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Фридрих Шиллер
The Death of Wallenstein

ACT IV

SCENE I

The BURGOMASTER's house at Egra.

BUTLER (just arrived)

 
  Here then he is by his destiny conducted.
  Here, Friedland! and no further! From Bohemia
  Thy meteor rose, traversed the sky awhile,
  And here upon the borders of Bohemia
  Must sink.
        Thou hast forsworn the ancient colors,
  Blind man! yet trustest to thy ancient fortunes.
  Profaner of the altar and the hearth,
  Against thy emperor and fellow-citizens
  Thou meanest to wage the war. Friedland, beware —
  The evil spirit of revenge impels thee —
  Beware thou, that revenge destroy thee not!
 

SCENE II

BUTLER and GORDON.

GORDON

 
                    Is it you?
  How my heart sinks! The duke a fugitive traitor!
  His princely head attainted! Oh, my God!
  Tell me, general, I implore thee, tell me
  In full, of all these sad events at Pilsen.
 

BUTLER

 
  You have received the letter which I sent you
  By a post-courier?
 

GORDON

 
            Yes: and in obedience to it
  Opened the stronghold to him without scruple,
  For an imperial letter orders me
  To follow your commands implicitly.
  But yet forgive me! when even now I saw
  The duke himself, my scruples recommenced.
  For truly, not like an attainted man,
  Into this town did Friedland make his entrance;
  His wonted majesty beamed from his brow,
  And calm, as in the days when all was right,
  Did he receive from me the accounts of office.
  'Tis said, that fallen pride learns condescension.
  But sparing and with dignity the duke
  Weighed every syllable of approbation,
  As masters praise a servant who has done
  His duty and no more.
 

BUTLER

 
              'Tis all precisely
  As I related in my letter. Friedland
  Has sold the army to the enemy,
  And pledged himself to give up Prague and Egra.
  On this report the regiments all forsook him,
  The five excepted that belong to Terzky,
  And which have followed him, as thou hast seen.
  The sentence of attainder is passed on him,
  And every loyal subject is required
  To give him in to justice, dead or living.
 

GORDON

 
  A traitor to the emperor. Such a noble!
  Of such high talents! What is human greatness?
  I often said, this can't end happily.
  His might, his greatness, and this obscure power
  Are but a covered pitfall. The human being
  May not be trusted to self-government.
  The clear and written law, the deep-trod footmarks
  Of ancient custom, are all necessary
  To keep him in the road of faith and duty.
  The authority intrusted to this man
  Was unexampled and unnatural,
  It placed him on a level with his emperor,
  Till the proud soul unlearned submission. Woe is me!
  I mourn for him! for where he fell, I deem
  Might none stand firm. Alas! dear general,
  We in our lucky mediocrity
  Have ne'er experienced, cannot calculate,
  What dangerous wishes such a height may breed
  In the heart of such a man.
 

BUTLER

 
                 Spare your laments
  Till he need sympathy; for at this present
  He is still mighty, and still formidable.
  The Swedes advance to Egra by forced marches,
  And quickly will the junction be accomplished.
  This must not be! The duke must never leave
  This stronghold on free footing; for I have
  Pledged life and honor here to hold him prisoner,
  And your assistance 'tis on which I calculate.
 

GORDON

 
  O that I had not lived to see this day!
  From his hand I received this dignity,
  He did himself intrust this stronghold to me,
  Which I am now required to make his dungeon.
  We subalterns have no will of our own:
  The free, the mighty man alone may listen
  To the fair impulse of his human nature.
  Ah! we are but the poor tools of the law,
  Obedience the sole virtue we dare aim at!
 

BUTLER

 
  Nay! let it not afflict you, that your power
  Is circumscribed. Much liberty, much error!
  The narrow path of duty is securest.
  And all then have deserted him you say?
  He has built up the luck of many thousands
  For kingly was his spirit: his full hand
  Was ever open! Many a one from dust
 

[With a sly glance on BUTLER.

 
  Hath he selected, from the very dust
  Hath raised him into dignity and honor.
  And yet no friend, not one friend hath he purchased,
  Whose heart beats true to him in the evil hour.
 

BUTLER

 
  Here's one, I see.
 

