Wallenstein/The Death of Wallenstein/A4S03
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SCENE III.
Scene, a gothic and gloomy Apartment at the Duchess Friedland's. Thekla on a seat, pale, her eyes closed. The Duchess and Lady Neubrunn busied about her. Wallenstein and the Countess in conservation.
WALLENSTEIN.
How knew she it so soon?
How knew she it so soon?
COUNTESS.
She seems to have
Foreboded some misfortune. The report
Of an engagement, in the which had fallen
A Colonel of the Imperial Army, frighten'd her.
I saw it instantly. She flew to meet
The Swedish Courier, and with sudden questioning,
Soon wrested from him the disastrous secret.
Too late we miss'd her, hastened after her,
We found her lying in his arms, all pale
And in a swoon.
She seems to have
Foreboded some misfortune. The report
Of an engagement, in the which had fallen
A Colonel of the Imperial Army, frighten'd her.
I saw it instantly. She flew to meet
The Swedish Courier, and with sudden questioning,
Soon wrested from him the disastrous secret.
Too late we miss'd her, hastened after her,
We found her lying in his arms, all pale
And in a swoon.
WALLENSTEIN.
A heavy, heavy blow!
And she so unprepar'd! Poor child! How is it?
(turning to the Duchess.)
Is she coming to herself?
A heavy, heavy blow!
And she so unprepar'd! Poor child! How is it?
(turning to the Duchess.)
Is she coming to herself?
DUCHESS.
Her eyes are opening.
Her eyes are opening.
COUNTESS.
She lives.
She lives.
THEKLA. (looking round her.)
Where am I?
Where am I?
WALLENSTEIN. (steps to her, raising her up in his arms.)
Come cheerly, Thekla! be my own brave girl
See, there's thy loving mother. Thou art in
Thy father's arms.
Come cheerly, Thekla! be my own brave girl
See, there's thy loving mother. Thou art in
Thy father's arms.
THEKLA. (standing up.)
Where is he? Is he gone?
Where is he? Is he gone?
DUCHESS.
Who gone, my daughter?
Who gone, my daughter?
THEKLA.
He—the man who utter'd
That word of misery.
He—the man who utter'd
That word of misery.
DUCHESS.
O! think not of it,
My Thekla!
O! think not of it,
My Thekla!
WALLENSTEIN.
Give her sorrow leave to talk!
Let her complain—mingle your tears with her's,
For she hath suffer'd a deep anguish; but
She'll rise superior to it, for my Thekla
Hath all her father's unsubdued heart.
Give her sorrow leave to talk!
Let her complain—mingle your tears with her's,
For she hath suffer'd a deep anguish; but
She'll rise superior to it, for my Thekla
Hath all her father's unsubdued heart.
THEKLA.
I am not ill. See, I have power to stand.
Why does my mother weep? Have I alarm'd her?
It is gone by-I recollect myself.
(she casts her eyes round the room, as seeking some one.)
Where is he? Please you, do not hide him from me.
You see, I have strength enough: now I will hear him.
I am not ill. See, I have power to stand.
Why does my mother weep? Have I alarm'd her?
It is gone by-I recollect myself.
(she casts her eyes round the room, as seeking some one.)
Where is he? Please you, do not hide him from me.
You see, I have strength enough: now I will hear him.
DUCHESS.
No, never shall this messenger of evil
Enter again into thy presence, Thekla!
No, never shall this messenger of evil
Enter again into thy presence, Thekla!
THEKLA.
My father-
My father-
WALLENSTEIN.
Dearest daughter!
Dearest daughter!
THEKLA.
I'm not weak—
Shortly I shall be quite myself again.
You'll grant me one request?
I'm not weak—
Shortly I shall be quite myself again.
You'll grant me one request?
WALLENSTEIN.
Name it, my daughter.
Name it, my daughter.
THEKLA.
Permit the stranger to be call'd to me,
And grant me leave, that by myself I may
Hear his report and question him.
Permit the stranger to be call'd to me,
And grant me leave, that by myself I may
Hear his report and question him.
DUCHESS.
No, never!
No, never!
COUNTESS.
'Tis not adviseable—assent not to it.
'Tis not adviseable—assent not to it.
WALLENSTEIN.
Hush! Wherefore would'st thou speak with him, my daughter?
Hush! Wherefore would'st thou speak with him, my daughter?
THEKLA.
Knowing the whole, I shall be more collected;
I will not be deceiv'd. My mother wishes
Only to spare me. I will not be spar'd.
The worst is said already: I can hear
Nothing of deeper anguish!
