters.

SCENE III.

WALLENSTEIN, TERZKY.

TERZKY.

Max. Piccolomini just left you?

WALLENSTEIN.

Where is Wrangel?

TERZKY.

He is already gone.

WALLENSTEIN.

In such a hurry?

TERZKY.

It is as if the earth had swallowed him.

He had scarce left thee, when I went to seek him.

I wished some words with him--but he was gone.

How, when, and where, could no one tell me.

Nay, I half believe it was the devil himself; A human creature could not so at once Have vanished.

ILLO (enters).

Is it true that thou wilt send Octavio?

TERZKY.

How, Octavio! Whither send him?

WALLENSTEIN.

He goes to Frauenberg, and will lead hither The Spanish and Italian regiments.

ILLO.

No!

Nay, heaven forbid!

WALLENSTEIN.

And why should heaven forbid?

ILLO.