Wallenstein/The Death of Wallenstein/A4S02
SCENE II.
Butler, Captain Devereux, and Macdonald.
MACDONALD.Here we are, General.
DEVEREUX.What's to be the watchword?
BUTLER.Long live the Emperor!
BOTH. (recoiling.)How?
BUTLER. Live the House of Austria!
DEVEREUX.Have we not swore fidelity to Friedland?
MACDONALD.Have we not march'd to this place to protect him?
BUTLER.Protect a traitor, and his country's enemy!
DEVEREUX. Why, yes! in his name you administer'd Our oath.
MACDONALD.And follow'd him yourself to Egra.
BUTLER.I did it the more surely to destroy him.
DEVEREUX.So, then!
MACDONALD.An alter'd case!
BUTLER. (to Devereux.)Thou wretched man! So easily leav'st thou thy oath and colours?
DEVEREUX.The devil!-I but follow'd your example, If you could prove a villain, why not we?
MACDONALD.We've nought to do with thinking—that's your business. You are our General, and give out the orders; We follow you, tho' the track lead to hell.
BUTLER. (appeased.)Good then! we know each other.
MACDONALD.I should hope so.
DEVEREUX.Soldiers of fortune are we—who bids most, He has us.
MACDONALD.'Tis e'en so!
BUTLER. Well, for the present Ye must remain honest and faithful soldiers.
DEVEREUX.We wish no other.
BUTLER.Aye, arid make your fortunes.
MACDONALD.That is still better.
BUTLER.Listen!
BOTH.We attend.
BUTLER.It is the Emperor's will and ordinanceTo seize the person of the Prince-Duke Friedland,Alive or dead.
DEVEREUX.It runs so in the letter.
MACDONALD.Alive or dead—these were the very words.
BUTLER.And he shall be rewarded from the StateIn land and gold, who proffers aid thereto.
DEVEREUX.Ay? That sounds well. The words sound always wellThat travel hither from the Court. Yes! yes!We know already what Court-words import.A golden chain perhaps in sign of favour,Or an old charger, or a parchment patent,And such like.—The Prince-Duke pays better.
MACDONALD. Yes, The Duke's a splendid paymaster.
BUTLER. All over With that, my friends! His lucky stars are set.
MACDONALD. And is that certain?
BUTLER. You have my word for it.
DEVEREUX. His lucky fortunes all past by?
BUTLER. For ever. He is as poor as we.
MACDONALD. As poor as we?
DEVEREUX. Macdonald, we'll desert him.
BUTLER. We'll desert him? Full twenty thousand have done that already; We must do more, my countrymen! In short—We—we must kill him.
BOTH. (starting back.) Kill him!
BUTLER. Yes! must kill him. And for that purpose have I chosen you.
BOTH.Us!
BUTLER.You, Captain Devereux, and the Macdonald.
DEVEREUX. (after a pause.)Chuse you some other.
BUTLER.What? art dastardly? Thou, with full thirty lives to answer for—Thou conscientious of a sudden?
DEVEREUX.Nay, To assassinate our Lord and General—
MACDONALD.To whom we've sworn a soldier's oath—
BUTLER.The oath Is null, for Friedland is a traitor.
DEVEREUX.No, no! It is too bad!
MACDONALD.Yes, by my soul! It is too bad. One has a conscience too—
DEVEREUX.If it were not our Chieftain, who so long Has issued the commands, and claim'd our duty.
BUTLER.Is that the objection?
DEVEREUX.Were it my own father, And the Emperor's service should demand it of me, It might be done perhaps—But we are soldiers,And to assassinate our Chief Commander,That is a sin, a foul abomination,From which no Monk or Confessor absolves us.
BUTLER.I am your Pope, and give you absolution.Determine quickly!
DEVEREUX.'Twill not do!
MACDONALD.'Twont do!
BUTLER. Well, off then! and—send Pestalutz to me.
DEVEREUX. (hesitates.)The Pestalutz—
MACDONALD.What may you want with him?
BUTLER.If you reject it, we can find enough—
DEVEREUX.Nay, if he must fall, we may earn the bountyAs well as any other. What think you,Brother Macdonald?
MACDONALD.Why if he must fall,And will fall, and it can't be otherwise,One would not give place to this Pestalutz.
DEVEREUX. (after some refection.)When do you purpose he should fall?
BUTLER.This night.To-morrow will the Swedes be at our gates.
DEVEREUX.You take upon you all the consequences!
BUTLER.I take the whole upon me.
DEVEREUX.And it isThe Emperor's will, his express absolute will?For we have instances, that folks may likeThe murder, and yet hang the murderer.
