him with a Paper, ISOLANI comes up to meet him with a Beaker or Service-Cup. TERTSKY, ISOLANI, MAX. PICCOLOMINI. ISOLANI. Here brother, what we love! Why, where hast been? Be nimble, lad! and something may turn up For thee-who knows? off-to thy place! quick! TIEFENBACH and GOETZ (call out from the second and TERTSKY. Stop, ye shall have him in an instant.-Read MAX. (reads). “Ingratis servire nefas." ISOLANI. That sounds to my ears very much like Latin, TERTSKY. No honest man will serve a thankless master. MAX. ILLO. "Inasmuch as our supreme Commander, the illus- O, quite cordial, TERTSKY. Now!-are you willing to subscribe this paper? ISOLANI. Why should he not? All officers of honor TERTSKY. Nay, let it rest till after meal. ISOLANI (drawing Max. along). [Both seat themselves at their table. As long as 'tis his pleasure to remain TERTSKY. You would make a good exchange. No stern economist, no Ferdinand, Is he to whom you plight your services. BUTLER (with a haughty look). I do not put up my fidelity To sale, Count Tertsky! Half a year ago I would not have advised you to have made me But that is past! and to the Duke, Field Marshal, ILLO. Who is ignorant, That the whole army look to Colonel Butler, As to a light that moves before them? BUTLER. Ey? Then I repent me not of that fidelity If in my sixtieth year my old good name ILLO. Say, And speak roundly, what are we to deem you? BUTLER. A friend! I give you here my hand! I'm your's ILLO. "Tis not your money that he needs a heart Like yours weighs tons of gold down, weighs down millions! BUTLER. I came a simple soldier's boy from Ireland Why, the reason is, that German lord, Tiefenbach, sits at that table. MASTER OF THE CELLAR (continuing his discourse to NEUMANN). They are soaring too high. They would rival kings and electors in their pomp and splendor; and wherever the Duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious master, the count, loiter on the brink-(to the Servants.)-What do you stand there listening for? I will let you know you have legs presently. Off! see to the tables, see to the flasks! Look there! Count Palfi has an empty glass before him! RUNNER (comes). The great service-cup is wanted, sir; that rich gold cup with the Bohemian arms on it. The Count says you know which it is. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Ay! that was made for Frederick's coronation by the artist William-there was not such another prize in the whole booty at Prague. RUNNER. The same a health is to go round in him. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. O let me never more hear of that day. It was the three-and-twentieth of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand, six hundred, and eighteen. It seems to me as it were but yesterday-from that unlucky MASTER OF THE CELLAR (shaking his head while he day it all began, all the heart-aches of the country. fetches and rinses the cups). This will be something for the tale-bearers-this goes to Vienna. NEUMANN. Permit me to look at it.-Well, this is a cup indeed! How heavy! as well as it may be, being all gold.-And what neat things are embossed on it! how natural and elegant they look!-There, on that first quarter, let me see. That proud Amazon there on horseback, she that is taking a leap over the crosier and mitres, and carries on a wand a hat together with a banner, on which there's a goblet represented. Can you tell me what all this signifies? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The woman whom you see here on horseback, is the Free Election of the Bohemian Crown. That is squified by the round hat, and by that fiery steed on which she is riding. The hat is the pride of man; for he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors is no free man. NEWMANN. But what is the cup there on the banner? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The cup signifies the freedom of the Bohemian Church, as it was in our forefathers' times. Our forefathers in the wars of the Hussites forced from the Pope this noble privilege: for the Pope, you know, will not grant the cup to any layman. Your true Moravian values nothing beyond the cup; it is his estly jewel, and has cost the Bohemians their precious blood in many and many a battle. NEWMANN. And what says that chart that hangs in the air there, over it all? MASTER OF THE CELLAR. That signifies the Bohemian letter-royal, which we forced from the Emperor Rudolph-a precious, never to be enough valued parchment, that secures to the new church the old privileges of free ringing and open psalmody. But since he of Steirmark has ruled ver us, that is at an end; and after the battle at Prague, in which Count Palatine Frederick lost crown and empire, our faith hangs upon the pulpit and the altar-and our brethren look at their homes over der shoulders; but the letter-royal the Emperor self cut to pieces with his scissars. NEUMANN. Why, my good master of the cellar! you are deep read in the chronicles of your country! MASTER OF THE CELLAR. So were my forefathers, and for that reason were the mainstrels, and served under Procopius and Ziska. Peace be with their ashes! Well, well! they fought for a good cause though-There! carry it up! NEWMANN. NEWMANN. Ay! he too is one of those to whom they confide too much. He calls himself Maradas, a Spaniard is he. MASTER OF THE CELLAR (impatiently). Spaniard! Spaniard!-I tell you, friend, nothing good comes of those Spaniards. All these outlandish fellows* are little better than rogues. Stay! let me but look at this second quarter. Look there! That is, when at Prague Castle the Imperial There is a humor in the original which cannot be given in Counsellors, Martinitz and Stawata, were hurled the translation. "Die Welschen alle," etc. which word in clas down head over heels. 