The Piccolomini. Friedrich von Schiller

I see the youth, in my mind's eye I see him,

         Leap his black war-horse from the bridge adown,

         And t'ward his father, then in extreme peril,

         Beat up against the strong tide of the Elbe.

         The down was scarce upon his chin! I hear

         He has made good the promise of his youth,

         And the full hero now is finished in him.

ILLO

         You'll see him yet ere evening. He conducts

      The Duchess Friedland hither, and the princess2 From Caernthen3. We expect them here at noon.

BUTLER

         Both wife and daughter does the duke call hither?

         He crowds in visitants from all sides.

ISOLANI

                            Hm!

         So much the better! I had framed my mind

         To hear of naught but warlike circumstance,

         Of marches and attacks, and batteries;

         And lo! the duke provides, and something too

         Of gentler sort and lovely, should be present

         To feast our eyes.

ILLO (who has been standing in the attitude of meditation, to BUTLER,whom he leads a little on one side)

                   And how came you to know

         That the Count Gallas joins us not?

BUTLER

                           Because

         He importuned me to remain behind.

ILLO (with warmth)

         And you? You hold out firmly!

      [Grasping his hand with affection.

                         Noble Butler!

BUTLER

         After the obligation which the duke

         Had laid so newly on me —

ILLO

                       I had forgotten

         A pleasant duty – major-general,

         I wish you joy!

ISOLANI

                 What, you mean, of this regiment?

         I hear, too, that to make the gift still sweeter,

         The duke has given him the very same

         In which he first saw service, and since then

         Worked himself step by step, through each preferment,

         From the ranks upwards. And verily, it gives

         A precedent of hope, a spur of action

         To the whole corps, if once in their remembrance

         An old deserving soldier makes his way.

BUTLER

         I am perplexed and doubtful whether or no

         I dare accept this your congratulation.

         The emperor has not yet confirmed the appointment.

ISOLANI

         Seize it, friend, seize it! The hand which in that post

         Placed you is strong enough to keep you there,

         Spite of the emperor and his ministers!

ILLO

         Ay, if we would but so consider it! —

         If we would all of us consider it so!

         The emperor gives us nothing; from the duke

         Comes all – whate'er we hope, whate'er we have.

ISOLANI (to ILLO)

         My noble brother! did I tell you how

         The duke will satisfy my creditors?

         Will be himself my bankers for the future,

         Make me once more a creditable man!

         And this is now the third time, think of that!

         This kingly-minded man has rescued me

         From absolute ruin and restored my honor.

ILLO

         Oh that his power but kept pace with his wishes!

         Why, friend! he'd give the whole world to his soldiers.

         But at Vienna, brother! – here's the grievance, —

         What politic schemes do they not lay to shorten

         His arm, and where they can to clip his pinions.

         Then these new dainty requisitions! these

         Which this same Questenberg brings hither!

BUTLER

                               Ay!

         Those requisitions of the emperor —

         I too have heard about them; but I hope

         The duke will not draw back a single inch!

ILLO

         Not from his right most surely, unless first

         From office!

BUTLER (shocked and confused)

                Know you aught then? You alarm me.

ISOLANI (at the same time with BUTLER, and in a hurrying voice)

         We should be ruined, every one of us!

ILLO

         Yonder I see our worthy friend [spoken with a sneer] approaching

         With the Lieutenant-General Piccolomini.

BUTLER (shaking his head significantly)

         I fear we shall not go hence as we came.

      SCENE II

      Enter OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI and QUESTENBERG.

OCTAVIO (still in the distance)

         Ay! ah! more still! Still more new visitors!

         Acknowledge, friend! that never was a camp,

         Which held at once so many heads of heroes.

QUESTENBERG

         Let none approach a camp of Friedland's troops

         Who dares to think unworthily of war;

         E'en I myself had nigh forgot its evils

         When I surveyed that lofty soul of order,

         By which, while it destroys the world – itself

         Maintains the greatness which itself created.

OCTAVIO (approaching nearer)

         Welcome, Count Isolani!

ISOLANI

                     My noble brother!

        

2

The Dukes in Germany being always reigning powers, their sons and daughters are entitled princes and princesses.

3

Carinthia.