O'erstepped the powers intrusted to you, charged
With traitorous contempt of th' Emperor
And his supreme behests. The proud Bavarian,
He and the Spaniards stand up your accusers-
That there's a storm collecting over you

Of far more fearful menace than that former one
Which whirled you headlong down at Regenspurg.
And people talk, said he, of—Ah !——

Wal.

[Stifling extreme emotion. Proceed!

[Strides across the room in vehement agitation.

O! they force, they thrust me

With violence, against my own will, onward!

Duch. (presses near to him, in entreaty.) O! if there yet be time, my husband! if

By giving way, and by submission, this

Can be averted-my dear lord, give way!

Win down your proud heart to it! Tell that heart,

It is your sovereign lord, your Emperor

Before whom you retreat. O! let no longer
Low tricking malice blacken your good meaning
With abhorred venomous glosses. Stand you up
Shielded and helmed and weaponed with the truth,
And drive before you into uttermost shame
These slanderous liars! Few firm friends have we-
You know it!—the swift growth of our good fortune
It hath but set us up, a mark for hatred.
What are we, if the sovereign's grace and favor
Stand not before us?

SCENE VIII.—Enter the Countess Tertsky, leading in her hand the Princess Thekla, richly adorned with brilliants. Countess, Thekla, Wallenstein, Duchess.

Coun. How, sister? What! already upon business!

[Observing the countenance of the Duchess.

And business of no pleasing kind I see,

Ere he has gladdened at his child.

The first

Moment belongs to joy. Here, Friedland! father!
This is thy daughter.

[Thekla approaches with a shy and timid air, and bends
herself as about to kiss his hand. He receives her in
his arms, and remains standing for some time lost in
the feeling of her presence.

Wal. Yes! pure and lovely hath hope risen on me :
I take her as the pledge of greater fortune.

Duch. 'Twas but a little child when you departed
To raise up that great army for the Emperor:
And after, at the close of the campaign,
When you returned home out of Pomerania,
Your daughter was already in the convent,
Wherein she has remained till now.

Wal.

The while

We in the field here gave our cares and toils
To make her great, and fight her a free way
To the loftiest earthly good; lo! mother Nature
Within the peaceful silent convent walls

Has done her part, and out of her free grace
Hath she hestowed on the beloved child
The godlike; and now leads her thus adorned
To meet her splendid fortune, and my hope.

Duch. (to Thekla.) Thou wouldst not have recognized thy

father,

Wouldst thou, my child? She counted scarce eight years,

When last she saw your face.

Thek.

O yes, yes, mother!

At the first glance !-My father is not altered

The form that stands before me, falsifies

No feature of the image that hath lived
So long within me!

Wal.

The voice of my child!

I was indignant at my destiny

[Then after a pause.

That it denied me a man-child, to be

Heir of my name and of my prosperous fortune,
And re-illume my soon extinguished being,

In a proud line of princes.

I wronged my destiny. Here upon this head
So lovely in its maiden bloom will I

Let fall the garland of a life of war,
Nor deem it lost, if only I can wreathe it
Transmitted to a regal ornament,

Around these beauteous brows.

[He clasps her in his arms, as Piccolomini enters.

SCENE IX. Enter Max. Piccolomini, and some time after Count Tertsky, the others remaining as before.

Coun. There comes the Paladin who protected us.

Wal. Max.! Welcome, ever welcome! Always wert thou The morning star of my best joys!

Max.

My General

Wal. 'Till now it was the Emperor who rewarded thee,

I but the instrument. This day thou hast bound

The father to thee, Max. the fortunate father,

And this debt Friedland's self must pay.

Max.

My prince!
You made no common hurry to transfer it.
I come with shame: yea, not without a pang!
For scarce have I arrived here, scarce delivered
The mother and the daughter to your arms,
But there is brought to me from your equerry
A splendid richly-plated hunting-dress,
So to remunerate me for my troubles
Yes, yes, remunerate me! Since a trouble
It must be, a mere office, not a favor
Which I leaped forward to receive, and which
I came already with full heart to thank you for.
No! 'twas not so intended, that my business
Should be my highest best good fortune!

Tertsky enters, and delivers letters to the Duke, which he breaks open hurryingly.

Coun. (to Max.) Remunerate your trouble! For his joy He makes you recompense. 'Tis not unfitting

For you, Count Piccolomini, to feel

So tenderly-my brother it beseems

To show himself forever great and princely.

Thek. Then I too must have scruples of his love :

For his munificent hands did ornament me

Ere yet the father's heart had spoken to me.

Max. Yes; 'tis his nature ever to be giving,

And making happy.

[He grasps the hand of the Duchess with still increasing warmth.

How my heart pours out

Its all of thanks to him: O! how I seem

To utter all things in the dear name Friedland.
While I shall live, so long will I remain

The captive of this name: in it shall bloom
My every fortune, every lovely hope.

Inextricably as in some magic ring

In this name hath my destiny charm-bound me !

Coun. (who during this time has been anxiously watching the Duke, and remarks that he is lost in thought over the letters.) My brother wishes us to leave him.

Come.

Wal. (turns himself round quick, collects himself, and speaks with cheerfulness to the Duchess.) Once more I bid thee welcome to the camp,

Thou art the hostess of this court. You, Max.,

Will now again administer your old office,

While we perform the sovereign's business here.

[Max. Piccolomini offers the Duchess his arm, the Countess accompanies the Princess.

Ter. (calling after him.) Max., we depend on seeing you at the meeting.

SCENE X.—Wallenstein, Count Tertsky.

Wal. (in deep thought to himself.) She hath seen all things

as they are—It is so,

And squares completely with my other notices.

They have determined finally in Vienna,

Have given me my successor already ;

It is the King of Hungary, Ferdinand,

The Emperor's delicate son! he's now their savior,

He's the new star that's rising now! Of us
They think themselves already fairly rid,

And as we were deceased, the heir already

Is entering on possession-Therefore-despatch!

[As he turns round he observes Terisky, and gives him a letter.

Count Altringer will have himself excused,

And Galas too-I like not this!

Thou loiterest longer, all will fall away,
One following the other.

I must forthwith

Is master of the Tyrole passes.

Send some one to him, that he let not in

The Spaniards on me from the Milanese.

Well, and the old Sesin, that ancient trader

In contraband negotiations, he

Has shown himself again of late.

From the Count Thur?

Ter.

What brings he

The Count communicates,

He has found out the Swedish chancellor

At Halberstadt, where the convention's held,

Who says, you've tired him out, and that he'll have

No further dealings with you.

Wal.

And why so?

Ter. He says, you are never in earnest in your speeches, That you decoy the Swedes-to make fools of them,

Will league yourself with Saxony against them,

And at last make yourself a riddance of them
With a paltry sum of money.

Wal.
So then, doubtless,
Yes, doubtless, this same modest Swede expects
That I shall yield him some fair German tract
For his prey and booty, that ourselves at last
On our own soil and native territory,

May be no longer our own lords and masters!