O! they force, they thrust me

With violence, against my own will, onward!
Duch. (presses near to him, in intreaty.) 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 trickling malice blacken your good meaning
With abhor'd venomous glosses. Stand you up,
Shielded and helm'd and weapon'd 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 favour
Stand not before us!

SCENE VII.-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 gladden'd 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 return'd home out of Pomerania, Your daughter was already in the convent, Wherein she has remain'd 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 bestowed on the beloved child The godlike; and now leads her thus adorned To meet her splendid fortune and my hope. Duch. (to Thekla). Thou would'st not have recogAiz'd thy father,

Would'st 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 alter'd.

The form, that stands before me, falsifies

No feature of the image that hath liv'd

So long within me !

Wal.

The voice of my child!

(then after a pause).

I was indignant at my destiny

That it denied me a man-child to be

Heir of my name and of my prosperous fortune,
And re-illume my soon extinguish'd being

In a proud line of princes.

I wrong'd 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 wreath 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 Palladin 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 arriv'd here, scarce deliver'd
The mother and the daughter to your arms,
But there is brought to me from your equery
A splendid richly plated hunting dress,
So to remunerate me for my trouble-
Yes, yes, remunerate me! Since a trouble
It must be, a mere office, not a favour
Which I leapt 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 recompence. 'Tis not unfitting

For you, Count Piccolomini, to feel

So tenderly my brother it beseems

To show himself for ever 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 quickly, 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 1ERTSKY.

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 determin'd finally in Vienna,

Hath given me my successor already;

It is the king of Hungary, Ferdinand,

The Emperor's delicate son! he's now their saviour,
He's the new star that's rising now! Of us
They think themselves already fairly rid,

And as we were deceas'd, the heir already

Is entering on possession―Therefore—despatch!
[As he turns round he observes Tertsky, and
gives him a letter.

Count Altringer will have himself excus'd,
And Galas too--I like not this!

Ter.

Thou loiterest longer, all will fall away,

One following the other.

Wal.

Altringer

And if

Is master of the Tyrole passes. I must forthwith

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 negociations, he

Has shown himself again of late. What brings he
From the Count Thur?

Ter.

The Count communicates,

He has found out the Swedish chancellor

At Halberstadt, where the convention 's held,

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

No further dealings with you.

Wal.

And why so?