Duch. What now? Why is she going?
Coun.

She's not well.

Duch. What ails then my beloved child? [Both follow the Princess, and endeavour to detain her. During this Wallenstein appears, engaged in conversation with Illo.

SCENE IV.

Wallenstein, Illo, Countess, Duchess, Thekla.

Wal. All quiet in the camp?

Illo.

It is all quiet.

Wal. In a few hours may couriers come from

Prague

With tidings, that this capital is ours.

Then we may drop the mask, and to the troops
Assembled in this town make known the measure
And its result together. In such cases
Example does the whole.

Whoever is foremost

Still leads the herd. An imitative creature
Is man.

The troops at Prague conceive no other,
Than that the Pilsen army has gone through
The forms of homage to us; and in Pilsen
They shall swear fealty to us, because
The example has been given them by Prague.
Butler, you tell me, has declared himself.

Illo. At his own bidding, unsolicited,

He came to offer you himself and regiment.

Wal. I find we must not give implicit credence
To every warning voice that makes itself
Be listened to in the heart. To hold us back,
Oft does the lying spirit counterfeit

The voice of truth and inward revelation,
Scattering false oracles. And thus have I
To intreat forgiveness, for that secretly
I've wrong'd this honourable gallant man,
This Butler for a feeling, of the which
I am not master, (fear I would not call it)
Creeps o'er me instantly, with sense of shuddering,
At his approach, and stops love's joyous motion.
And this same man, against whom I am warned,
This honest man is he, who reaches to me

The first pledge of my fortune.

Illo.

And doubt not

That his example will win over to you

The best men in the army.

Wal.

Go and send

Isolani hither. Send him immediately.
He is under recent obligations to me.
With him will I commence the trial.

Go.

[Illo exit.

Wal. (turns himself round to the females.) Lo,
there the mother with the darling daughter!

For once we'll have an interval of rest-
Come! my heart yearns to live a cloudless hour
In the beloved circle of my family.

Coun. 'Tis long since we've been thus together,
brother.

Wal. (to the Countess aside.) Can she sustain the news? Is she prepared?

Coun. Not yet.

Wal. Come here, my sweet girl! Seat thee by

me,

For there is a good spirit on thy lips.

Thy mother praised to me thy ready skill:
She says a voice of melody dwells in thee,
Which doth enchant the soul. Now such a voice
Will drive away from me the evil demon

That beats his black wings close above my head. Duch. Where is thy lute, my daughter? Let thy father

Hear some small trial of thy skill.

I

Thek.

My mother!

Duch. Trembling? Come, collect thyself. Go,

cheer

Thy father.

Thek. 0 my mother! I-I cannot.

Coun. How, what is that, niece?

Thek. (to the Countess.) O spare me—sing— now-in this sore anxiety,

Of the o'erburthen'd soul-to sing to him,

Who is thrusting, even now, my mother headlong Into her grave!

Duch.

How, Thekla? Humorsome?

What! shall thy father have expressed a wish

My God! how can I—

Thek. (The orchestra plays. During the ritornello Thekla expresses in her gestures and countenance the struggle of her feelings and at the moment that she should begin to sing, contracts herself together, as one shuddering, throws the instrument down, and retires abruptly.)

Duch. My child! O she is ill—

Wal.

Say, is she often so ?

Coun.

What ails the maiden?

Since then herself

Has now betrayed it, I too must no longer

Coun. Max. does she love! Max. Piccolomini. Hast thou ne'er noticed it? Nor yet my sister? Duch. Was it this that lay so heavy on her

heart?

God's blessing on thee, my sweet child! Thou needest

Never take shame upon thee for thy choice.

Coun. This journey,-if 'twere not thy aim,

Coun. Yes, and he hopes to win her.

Ay?---The thought pleases me,

The young man has no grovelling spirit.

Coun.

Since

Such and such constant favour you have shown him

Wal. He chooses finally to be my heir.

And true it is, I love the youth; yea, honour him.
But must he therefore be my daughter's husband!
Is it daughters only? Is it only children
That we must show our favour by?

Duch. His noble disposition and his manners---
Wal. Win him my heart, but not my daughter.
Duch.

His rank, his ancestors

Then

Ancestors! What?

He is a subject, and my

son-in-law

Wal.

I will seek out upon the thrones of Europe.

Duch. O dearest Albrecht! Climb we not too

high,

Lest we should fall too low.

Wal.

What? have I paid

A price so heavy to ascend this eminence,
And jut out high above the common herd,
Only to close the mighty part I play