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

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ brim. — To this gallant man’s health! 20

      Isolani (to Max, who all the while has been staring on the paper

       with fixed but vacant eyes). Slow and sure, my noble

       brother! — Hast parsed it all yet? — Some words yet to go

       through? — Ha?

      Max. What am I to do?

      Tertsky (and at the same time Isolani). Sign your name.

      Max (returns the paper). Let it stay till tomorrow. It is 25

       business — to-day I am not sufficiently collected. Send it to me

       tomorrow.

      Tertsky. Nay, collect yourself a little.

      Isolani. Awake, man! awake! — Come, thy signature, and

       have done with it! What? Thou art the youngest in the 30

       whole company, and wouldest be wiser than all of us together?

       Look there! thy father has signed — we have all signed.

      Tertsky (to Octavio). Use your influence. Instruct him.

      Octavio. My son is at the age of discretion.

      Illo (leaves the service-cup on the sideboard). What’s the

       dispute? 35

      Tertsky. He declines subscribing the paper.

      Max. I say, it may as well stay till tomorrow.

      Illo. It cannot stay. We have all subscribed to it — and so

       must you. — You must subscribe.

      Max. Illo, good night! 40

      Illo. No! You come not off so! The Duke shall learn

       who are his friends. [All collect round ILLO and MAX.

      Max. What my sentiments are towards the Duke, the Duke

       knows, every one knows — what need of this wild stuff? 45

      Illo. This is the thanks the Duke gets for his partiality to

       Italians and foreigners. — Us Bohemians he holds for little better

       than dullards — nothing pleases him but what’s outlandish.

      Tertsky (to the commanders, who at Illo’s words give a sudden

       start, as preparing to resent them). It is the wine that speaks,

       and not his reason. Attend not to him, I entreat you. 50

      Isolani. Wine invents nothing: it only tattles.

      Illo. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender

       consciences! Unless they can slip out by a back-door, by a

       puny proviso ——

      Tertsky. He is stark mad — don’t listen to him! 55

      Illo. Unless they can slip out by a proviso. — What of the

       proviso? The devil take this proviso!

      Max. What is there here then of such perilous import?

       You make me curious — I must look closer at it.

      Tertsky (in a low voice to Illo). What are you doing, Illo? 60

       You are ruining us.

      Tiefenbach (to Kolatto). Ay, ay! I observed, that before we

       sat down to supper, it was read differently.

      Goetz. Why, I seemed to think so too.

      Isolani. What do I care for that? Where there stand other 65

       names, mine can stand too.

      Tiefenbach. Before supper there was a certain proviso therein,

       or short clause concerning our duties to the Emperor.

      Butler (to one of the commanders). For shame, for shame!

       Bethink you. What is the main business here? The question 70

       now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire.

       One must not take these things too nicely and

       over-scrupulously.

      Isolani (to one of the Generals). Did the Duke make any of

       these provisos when he gave you your regiment? 75

      Tertsky (to Goetz). Or when he gave you the office of

       army-purveyancer, which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles!

      Illo. He is a rascal who makes us out to be rogues. If

       there be any one that wants satisfaction, let him say so, — I am

       his man. 80

      Tiefenbach. Softly, softly! ‘Twas but a word or two.

      Max (having read the paper gives it back). Till tomorrow,

       therefore!

      Illo (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over

       himself, and presents the paper to Max with one hand, and his

       sword in the other). Subscribe — Judas!

      Isolani. Out upon you, Illo! 85

      Octavio, Tertsky, Butler (all together). Down with the sword!

      Max (rushes on him suddenly and disarms him, then to Count

       Tertsky). Take him off to bed.

      [MAX leaves the stage. ILLO cursing and raving is held

       back by some of the Officers, and amidst a

       universal confusion the curtain drops.

      triumphant air) 1800, 1828, 1829.

      [Before 16] Tertsky (to Butler, eagerly). 1800, 1828, 1829.

      [Before 19] Illo (cordially). 1800, 1828, 1829.

      [Before 23] Max (waking as from a dream). 1800, 1828, 1829.

      [After 24] [OCTAVIO directs his eyes on him with intense anxiety.

       1800, 1828, 1829.

      [Before СКАЧАТЬ