But when will it be time?

Wal.

When I shall say it.

Illo. You'll wait upon the stars, and on their

hours,

Till the earthly hour escapes you. O, believe me,
In your own bosom are your destiny's stars.
Confidence in yourself, prompt resolution,
This is your Venus! and the sole malignant,
The only one that harmeth you is doubt.

Wal. Thou speakest as thou understand'st.
How oft

And many a time I've told thee, Jupiter,
That lustrous god, was setting at thy birth.
Thy visual
power subdues no mysteries;
Mole-eyed, thou may'st but burrow in the earth,
Blind as that subterrestrial, who with wan,
Lead-coloured shine lighted thee into life.
The common, the terrestrial, thou may'st see,
With serviceable cunning knit together

The nearest with the nearest; and therein
I trust thee and believe thee! but whate'er
Full of mysterious import Nature weaves,
And fashions in the depths---the spirit's ladder,
That from this gross and visible world of dust
Even to the starry world, with thousand rounds,
Builds itself up; on which the unseen powers
Move up and down on heavenly ministries---
The circles in the circles, that approach
The central sun with ever-narrowing orbit---
These see the glance alone, the unsealed eye,

Of Jupiter's glad children born in lustre.

[He walks across the chamber, then returns, and standing still, proceeds.

The heavenly constellations make not merely The day and nights, summer and spring, not

merely

Signify to the husbandman the seasons

Of sowing and of harvest.

Human action,

That is the seed too of contingencies,

Strewed on the dark land of futurity,

In hopes to reconcile the powers of fate.
Whence it behoves us to seek out the seed-time,
To watch the stars, select their proper hours,
And trace with searching eye the heavenly houses,
Whether the enemy of growth and thriving
Hide himself not, malignant, in his corner.
Therefore permit me my own time.
Meanwhile

Do you your part. As yet I cannot say
What I shall do---only, give way I will not.
Depose me too they shall not. On these points
You may rely.

Page (entering). My Lords, the Generals.
Wal. Let them come in.

SCENE XII.

Wallenstein, Tertsky, Illo. - To them enter Questenberg, Octavio, and Max. Piccolomini, Butler, Isolani, Maradas, and three other Generals. Wallenstein motions Questenberg, who in consequence takes the chair directly opposite to him; the others follow, arranging themselves according to their rank.

Wal. I have understood, 'tis true, the sum and import

Of your instructions, Questenberg; have weighed them,

And formed my final, absolute resolve;

Yet it seems fitting, that the generals

Should hear the will of the Emperor from your

mouth.

May't please you then to open your commission Before these noble chieftains.

Ques.

I am ready

To obey you; but will first entreat your Highness,

And all these noble chieftains, to consider,

The imperial dignity and sovereign right

Speaks from my mouth, and not my own pre

Presented in the person of Duke Friedland
A most experienced and renowned commander,
He did it in glad hope and confidence
To give thereby to the fortune of the war
A rapid and auspicious change. The onset
Was favourable to his royal wishes.

Bohemia was delivered from the Saxons,

The Swede's career of conquest checked! These lands

Began to draw breath freely, as Duke Friedland
From all the streams of Germany forced hither
The scattered armies of the enemy,
Hither invoked as round one magic circle
The Rhinegrave, Bernhard, Banner, Oxenstirn,
Yea, and that never-conquered King himself;
Here finally, before the eye of Nürnberg,
The fearful game of battle to decide.
'Wal. May't please you to the point.

Ques. In Nürnberg's camp the Swedish mo

narch left

His fame---in Lützen's plains his life. But who
Stood not astounded, when victorious Friedland
After this day of triumph, this proud day,
Marched toward Bohemia with the speed of flight,
And vanished from the theatre of war;
While the young Weimar hero forced his way
Into Franconia, to the Danube, like

Some delving winter-stream, which, where it rushes,

Makes its own channel; with such sudden speed

He marched, and now at once 'fore Regenspurg Stood to the affright of all good Catholic Christians.

Then did Bavaria's well-deserving Prince

Entreat swift aidance in his extreme need;

The Emperor sends seven horsemen to Duke Friedland,

Seven horsemen couriers sends he with the en

treaty:

He superadds his own, and supplicates

Where as the sovereign lord he can command.
In vain his supplication! At this moment
The Duke hears only his old hate and grudge,
Barters the general good to gratify

Private revenge---and so falls Regenspurg.
Wal. Max., to what period of the war alludes
he?

My recollection fails me here.

In that description which the Minister gave
I seemed to have forgotten the whole war.
(to Questenberg.)

Well, but proceed a little.

Ques.

Yes! at length