GORDON

 
            I have enjoyed from him
  No grace or favor. I could almost doubt,
  If ever in his greatness he once thought on
  An old friend of his youth. For still my office
  Kept me at distance from him; and when first
  He to this citadel appointed me,
  He was sincere and serious in his duty.
  I do not then abuse his confidence,
  If I preserve my fealty in that
  Which to my fealty was first delivered.
 

BUTLER

 
  Say, then, will you fulfil the attainder on him,
  And lend your aid to take him in arrest?
  GORDON (pauses, reflecting – then as in deep dejection).
  If it be so – if all be as you say —
  If he've betrayed the emperor, his master,
  Have sold the troops, have purposed to deliver
  The strongholds of the country to the enemy —
  Yea, truly! – there is no redemption for him!
  Yet it is hard, that me the lot should destine
  To be the instrument of his perdition;
  For we were pages at the court of Bergau
  At the same period; but I was the senior.
 

BUTLER

 
  I have heard so —
 

GORDON

 
            'Tis full thirty years since then,
  A youth who scarce had seen his twentieth year
  Was Wallenstein, when he and I were friends
  Yet even then he had a daring soul:
  His frame of mind was serious and severe
  Beyond his years: his dreams were of great objects
  He walked amidst us of a silent spirit,
  Communing with himself; yet I have known him
  Transported on a sudden into utterance
  Of strange conceptions; kindling into splendor
  His soul revealed itself, and he spake so
  That we looked round perplexed upon each other,
  Not knowing whether it were craziness,
  Or whether it were a god that spoke in him.
 

BUTLER

 
  But was it where he fell two story high
  From a window-ledge, on which he had fallen asleep
  And rose up free from injury? From this day
  (It is reported) he betrayed clear marks
  Of a distempered fancy.
 

GORDON

 
               He became
  Doubtless more self-enwrapped and melancholy;
  He made himself a Catholic.⁷ Marvellously
  His marvellous preservation had transformed him.
  Thenceforth he held himself for an exempted
  And privileged being, and, as if he were
  Incapable of dizziness or fall,
  He ran along the unsteady rope of life.
  But now our destinies drove us asunder;
  He paced with rapid step the way of greatness,
  Was count, and prince, duke-regent, and dictator,
  And now is all, all this too little for him;
  He stretches forth his hands for a king's crown,
  And plunges in unfathomable ruin.
 

BUTLER

 
  No more, he comes.
 

SCENE III

To these enter WALLENSTEIN, in conversation with the BURGOMASTER of Egra.

WALLENSTEIN

 
  You were at one time a free town. I see
  Ye bear the half eagle in your city arms.
  Why the half eagle only?
 

BURGOMASTER

 
               We were free,
  But for these last two hundred years has Egra
  Remained in pledge to the Bohemian crown;
  Therefore we bear the half eagle, the other half
  Being cancelled till the empire ransom us,
  If ever that should be.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
               Ye merit freedom.
  Only be firm and dauntless. Lend your ears
  To no designing whispering court-minions.
  What may your imposts be?
 

BURGOMASTER

 
                So heavy that
  We totter under them. The garrison
  Lives at our costs.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
             I will relieve you. Tell me,
  There are some Protestants among you still?
 

[The BURGOMASTER hesitates.

 
  Yes, yes; I know it. Many lie concealed
  Within these walls. Confess now, you yourself —
 

[Fixes, his eye on him. The BURGOMASTER alarmed.

 
  Be not alarmed. I hate the Jesuits.
  Could my will have determined it they had
  Been long ago expelled the empire. Trust me —
  Mass-book or Bible, 'tis all one to me.
  Of that the world has had sufficient proof.
  I built a church for the Reformed in Glogau
  At my own instance. Hark ye, burgomaster!
  What is your name?
 

BURGOMASTER

 
            Pachhalbel, may it please you.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  Hark ye! But let it go no further, what I now
  Disclose to you in confidence.
 

[Laying his hand on the BURGOMASTER'S shoulder with a certain

 
     solemnity.
                  The times
  Draw near to their fulfilment, burgomaster!
  The high will fall, the low will be exalted.
  Hark ye! But keep it to yourself! The end
  Approaches of the Spanish double monarchy —
  A new arrangement is at hand. You saw
  The three moons that appeared at once in the heaven?
 

