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

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СКАЧАТЬ which thou

       Dost put on with the Swede? Thou’lt not betray

       The Emperor? Wilt not turn us into Swedes?

       This is the only thing which we desire

       To learn from thee.

      Wallenstein. What care I for the Swedes? 155

       I hate them as I hate the pit of hell,

       And under Providence I trust right soon

       To chase them to their homes across their Baltic.

       My cares are only for the whole: I have

       A heart — it bleeds within me for the miseries 160

       And piteous groaning of my fellow-Germans.

       Ye are but common men, but yet ye think

       With minds not common; ye appear to me

       Worthy before all others, that I whisper ye

       A little word or two in confidence! 165

       See now! already for full fifteen years

       The war-torch has continued burning, yet

       No rest, no pause of conflict. Swede and German,

       Papist and Lutheran! neither will give way

       To the other, every hand’s against the other. 170

       Each one is party and no one a judge.

       Where shall this end? Where’s he that will unravel

       This tangle, ever tangling more and more.

       It must be cut asunder.

       I feel that I am the man of destiny, 175

       And trust, with your assistance, to accomplish it.

SCENE IV

       Table of Contents

      To these enter BUTLER.

      Butler (passionately). General! This is not right!

      Wallenstein. What is not right?

      Butler. It must needs injure us with all honest men.

      Wallenstein. But what?

      Butler. It is an open proclamation

       Of insurrection.

      Wallenstein. Well, well — but what is it?

      Butler. Count Tertsky’s regiments tear the Imperial Eagle 5

       From off the banners, and instead of it,

       Have reared aloft thy arms.

      Anspessade (abruptly to the Cuirassiers). Right about! March!

      Wallenstein. Cursed be this counsel, and accursed who gave it!

      [To the Cuirassiers, who are retiring.

      Halt, children, halt! There’s some mistake in this;

       Hark! — I will punish it severely. Stop! 10

       They do not hear. (To ILLO.) Go after them, assure them,

       And bring them back to me, cost what it may.

      [ILLO hurries out.

      This hurls us headlong. Butler! Butler!

       You are my evil genius, wherefore must you

       Announce it in their presence? It was all 15

       In a fair way. They were half won, those madmen

       With their improvident over-readiness —

       A cruel game is fortune playing with me.

       The zeal of friends it is that razes me,

       And not the hate of enemies. 20

SCENE V

       Table of Contents

      To these enter the DUCHESS, who rushes into the Chamber. THEKLA and the

      COUNTESS follow her.

      Duchess. O Albrecht!

       What hast thou done?

      Wallenstein. And now comes this beside.

      Countess. Forgive me, brother! It was not in my power.

       They know all.

      Duchess. What hast thou done?

      Countess (to Tertsky). Is there no hope? Is all lost utterly? 5

      Tertsky. All lost. No hope. Prague in the Emperor’s hands,

       The soldiery have ta’en their oaths anew.

      Countess. That lurking hypocrite. Octavio!

       Count Max is off too?

      Tertsky. Where can he be? He’s

       Gone over to the Emperor with his father. 10

      [THEKLA rushes out into the arms of her mother, hiding

       her face in her bosom.

      Duchess (enfolding her in her arms). Unhappy child! and more

       unhappy mother!

      Wallenstein (aside to Tertsky). Quick! Let a carriage stand in

       readiness

       In the court behind the palace. Scherfenberg

       Be their attendant; he is faithful to us;

       To Egra he’ll conduct them, and we follow. 15

      [To ILLO, who returns.

      Thou hast not brought them back?

      Illo. Hear’st thou the uproar?

       The whole corps of the Pappenheimers is

       Drawn out: the younger Piccolomini,

       Their colonel, they require; for they affirm,

       That he is in the palace here, a prisoner; 20

       And if thou dost СКАЧАТЬ