The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition). Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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СКАЧАТЬ in the earth, 90Lead-coloured shine lighted thee into life.

       The common, the terrestrial, thou mayest see,

       With serviceable cunning knit together

       The nearest with the nearest; and therein 95

       I trust thee and believe thee! but whate’er

       Full of mysterious import Nature weaves,

       And fashions in the depths — the spirit’s ladder,

       That from this gross and visible world of dust

       Even to the starry world, with thousand rounds, 100

       Builds itself up; on which the unseen powers

       Move up and down on heavenly ministries —

       The circles in the circles, that approach

       The central sun with ever-narrowing orbit —

       These see the glance alone, the unsealed eye, 105

       Of Jupiter’s glad children born in lustre.

      [He walks across the chamber, then returns, and standing

       still, proceeds.

      The heavenly constellations make not merely

       The day and nights, summer and spring, not merely

       Signify to the husbandman the seasons

       Of sowing and of harvest. Human action, 110

       That is the seed too of contingencies,

       Strewed on the dark land of futurity

       In hopes to reconcile the powers of fate.

       Whence it behoves us to seek out the seed-time,

       To watch the stars, select their proper hours, 115

       And trace with searching eye the heavenly houses,

       Whether the enemy of growth and thriving

       Hide himself not, malignant, in his corner.

       Therefore permit me my own time. Meanwhile

       Do you your part. As yet I cannot say 120

       What I shall do — only, give way I will not.

       Depose me too they shall not. On these points

       You may rely.

      Page (entering). My Lords, the Generals.

      Wallenstein. Let them come in.

SCENE XII

       Table of Contents

      WALLENSTEIN, TERTSKY, ILLO. — To them enter QUESTENBERG, OCTAVIO, and

      MAX PICCOLOMINI, BUTLER, ISOLANI, MARADAS, and three other Generals.

      WALLENSTEIN motions QUESTENBERG, who in consequence takes the Chair

       directly opposite to him; the others follow, arranging themselves

       according to their rank.

      Wallenstein. I have understood, ‘tis true, the sum and import

       Of your instructions, Questenberg, have weighed them,

       And formed my final, absolute resolve;

       Yet it seems fitting, that the Generals

       Should hear the will of the Emperor from your mouth. 5

       May’t please you then to open your commission

       Before these noble Chieftains.

      Questenberg. I am ready

       To obey you; but will first entreat your Highness,

       And all these noble Chieftains, to consider,

       The Imperial dignity and sovereign right 10

       Speaks from my mouth, and not my own presumption.

      Wallenstein. We excuse all preface.

      Questenberg. When his Majesty

       The Emperor to his courageous armies

       Presented in the person of Duke Friedland

       A most experienced and renowned commander, 15

       He did it in glad hope and confidence

       To give thereby to the fortune of the war

       A rapid and auspicious change. The onset

       Was favourable to his royal wishes.

       Bohemia was delivered from the Saxons, 20

       The Swede’s career of conquest checked! These lands

       Began to draw breath freely, as Duke Friedland

       From all the streams of Germany forced hither

       The scattered armies of the enemy,

       Hither invoked as round one magic circle 25

       The Rhinegrave, Bernhard, Banner, Oxenstirn,

       Yea, and that never-conquered King himself;

       Here finally, before the eye of Nürnberg,

       The fearful game of battle to decide.

      Wallenstein. May’t please you to the point. 30

      Questenberg. In Nürnberg’s camp the Swedish monarch left

       His fame — in Lützen’s plains his life. But who

       Stood not astounded, when victorious Friedland

       After this day of triumph, this proud day,

       Marched toward Bohemia with the speed of flight, 35

       And vanished from the theatre of war;

       While the young Weimar hero forced his way

       Into Franconia, to the Danube, like

       Some delving winter-stream, which, where it rushes,

       Makes its own channel; with such sudden speed 40

       He marched, and now at once ‘fore Regenspurg

       Stood to the affright of all good Catholic Christians.

       Then did Bavaria’s well-deserving Prince

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