BURGOMASTER

 
  With wonder and affright!
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
                Whereof did two
  Strangely transform themselves to bloody daggers,
  And only one, the middle moon, remained
  Steady and clear.
 

BURGOMASTER

 
            We applied it to the Turks.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  The Turks! That all? I tell you that two empires
  Will set in blood, in the East and in the West,
  And Lutherism alone remain.
 

[Observing GORDON and BUTLER.

 
                 I'faith,
  'Twas a smart cannonading that we heard
  This evening, as we journeyed hitherward:
  'Twas on our left hand. Did ye hear it here?
 

GORDON

 
  Distinctly. The wind brought it from the south.
 

BUTLER

 
  It seemed to come from Weiden or from Neustadt.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  'Tis likely. That's the route the Swedes are taking.
  How strong is the garrison?
 

GORDON

 
                 Not quite two hundred
  Competent men, the rest are invalids.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  Good! And how many in the vale of Jochim?
 

GORDON

 
  Two hundred arquebusiers have I sent thither
  To fortify the posts against the Swedes.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  Good! I commend your foresight. At the works too
  You have done somewhat?
 

GORDON

 
               Two additional batteries
  I caused to be run up. They were needless;
  The Rhinegrave presses hard upon us, general!
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  You have been watchful in your emperor's service.
  I am content with you, lieutenant-colonel.
 

[To BUTLER.

 
  Release the outposts in the vale of Jochim,
  With all the stations in the enemy's route.
 

[To GORDON.

 
  Governor, in your faithful hands I leave
  My wife, my daughter, and my sister. I
  Shall make no stay here, and wait but the arrival
  Of letters to take leave of you, together
  With all the regiments.
 

SCENE IV

To these enter COUNT TERZKY.

TERZKY

 
  Joy, general, joy! I bring you welcome tidings.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  And what may they be?
 

TERZKY

 
              There has been an engagement
  At Neustadt; the Swedes gained the victory.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
  From whence did you receive the intelligence?
 

TERZKY

 
  A countryman from Tirschenreut conveyed it.
  Soon after sunrise did the fight begin
  A troop of the imperialists from Tachau
  Had forced their way into the Swedish camp;
  The cannonade continued full two hours;
  There were left dead upon the field a thousand
  Imperialists, together with their colonel;
  Further than this he did not know.
 

WALLENSTEIN

 
                    How came
  Imperial troops at Neustadt? Altringer,
  But yesterday, stood sixty miles from there.
  Count Gallas' force collects at Frauenberg,
  And have not the full complement. Is it possible
  That Suys perchance had ventured so far onward?
  It cannot be.
 

TERZKY

 
          We shall soon know the whole,
  For here comes Illo, full of haste, and joyous.
 

SCENE V

To these enter ILLO.

ILLO (to WALLENSTEIN)

 
  A courier, duke! he wishes to speak with thee.
 

TERZKY (eagerly)

 
  Does he bring confirmation of the victory?
 

WALLENSTEIN (at the same time)

 
  What does he bring? Whence comes he?
 

ILLO

 
                      From the Rhinegrave,
  And what he brings I can announce to you
  Beforehand. Seven leagues distant are the Swedes;
  At Neustadt did Max. Piccolomini
  Throw himself on them with the cavalry;
  A murderous fight took place! o'erpowered by numbers
  The Pappenheimers all, with Max. their leader,
 

[WALLENSTEIN shudders and turns pale.

 
  Were left dead on the field.
 

WALLENSTEIN (after a pause, in a low voice)

 
  Where is the messenger? Conduct me to him.
 

[WALLENSTEIN is going, when LADY NEUBRUNN rushes into the room.

Some servants follow her and run across the stage.

NEUBRUNN

 
  Help! Help!
 

ILLO and TERZKY (at the same time)

 
         What now?
 

NEUBRUNN

 
               The princess!
 

WALLENSTEIN and TERZKY

 
                      Does she know it?
 

NEUBRUNN (at the same time with them)

 
  She is dying!
 

[Hurries off the stage, when WALLENSTEIN and TERZKY follow her.

SCENE VI

BUTLER and GORDON.

GORDON

 
  What's this?
 

BUTLER

 
  She has lost the man she loved —
  Young Piccolomini, who fell in the battle.
 

GORDON

 
  Unfortunate lady!
 

