Kisses and welcomings upon the air,

Which they make breezy with affectionate gestures From all the towers rings out the merry peal, The joyous vespers of a bloody day.

O happy man, O fortunate! for whom

The well-known door, the faithful arms are open, The faithful tender arms with mute embracing.

Ques.

O! that you should speak

Of such a distant, distant time, and not

Of the to-morrow, not of this to-day.

Max. Where lies the fault but on you in Vienna?
I will deal openly with you, Questenberg.
Just now, as first I saw you standing here,
(I'll own it to you freely) indignation
Crowded and pressed my inmost soul together.
"Tis ye that hinder peace, ye!—and the warrior,
It is the warrior that must force it from you.
Ye fret the General's life out, blacken him,
Hold him up as a rebel, and Heaven knows
What else still worse, because he spares the Saxons,
And tries to awaken confidence in the enemy;
Which yet's the only way to peace: for if
War intermit not during war, how then
And whence can peace come ?-Your own plagues
fall on you!

Even as I love what's virtuous, hate I you.
And here make I this vow, here pledge myself;
My blood shall spurt out for this Wallenstein,
And my heart drain off, drop by drop, ere ye
Shall revel and dance jubilee o'er his ruin. [Exit.

SCENE V.

Questenberg, Octavio Piccolomini.

Ques. Alas, alas! and stands it so? What, friend! and do we let him go away In this delusion---let him go away'

y?

Not call him back immediately, not open

His eyes upon the spot?

Oct.

He has now opened mine,

And I see more than pleases me.

Ques.

What is it?

But why so? What is it?

Oct. Curse on this journey!
Ques.

Oct. Come, come along, friend! I must fol

low up

The ominous track immediately. Mine eyes Are opened now, and I must use them. Come! [draws Questenberg on with him.

Ques. What now? Where go you then?

Oct.

Ques.

To her herself.

To

Oct. To the Duke. Come, let us go---'Tis done,

'tis done,

I see the net that is thrown over him.

O! he returns not to me as he went.

Ques. Nay, but explain yourself.

Oct.

And that I should not

Foresee it, not prevent this journey! Wherefore

Did I keep it from him ?---You were in the right. I should have warned him! Now it is too late.

Ques. But what's too late? Bethink yourself, my friend,

That you are talking absolute riddles to me.

Oct. Come!---to the Duke's.

the hour

"Tis close upon

Come!

Which he appointed you for audience.

A curse, a threefold curse, upon this journey! [He leads Questenberg off.

SCENE VI.-Changes to a spacious chamber in the house of the Duke of Friedland.—Servants employed in putting the tables and chairs in order. During this enters Seni, like an old Italian doctor, in black, and clothed somewhat fantastically. He carries a white staff, with which he marks out the quarters of the heaven.

1st. Ser. Come---to it, lads, to it! end of it. I hear the sentry call out,

Make an

"Stand to your arms!" They will be there in a minute. 2d. Ser. Why were we not told before that the audience would be held here? Nothing prepared---no orders---no instructions--

3d. Ser. Ay, and why was the balcony-chamber countermanded, that with the great worked carpet? ---there one can look about one.

1st. Ser. Nay, that you must ask the mathematician there. He says it is an unlucky chamber.

2d. Ser. Poh! stuff and nonsense! That's what I call a hum. A chamber is a chamber; what much can the place signify in the affair? Seni. My son, there's nothing insignificant, Nothing! But yet in every earthly thing First and most principal is place and time. 1st. Ser. (to the Second.) Say nothing to him, The Duke himself must let him have his

Nat.

own will.

Seni. (counts the chairs, half in a loud, half in a low voice, till he comes to eleven, which he repeats.) Eleven! an evil number! Set twelve chairs.

Twelve! twelve signs hath the zodiac: five and

seven

The holy numbers, include themselves in twelve. 2d. Ser. And what may you have to object against eleven? I should like to know that now. Seni. Eleven is---transgression; eleven over

steps

The ten commandments.

2d. Ser. That's good! and why do you call five a holy number?

Seni. Five is the soul of man: for even as man

Is mingled up of good and evil, so

The five is the first number that's made up
Of even and odd.

2d. Ser. The foolish old coxcomb!

1st. Ser. Ey! let him alone though. I like to hear him; there is more in his words than can be seen at first sight.

3d. Ser. Off, they come.

2d. Ser. There! Out at the side-door.

[They hurry off. Seni follows slowly. A page brings the staff of command on a red cushion, and places it on the table near the Duke's chair. They are announced from without, and the wings of the door fly open.

SCENE VII.

Wallenstein, Duchess.

Wal. You went then through Vienna, were pre

That I had sent for wife and daughter hither

To the camp, in winter time?

I did even that

Duch. Which you commissioned me to do. I told them, You had determined on our daughter's marriage, And wished, ere yet you went into the field, To show the elected husband his betrothed.