BUTLER.The manifesto says—alive or dead.Alive—'tis not possible—you see it is not.
DEVEREUX.Well, dead then! dead! But how can we come at him?The town is fill'd with Tertsky's soldiery.
MACDONALD.Ay! and then Tertsky still remains, and Illo—
BUTLER.With these we shall begin—you understand me?
DEVEREUX.How? And must they too perish?
BUTLER.They the first.
MACDONALD.Hear, Devereux! A bloody evening this.
DEVEREUX.Have you a man for that? Commission me—
BUTLER.'Tis given in trust to Major Geraldin;This is a carnival night, and there's a feastGiven at the Cattle—there we shall surprize them,And hew them down. The Pestalutz, and Lesley,Have that commission—soon as that is finish'd—
DEVEREUX.Hear, General! It will be all one to you.Hark'e! let me exchange with Geraldin.
BUTLER.'Twill be the lesser danger with the Duke.
DEVEREUX.Danger! The devil! What do you think me, General?'Tis the Duke's eye, and not his sword, I fear.
BUTLER.What can his eye do to thee?
DEVEREUX.Death and hell!Thou know'st that I'm no milk-sop, General!But 'tis not eight days, since the Duke did send meTwenty gold pieces for this good warm coatWhich I have on! and then for him to see meStanding before him with the pike, his murderer,That eye of his looking upon this coat—Why—why—the devil fetch me! I'm no milk-sop!
BUTLER.The Duke presented thee this good warm coat,And thou, a needy wight, hast pangs of conscienceTo run him through the body in return.A coat that is far better and far warmerDid the Emperor give to him, the Prince's mantle.How doth he thank the Emperor? With revolt,And treason.
DEVEREUX.That is true. The devil takeSuch thankers! I'll dispatch him.
BUTLER.And would'st quietThy conscience, thou hast nought to do but simplyPull off the coat; so can'st thou do the deedWith light heart and good spirits.
DEVEREUX.You are right,That did not strike me. I'll pull off the coat—So there's an end of it.
MACDONALD.Yes, but there's anotherPoint to be thought of.
BUTLER.And what's that, Macdonald?
MACDONALD.What avails sword or dagger against him?He is not to be wounded—he is—
BUTLER. (starting up.)What?
MACDONALD.Safe against shot, and stab and flash! Hard frozen,Secur'd, and warranted by the black art!His body is impenetrable, I tell you.
DEVEREUX.In Inglestadt there was just another—His whole skin was the same as steel; at lastWe were obliged to beat him down with gun-stocks.
MACDONALD.Hear what I'll do.
DEVEREUX.Well?
MACDONALD.In the Cloister hereThere's a Dominican, my countryman.I'll make him dip my sword and pike for meIn holy water, and say over themOne of his strongest blessings. That's probatum!Nothing can stand 'gainst that.
BUTLER.So do, Macdonald!But now go and select from out the regimentTwenty or thirty able-bodied fellows,And let them take the oaths to the Emperor.Then when it strikes eleven, when the first roundsAre pass'd, conduct them, silently as may be,To th' house—I will myself be not far off.
DEVEREUX.But how do we get through Hartschier and GordonThat stand on guard there in the inner chamber?
BUTLER.I have made myself acquainted with the place.I lead you through a back-door that's defendedBy one man only. Me my rank and officeGive access to the Duke at every hour.I'll go before you—with one poinard-strokeCut Hartschier's wind-pipe, and make way for you.
DEVEREUX.And when we are there, by what means mall we gainThe Duke's bed-chamber, without his alarmingThe servants of the Court; for he has hereA numerous company of followers.
BUTLER. The attendants fill the right wing; he hates bustle.And lodges in the left wing quite alone.
DEVEREUX.Were it well over—hey, Macdonald? IFeel queerly on the occasion, devil knows!
MACDONALD.And I too. 'Tis too great a personage.People will hold us for a brace of villains.
BUTLER.In plenty, honour, splendour.—You may safelyLaugh at the people's babble.
DEVEREUX.If the businessSquares with one's honour— if that be quite certain—
BUTLER.Set your hearts quite at ease. Ye save for FerdinandHis Crown and Empire. The reward can be No small one.
DEVEREUX.And 'tis his purpose to dethrone the Emperor?
BUTLER.Yes!—Yes!—to rob him of his Crown and Life.
DEVEREUX.And he must fall by the executioner's hands,Should we deliver him up to the EmperorAlive?
BUTLER.It were his certain destiny.
DEVEREUX.Well! Well! Come then, Macdonald, he shall notLie long in pain.[Exeunt Butler through one door, Macdonald and
Devereux through the other.]
Devereux through the other.]