'Tis even so! there stands and at present in the vulgar use of the word, signifies foreigners sical German means the Italians alone; but in its first sense. Count Thur, who commands it. in general. Our word walnuts, I suppose, means outlandish [Runner takes the service-cup and goes off with it. nuta-Walle nuces, in German "Welsche Nüsse." T. NEWMANN. cedence here. (OCTAVIO runs over the Paper with Fy, fy! you should not say so, friend. There are apparent indifference. TERTSKY watches him at some among them our very best generals, and those on distance). whom the Duke at this moment relies the most. MASTER OF THE CELLAR. [Taking the flask out of the Runner's pocket. My son, it will be broken to pieces in your pocket. [TERTSKY hurries in, fetches away the paper, and calls to a Servant for Pen and Ink, and goes to the back of the Stage. MASTER OF THE CELLAR (to the Servants). The Lieutenant-General stands up.-Be on the watch.-Now! They break up.-Off, and move back the forms. [They rise at all the tables, the Servants hurry off the front of the Stage to the tables; part of the guests come forward. SCENE XIII. GOETZ (to TERTSKY). Noble Count! with your permission-Good night. Clear at head, sound in stomach-only my legs won't carry me any longer. ISOLANI (pointing at his corpulence). OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI enters into conversation with MARADAS, and both place themselves quite on the edge of the Stage on one side of the Proscenium. On the side directly opposite, MAX. PICCOLOMINI, by Poor legs! how should they? such an unmerciful himself, lost in thought, and taking no part in any load! (OCTAVIO subscribes his name, and reaches over thing that is going forward. The middle space be- the Paper to TERTSKY, who gives it to ISOLANI; and tween both, but rather more distant from the edge of he goes to the table to sign his name). the Stage, is filled up by BUTLER, ISOLANI, GOETZ, TIEFENBACH, and KOLATTO. TIEFENBACH. "Twas that war in Pomerania that first brought it ISOLANI (while the Company is coming forward). on. Out in all weathers-ice and snow-no help for Good night, good night, Kolatto! Good night, Lieu-it.—I shall never get the better of it all the days of tenant-General!-I should rather say, good morning. my life. ISOLANI. GOETZ. Why, in simple verity, your Swede makes no nice inquiries about the season. TERTSKY (observing ISOLANI, whose hand trembles excessively, so that he can scarce direct his pen). Have you had that ugly complaint long, noble brother?Dispatch it. ISOLANI. The sins of youth! I have already tried the chalybeate waters. Well-I must bear it. [TERTSKY gives the Paper to MARADAS; he steps to the table to subscribe. OCTAVIO (advancing to BUTLER). You are not over-fond of the orgies of Bacchus, Colonel! I have observed it. You would, I think, find yourself more to your liking in the uproar of a battle, than of a feast. BUTLER. I must confess, 'tis not in my way. OCTAVIO (stepping nearer to him friendlily). Nor in mine either, I can assure you; and I am not a little glad, my much-honored Colonel Butler, that we agree so well in our opinions. A half-dozen good friends at most, at a small round table, a glass of genuine Tokay, open hearts, and a rational conversa Subscribe as much as you like—but you must ex- tion-that's my taste! cuse me from reading it. TERTSKY. There is no need. It is the oath, which you have already read. Only a few marks of your pen! [ISOLANI hands over the Paper to OCTAVIO respectfully. TERTSKY. Nay, nay, first come first served. There is no pre BUTLER. And mine too, when it can be had. [The paper comes to TIEFENBACH, who glances over it at the same time with GOETZ and KOLATTO. MARADAS in the mean time returns to OCTAVIO. All this takes place, the conversation with BUTLER proceeding uninterrupted. OCTAVIO (introducing MARADAS to BUTLER. Don Balthasar Maradas! likewise a man of our stamp, and long ago your admirer. [BUTLER bows. OCTAVIO (continuing). You are a stranger here--'t was but yesterday you arrived-you are ignorant of the ways and means here. "Tis a wretched place-I know, at our age, one loves to be snug and quiet-What if you moved your lodgings?-Come, be my visitor. (BUTLER makes a low bow). Nay, without compliment!-For a friend like you, I have still a corner remaining. BUTLER (coldly). Your obliged humble servant, my Lord Lieutenant-General ! SCENE XIV. To these enter ILLO from the inner room. He has in his hand the golden service-cup, and is extremely distempered with drinking: GOETZ and BUTLER follow him, endeavoring to keep him back. ILLO. What do you want? Let me go. Drink no more, Illo! For heaven's sake, drink no more. ILLO (goes up to OCTAVIO, and shakes him cordially by the hand, and then drinks). Octavio! I bring this to you! Let all grudge be [The paper comes to BUTLER, who goes to the table drowned in this friendly bowl! I know well enough, to subscribe it. The front of the stage is va- ye never loved me-Devil take me!—and I never cant, so that both the PICCOLOMINIS, each on loved you! I am always even with people in that the side where he had been from the com-way-Let what's past be past—that is, you undermencement of the scene, remain alone. stand-forgotten! I esteem you infinitely. (Embracing him repeatedly). You have not a dearer friend on earth than I-but that you know. The fellow that cries rogue to you calls me villain-and I'll strangle him!-my dear friend! OCTAVIO (after having some time watched his son in alence, advances somewhat nearer to him). You were long absent from us, friend! ΜΑΧ. I-urgent business detained me. OCTAVIO. And, I observe, you are still absent! MAX. You know this crowd and bustle always makes me silent. OCTAVIO (advancing still nearer). May I be permitted to ask what the business was that detained you? Tertsky knows it without asking! MAX. What does Tertsky know? OCTAVIO. A thousand for one; Fill-Fill it once more up to the brim.-To this gallant man's health! ISOLANI (to MAX., who all the while has been staring on the paper with fixed but vacant eyes). Slow and sure, my noble brother?-Hast parsed Is there none wanting? Have the whole sub-it all yet?-Some words yet to go through ?-Ha! scribed? |