Knowing the whole, I shall be more collected;
I will not be deceiv'd. My mother wishes
Only to spare me. I will not be spar'd.
The worst is said already: I can hear
Nothing of deeper anguish!
COUNTESS and DUCHESS.
Do it not.
Do it not.
THEKLA.
The horror overpower'd me by surprize.
My heart betray'd me in the stranger's presence;
He was a witness of my weakness, yea,
I sank into his arms; and that has sham'd me.
I must replace myself in his esteem,
And I must speak with him, perforce, that he,
The stranger, may not think ungently of me.
The horror overpower'd me by surprize.
My heart betray'd me in the stranger's presence;
He was a witness of my weakness, yea,
I sank into his arms; and that has sham'd me.
I must replace myself in his esteem,
And I must speak with him, perforce, that he,
The stranger, may not think ungently of me.
WALLENSTEIN.
I see she is in the right, and am inclin'd
To grant her this request of her's. Go, call him.
(Lady Neubrunn goes to call him.)
I see she is in the right, and am inclin'd
To grant her this request of her's. Go, call him.
(Lady Neubrunn goes to call him.)
DUCHESS.
But I, thy mother, will be present—
But I, thy mother, will be present—
THEKLA.
'Twere
More pleasing to me, if alone I saw him:
Trust me, I shall behave myself the more
Collectedly.
'Twere
More pleasing to me, if alone I saw him:
Trust me, I shall behave myself the more
Collectedly.
WALLENSTEIN.
Permit her her own will.
Leave her alone with him: for there are sorrows,
Where of necessity the soul must be
Its own support. A strong heart will rely
On its own strength alone. In her own bosom,
Not in her mother's arms, must she collect
The strength to rise superior to this blow.
It is mine own brave girl. I'll have her treated
Not as the woman, but the heroine.
(going.)
Permit her her own will.
Leave her alone with him: for there are sorrows,
Where of necessity the soul must be
Its own support. A strong heart will rely
On its own strength alone. In her own bosom,
Not in her mother's arms, must she collect
The strength to rise superior to this blow.
It is mine own brave girl. I'll have her treated
Not as the woman, but the heroine.
(going.)
COUNTESS. (detaining him.)
Where art thou going? I heard Tertsky say
That 'tis thy purpose to depart from hence
To-morrow early, but to leave us here.
Where art thou going? I heard Tertsky say
That 'tis thy purpose to depart from hence
To-morrow early, but to leave us here.
WALLENSTEIN.
Yes, ye stay here, plac'd under the protection
Of gallant men.
Yes, ye stay here, plac'd under the protection
Of gallant men.
COUNTESS.
O take us with you, brother.
Leave us not in this gloomy solitude
To brood o'er anxious thoughts. The mists of doubt
Magnify evils to a shape of horror.
O take us with you, brother.
Leave us not in this gloomy solitude
To brood o'er anxious thoughts. The mists of doubt
Magnify evils to a shape of horror.
WALLENSTEIN.
Who speaks of evil? I entreat you, sister,
Use words of better omen.
Who speaks of evil? I entreat you, sister,
Use words of better omen.
COUNTESS.
Then take us with you.
O leave us not behind you in a place
That forces us to such sad omens. Heavy
And sick within me is my heart———
These walls breathe on me, like a church-yard vault.
I cannot tell you, brother, how this place
Doth go against my nature. Take us with you.
Come, sister, join you your entreaty!—Niece,
Your's too. We all entreat you, take us with you!
Then take us with you.
O leave us not behind you in a place
That forces us to such sad omens. Heavy
And sick within me is my heart———
These walls breathe on me, like a church-yard vault.
I cannot tell you, brother, how this place
Doth go against my nature. Take us with you.
Come, sister, join you your entreaty!—Niece,
Your's too. We all entreat you, take us with you!
WALLENSTEIN.
The place's evil omens will I change,
Making it that which shields and shelters for me
My best-belov'd.
The place's evil omens will I change,
Making it that which shields and shelters for me
My best-belov'd.
LADY NEUBRUNN. (returning)
The Swedish officer.
The Swedish officer.
WALLENSTEIN.
[Exit.Leave her alone with him.
[Exit.Leave her alone with him.
DUCHESS. (to Thekla, who starts and shivers)
There—pale as death!—Child, 'tis impossible
That thou should'st speak with him. Follow thy mother.
There—pale as death!—Child, 'tis impossible
That thou should'st speak with him. Follow thy mother.
THEKLA.
The Lady Neubrunn then may stay with me.
[Exeunt Duchess and Countess.
The Lady Neubrunn then may stay with me.
[Exeunt Duchess and Countess.