BUTLER

 
            You have heard what Illo
  Reporteth, that the Swedes are conquerers,
  And marching hitherward.
 

GORDON

 
               Too well I heard it.
 

BUTLER

 
  They are twelve regiments strong, and there are five
  Close by us to protect the duke. We have
  Only my single regiment; and the garrison
  Is not two hundred strong.
 

GORDON

 
                'Tis even so.
 

BUTLER

 
  It is not possible with such small force
  To hold in custody a man like him.
 

GORDON

 
  I grant it.
 

BUTLER

 
         Soon the numbers would disarm us,
  And liberate him.
 

GORDON

 
            It were to be feared.
 

BUTLER (after a pause)

 
  Know, I am warranty for the event;
  With my head have I pledged myself for his,
  Must make my word good, cost it what it will,
  And if alive we cannot hold him prisoner,
  Why – death makes all things certain!
 

GORDON

 
                     Sutler! What?
  Do I understand you? Gracious God! You could —
 

BUTLER

 
  He must not live.
 

GORDON

 
            And you can do the deed?
 

BUTLER

 
  Either you or I. This morning was his last.
 

GORDON

 
  You would assassinate him?
 

BUTLER

 
                'Tis my purpose.
 

GORDON

 
  Who leans with his whole confidence upon you!
 

BUTLER

 
  Such is his evil destiny!
 

GORDON

 
                Your general!
  The sacred person of your general!
 

BUTLER

 
  My general he has been.
 

GORDON

 
               That 'tis only
  An "has been" washes out no villany,
  And without judgment passed.
 

BUTLER

 
                 The execution
  Is here instead of judgment.
 

GORDON

 
                 This were murder,
  Not justice. The most guilty should be heard.
 

BUTLER

 
  His guilt is clear, the emperor has passed judgment,
  And we but execute his will.
 

GORDON

 
                 We should not
  Hurry to realize a bloody sentence.
  A word may be recalled, a life never can be.
 

BUTLER

 
  Despatch in service pleases sovereigns.
 

GORDON

 
  No honest man's ambitious to press forward
  To the hangman's service.
 

BUTLER

 
                And no brave man loses
  His color at a daring enterprise.
 

GORDON

 
  A brave man hazards life, but not his conscience.
 

BUTLER

 
  What then? Shall he go forth anew to kindle
  The unextinguishable flame of war?
 

GORDON

 
  Seize him, and hold him prisoner – do not kill him.
 

BUTLER

 
  Had not the emperor's army been defeated
  I might have done so. But 'tis now passed by.
 

GORDON

 
  Oh, wherefore opened I the stronghold to him?
 

BUTLER

 
  His destiny, and not the place destroys him.
 

GORDON

 
  Upon these ramparts, as beseemed a soldier —
  I had fallen, defending the emperor's citadel!
 

BUTLER

 
  Yes! and a thousand gallant men have perished!
 

GORDON

 
  Doing their duty – that adorns the man!
  But murder's a black deed, and nature curses it.
  BUTLER (brings out a paper).
  Here is the manifesto which commands us
  To gain possession of his person. See —
  It is addressed to you as well as me.
  Are you content to take the consequences,
  If through our fault he escape to the enemy?
 

GORDON

 
  I? Gracious God!
 

BUTLER

 
            Take it on yourself.
  Come of it what may, on you I lay it.
 

GORDON

 
  Oh, God in heaven!
 

BUTLER

 
            Can you advise aught else
  Wherewith to execute the emperor's purpose?
  Say if you can. For I desire his fall,
  Not his destruction.
 

GORDON

 
             Merciful heaven! what must be
  I see as clear as you. Yet still the heart
  Within my bosom beats with other feelings!
 

BUTLER

 
  Mine is of harder stuff! Necessity
  In her rough school hath steeled me. And this Illo,
  And Terzky likewise, they must not survive him.
 

GORDON

 
  I feel no pang for these. Their own bad hearts
  Impelled them, not the influence of the stars.
  'Twas they who strewed the seeds of evil passions
  In his calm breast, and with officious villany
  Watered and nursed the poisonous plants. May they
  Receive their earnests to the uttermost mite!
 

