Wallenstein/The Piccolomini/A4S3

by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

SCENE III.

To them enters Illo.

ILLO. (to Tertsky)

Has he heard it?

TERTSKY.

He has heard it.

ILLO. (to Wallenstein)

Think'st thou full

To make thy peace with the Emp'ror, to regain
His confidence?—E'en were it now thy wish
To abandon all thy plans, yet still they know
What thou haft wish'd; then forwards thou must prefs;
Retreat is now no longer in thy power.

TERTSKY.

They have documents against us, and in hands,

Which shew beyond all power of contradiction—

WALLENSTEIN.

Of my hand-writing—no iota. Thee

I punish for thy lies.

ILLO.

And thou believ'st

That what this man, that what thy sister's husband,
Did in thy name, will not stand on thy reck'ning?
His word must pass for thy word with the Swede,
And not with those that hate thee at Vienna.

TERTSKY.

In writing thou gav'st nothing—But bethink thee,

How far thou ventured'st by word of mouth

With this Sesina? And will he be silent?
If he can save himself by yielding up
Thy secret purposes, will he retain them?

ILLO.

Thyself dost not conceive it possible;

And since they now have evidence authentic
How far thou hast already gone, speak!—tell us,
What art thou waiting for? Thou canst no longer
Keep thy command; and beyond hope of rescue
Thou'rt lost, if thou resign'st it.

WALLENSTEIN.

In the army

Lies my security. The army will not
Abandon me. Whatever they may know,
The power is mine, and they must gulp it down—
And substitute I caution for my fealty,
They must be satisfied, at least appear so.

ILLO.

The army, Duke, is thine now—for this moment—

'Tis thine: but think with terror on the slow,
The quiet power of time. From open vi'lence
The attachment of thy soldiery secures thee
To-day—to-morrow; but grant'st thou them a respite,
Unheard, unseen, they'll undermine that love
On which thou now dost feel so firm a footing,
With wily theft will draw away from thee
One after th' other———

WALLENSTEIN.

'Tis a cursed accident!

ILLO.

O I will call it a most blessed one,

If it work on thee as it ought to do,
Hurry thee on to action—to decision—
The Swedish General———

WALLENSTEIN.

He's arriv'd!—Know'st thou

What his commission is———

ILLO.

To thee alone

Will he entrust the purpose of his coming.

WALLENSTEIN.

A cursed, cursed accident!—Yes, yes,

Sesina knows too much, and won't be silent.

TERTSKY.

He's a Bohemian fugitive and rebel,

His neck is forfeit. Can he save himself
At thy cost, think you he will scruple it?
And if they put him to the torture, will he,
Will he, that dastardling, have strength enough—

WALLENSTEIN. (lost in thought)

Their confidence is lost—irreparably!

And I may act what way I will, I shall
Be and remain for ever in their thought
A traitor to my country. How sincerely
Soever I return back to my duty,
It will no longer help me———

ILLO.

Ruin thee,

That it will do! Not thy fidelity,
Thy weakness will be deem'd the sole occasion—

WALLENSTEIN. (pacing up and down in
extreme agitation)

What! I must realize it now in earnest,

Because I toy'd too freely with the thought?
Accursed he who dallies with a devil!
And must I—I must realize it now—
Now, while I have the power, it must take place?

ILLO.

Now—now—ere they can ward and parry it!

WALLENSTEIN. (looking at the paper of signatures}

I have the General's words—a written promise!

Max. Piccolomini stands not here—how's that?

TERTSKY.

It was———he fancied———

ILLO.

Mere self-willedness.

There needed no such thing 'twixt him and you.

WALLENSTEIN.

He is quite right—there needeth no such thing.

The regiments, too, deny to march for Flanders—
Have sent me in a paper of remonstrance,
And openly resist the Imperial orders.
The first step to revolt 's already taken.

ILLO.

Believe me, thou wilt find it far more easy

To lead them over to the enemy
Than to the Spaniard.

WALLENSTEIN.

I will hear, however,

What the Swede has to say to me.

ILLO.(eagerly to Tertsky.)

Go, call him!

He stands without the door in waiting.

WALLENSTEIN.

Stay!

Stay yet a little. It hath taken me
All by surprize,—it came too quick upon me;
'Tis wholly novel, that an accident,
With its dark lordship, and blind agency,
Should force me on with it.

ILLO.

First hear him only,

And after weigh it.

[Exeunt Tertsky and Illo.

 

---

---