The Death of Wallenstein. Friedrich von Schiller

iller

      The Death of Wallenstein

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      WALLENSTEIN, Duke of Friedland, Generalissimo of the Imperial Forces in the Thirty Years' War.

      DUCHESS OF FREIDLAND, Wife of Wallenstein.

      THEKLA, her Daughter, Princess of Friedland.

      THE COUNTESS TERZKY, Sister of the Duchess.

      LADY NEUBRUNN.

      OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, Lieutenant-General.

      MAX. PICCOLOMINI, his Son, Colonel of a Regiment of Cuirassiers.

      COUNT TERZKY, the Commander of several Regiments, and Brother-in-law of Wallenstein.

      ILLO, Field-Marshal, Wallenstein's Confidant.

      ISOLANI, General of the Croats.

      BUTLER, an Irishman, Commander of a Regiment of Dragoons.

      GORDON, Governor of Egra.

      MAJOR GERALDIN.

      CAPTAIN DEVEREUX.

      CAPTAIN MACDONALD.

      AN ADJUTANT.

      NEUMANN, Captain of Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp to TERZKY.

      COLONEL WRANGEL, Envoy from the Swedes.

      ROSENBURG, Master of Horse.

      SWEDISH CAPTAIN.

      SENI.

      BURGOMASTER of Egra.

      ANSPESSADE of the Cuirassiers.

      GROOM OF THE CHAMBER. | Belonging

      A PAGE. | to the Duke.

      Cuirassiers, Dragoons, and Servants.

      ACT I

      SCENE I

      A room fitted up for astrological labors, and provided with celestial charts, with globes, telescopes, quadrants, and other mathematical instruments. Seven colossal figures, representing the planets, each with a transparent star of different color on its head, stand in a semicircle in the background, so that Mars and Saturn are nearest the eye. The remainder of the scene and its disposition is given in the fourth scene of the second act. There must be a curtain over the figures, which may be dropped and conceal them on occasions.

      [In the fifth scene of this act it must be dropped; but in the seventh scene it must be again drawn up wholly or in part.]

      WALLENSTEIN at a black table, on which, a speculum astrologicum is described with chalk. SENI is taking observations through a window.

WALLENSTEIN

        All well – and now let it be ended, Seni. Come,

        The dawn commences, and Mars rules the hour;

        We must give o'er the operation. Come,

        We know enough.

SENI

                 Your highness must permit me

        Just to contemplate Venus. She is now rising

        Like as a sun so shines she in the east.

WALLENSTEIN

        She is at present in her perigee,

        And now shoots down her strongest influences.

      [Contemplating the figure on the table.

        Auspicious aspect! fateful in conjunction,

        At length the mighty three corradiate;

        And the two stars of blessing, Jupiter

        And Venus, take between them the malignant

        Slyly-malicious Mars, and thus compel

        Into my service that old mischief-founder:

        For long he viewed me hostilely, and ever

        With beam oblique, or perpendicular,

        Now in the Quartile, now in the Secundan,

        Shot his red lightnings at my stars, disturbing

        Their blessed influences and sweet aspects:

        Now they have conquered the old enemy,

        And bring him in the heavens a prisoner to me.

SENI (who has come down from the window)

        And in a corner-house, your highness – think of that!

        That makes each influence of double strength.

WALLENSTEIN

        And sun and moon, too, in the Sextile aspect,

        The soft light with the vehement – so I love it.

        Sol is the heart, Luna the head of heaven,

        Bold be the plan, fiery the execution.

SENI

        And both the mighty Lumina by no

        Maleficus affronted. Lo! Saturnus,

        Innocuous, powerless, in cadente Domo.

WALLENSTEIN

        The empire of Saturnus is gone by;

        Lord of the secret birth of things is he;

        Within the lap of earth, and in the depths

        Of the imagination dominates;

        And his are all things that eschew the light.

        The time is o'er of brooding and contrivance,

        For Jupiter, the lustrous, lordeth now,

        And the dark work, complete of preparation,

        He draws by force into the realm of light.

        Now must we hasten on to action, ere

        The scheme, and most auspicious positure

        Parts o'er my head, and takes once more its flight,

        For the heaven's journey still, and adjourn not.

      [There are knocks at the door.

        There's some one knocking there. See who it is.

TERZKY (from without)

        Open, and let me in.

WALLENSTEIN

                   Ay – 'tis Terzky.

        What is there of such urgence? We are busy.

TERZKY (from without)

        Lay all aside at present, I entreat you;

        It suffers no delaying.

WALLENSTEIN

                     Open, Seni!

[While SENI opens the door for TERZKY, WALLENSTEIN draws the curtain over the figures

      SCENE II

      WALLENSTEIN, COUNT TERZKY.

TERZKY (enters)

        Hast thou already heard it? He is taken.

        Gallas has given him up to the emperor.

      [SENI draws off the black table, and exit.

WALLENSTEIN (to TERZKY)

        Who has been taken? Who is given up?

TERZKY

        The man who knows our secrets, who knows every

        Negotiation with the Swede and Saxon,

        Through whose hands all and everything has passed —

WALLENSTEIN (drawing back)

        Nay, not Sesina? Say, no! I entreat thee.

TERZKY

        All on his road for Regensburg