BUTLER

 
  And their death shall precede his!
  We meant to have taken them alive this evening
  Amid the merrymaking of a feast,
  And keep them prisoners in the citadel,
  But this makes shorter work. I go this instant
  To give the necessary orders.
 

SCENE VII

To these enter ILLO and TERZKY.

 

TERZKY

 
  Our luck is on the turn. To-morrow come
  The Swedes – twelve thousand gallant warriors, Illo!
  Then straightwise for Vienna. Cheerily, friend!
  What! meet such news with such a moody face?
 

ILLO

 
  It lies with us at present to prescribe
  Laws, and take vengeance on those worthless traitors
  Those skulking cowards that deserted us;
  One has already done his bitter penance,
  The Piccolomini: be his the fate
  Of all who wish us evil! This flies sure
  To the old man's heart; he has his whole life long
  Fretted and toiled to raise his ancient house
  From a count's title to the name of prince;
  And now must seek a grave for his only son.
 

BUTLER

 
  'Twas pity, though! A youth of such heroic
  And gentle temperament! The duke himself,
  'Twas easily seen, how near it went to his heart.
 

ILLO

 
  Hark ye, old friend! That is the very point
  That never pleased me in our general —
  He ever gave the preference to the Italians.
  Yea, at this very moment, by my soul!
  He'd gladly see us all dead ten times over,
  Could he thereby recall his friend to life.
 

TERZKY

 
  Hush, hush! Let the dead rest! This evening's business
  Is, who can fairly drink the other down —
  Your regiment, Illo! gives the entertainment.
  Come! we will keep a merry carnival
  The night for once be day, and 'mid full glasses
  Will we expect the Swedish avant-garde.
 

ILLO

 
  Yes, let us be of good cheer for to-day,
  For there's hot work before us, friends! This sword
  Shall have no rest till it is bathed to the hilt
  In Austrian blood.
 

GORDON

 
  Shame, shame! what talk is this,
  My lord field-marshal? Wherefore foam you so
  Against your emperor?
 

BUTLER

 
              Hope not too much
  From this first victory. Bethink you, sirs!
  How rapidly the wheel of fortune turns;
  The emperor still is formidably strong.
 

ILLO

 
  The emperor has soldiers, no commander,
  For this King Ferdinand of Hungary
  Is but a tyro. Gallas? He's no luck,
  And was of old the ruiner of armies.
  And then this viper, this Octavio,
  Is excellent at stabbing in the back,
  But ne'er meets Friedland in the open field.
 

TERZKY

 
  Trust me, my friends, it cannot but succeed;
  Fortune, we know, can ne'er forsake the duke! —
  And only under Wallenstein can Austria
  Be conqueror.
 

ILLO

 
  The duke will soon assemble
  A mighty army: all come crowding, streaming
  To banners, dedicate by destiny
  To fame, and prosperous fortune. I behold
  Old times come back again! he will become
  Once more the mighty lord which he has been.
  How will the fools, who've how deserted him,
  Look then? I can't but laugh to think of them,
  For lands will he present to all his friends,
  And like a king and emperor reward
  True services; but we've the nearest claims.
 

[To GORDON.

 
  You will not be forgotten, governor!
  He'll take from you this nest, and bid you shine
  In higher station: your fidelity
  Well merits it.
 

GORDON

 
           I am content already,
  And wish to climb no higher; where great height is,
  The fall must needy be great. "Great height, great depth."
 

ILLO

 
  Here you have no more business, for to-morrow
  The Swedes will take possession of the citadel.
  Come, Terzky, it is supper-time. What think you?
  Nay, shall we have the town illuminated
  In honor of the Swede? And who refuses
  To do it is a Spaniard and a traitor.
 

TERZKY

 
  Nay! nay! not that, it will not please the duke —
 

ILLO

 
  What; we are masters here; no soul shall dare
  Avow himself imperial where we've the rule.
  Gordon! good-night, and for the last time take
  A fair leave of the place. Send out patrols
  To make secure, the watchword may be altered.
  At the stroke of ten deliver in the keys
  To the duke himself, and then you've quit forever
  Your wardship of the gates, for on to-morrow
  The Swedes will take possession of the citadel.
 

TERZKY (as he is going, to BUTLER)

 
  You come, though, to the castle?
 

BUTLER

 
                   At the right time.
 

[Exeunt TERZKY and ILLO.