Oct. [reads.] "Be sure, make haste! Your faithful Isolan."
-O that I had but left this town behind me.

To split upon a rock so near the haven !—
Away! this is no longer a safe place for me!
Where can my son be tarrying?

-MAX. enters in a

SCENE VI.-OCTAVIO and MAX. PICCOLOMINI. state of derangement from extreme agitation, his eyes roll wildly, his walk is unsteady, he appears not to observe his father, who stands at a distance, and gazes at him with a countenance expressive of compassion. He paces with long strides through the chamber, then stands still again, and at last throws himself into a chair, staring vacantly at the object directly before him.

Oct. [advances to MAX.] I am going off, my son.

Max, Farewell.

Oct.

Max.

[Receiving no answer, he takes his hand. My son, farewell.

Thou wilt soon follow me?

Thy way is crooked-it is not my way.

I follow thee?

[OCTAVIO drops his hand, and starts back.

O, hadst thou been but simple and sincere,
Ne'er had it come to this-all had stood otherwise.
He had not done that foul and horrible deed,
The virtuous had retained their influence o'er him:
He had not fallen into the snares of villains.
Wherefore so like a thief, and thief's accomplice
Did'st creep behind him-lurking for thy prey?
O, unblest falsehood! Mother of all evil! •
Thou misery-making demon, it is thou
That sink'st us in perdition. Simple truth,
Sustainer of the world, had saved us all!
Father, I will not, I cannot excuse thee!

Wallenstein has deceived me-a, most foully!
But thou hast acted not much better.

Oct.

My son, ah! I forgive thy agony !

Son!

Max. [rises and contemplates his father with looks of suspicion.] Was't possible? had'st thou the heart, my father,

Had'st thou the heart to drive it to such lengths,

With cold premeditated purpose? Thou-
Had'st thou the heart, to wish to see him guilty,
Rather than saved? Thou risest by his fall,
Octavio, 'twill not please me.

Oct.

God in Heaven!

Max. O woe is me! sure I have changed my nature
How comes suspicion here-in the free soul?

Hope, confidence, belief, are gone; for all

Lied to me, all what I e'er loved or honoured.

No! No! Not all! She-she yet lives for me,

And she is true, and open as the heavens !

Deceit is every where, hypocrisy,
Murder, and poisoning, treason, perjury:
The single holy spot is now our love,
The only unprofaned in human nature.
Oct. Max. !-we will go together. 'Twill be better.
Max. What? ere I've taken a last parting leave,
The very last-no, never!

Oct.

Spare thyself

The pang of necessary separation.
Come with me! Come, my son !

[Attempts to take him with him.

Max. No! as sure as God lives, no!

Oct. [more urgently.] Come with me, I command thee! I, thy father.

Max. Command me what is human. I stay here.

Oct. Max. in the Emperor's name I bid thee come.
Max. No Emperor has power to prescribe

Laws to the heart! and would'st thou wish to rob me
Of the sole blessing which my fate has left me,
Her sympathy. Must then a cruel deed
Be done with cruelty? The unalterable
Shall I perform ignobly-steal away,

With stealthy coward flight forsake her? No!
She shall behold my suffering, my sore anguish,
Hear the complaints of the disparted soul,
And weep tears o'er me. Oh the human race
Have steely souls-but she is as an angel.
From the black deadly madness of despair
Will she redeem my soul, and in soft words
Of comfort, plaining, loose this pang of death!

Oct. Thou wilt not tear thyself away; thou canst not.

O, come, my son ! I bid thee save thy virtue.

Max. Squander not thou thy words in vain,

The heart I follow, for I dare trust to it.

Oct. [trembling and losing all self-command.] Max.! Max.! if that most damned thing could be,

If thou-my son-my own blood-(dare I think it?)

Do sell thyself to him, the infamous,

Do stamp this brand upon our noble house,

Then shall the world behold the horrible deed,

And in unnatural combat shall the steel

Of the son trickle with the father's blood.

Max. O hadst thou always better thought of men, Thou hadst then acted better. Curst suspicion ! Unholy miserable doubt! To him

Nothing on earth remains unwrenched and firm,

Who has no faith.

Oct.

And if I trust thy heart,

Will it be always in thy power to follow it?

Max. The heart's voice thou hast not o'erpower'd-as little

Will Wallenstein be able to o'erpower it.

Oct. O, Max.! I see thee never more again!

Max. Unworthy of thee wilt thou never see me.
Oct. I go to Frauenberg the Pappenheimers
I leave thee here, the Lothrings too; Toskana
And Tiefenbach remain here to protect thee.
They love thee, and are faithful to their path,
And will far rather fall in gallant contest
Than leave their rightful leader, and their honour.
Max. Rely on this, I either leave my life
In the struggle, or conduct them out of Pilsen.
Oct. Farewell, my son !

Max.

Oct.

Farewell!

How? not one look

Of filial love? No grasp of th' hand at parting?
It is a bloody war, to which we are going,
And the event uncertain and in darkness.
So used we not to part-it was not so!

Is it then true, I have a son no longer?

[MAX. falls into his arms; they hold each for a long time in a speechless embrace, then go away at different sides.]

WALLENSTEIN, Duke of Friedland, Generalissimo of the Imperial
Forces in the Thirty Years' War.

DUCHESS OF FRIEDLAND, Wife of Wallenstein.
THEKLA, her Daughter, Princess of Friedland.
THE COUNTESS TERTSKY, Sister of the Duchess.
LADY NEUBRUNN.

OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, Lieutenant-General.

MAX. PICCOLOMINI, his Son, Colonel of a Regiment of Cuirassiers.
COUNT TERTSKY, the Commander of several Regiments, and
Brother-in-Law of Wallenstein.

ILLO, Field-Marshal, Wallenstein's Confidant.

BUTLER, an Irishman, Commander of a Regiment of Dragoons.
GORDON, Governor of Egra.

MAJOR GERALDIN.

CAPTAIN DEVEREUX.

CAPTAIN MACDONALD.

NEUMANN, Captain of Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp to Tertsky.
SWEDISH CAPTAIN.

SENI.

BURGOMASTER of Egra.

ANSPESSADE of the Cuirassiers.

GROOM OF THE CHAMBER, belonging to the Duke.

A PAGE,

Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Servants.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-A Chamber in the House of the DUCHESS OF FRIEDLAND. COUNTESS TERTSKY, THEKLA, LADY NEUBRUNN. (The two latter sit at the same table at work.)

Coun. [watching them from the opposite side.] So you have
nothing, niece, to ask me? Nothing?

I have been waiting for a word from you.
And could you then endure in all this time
Not once to speak his name?

[THEKLA remaining silent, the COUNTESS rises and advances to her.

Why comes this?

Perhaps I am already grown superfluous,

And other ways exist, besides through me?

Confess it to me, Thekla! have you seen him?
Thek. To-day and yesterday I have not seen him.

Coun. And not heard from him either? Come, be open!
Thek. No syllable.

Coun.

Thek. I am.

And still you are so calm?

Coun. May't please you, leave us, Lady Neubrunn !

[Exit LADY Neubrunn.

SCENE II.-The COUNTESS, THEKLA.

Coun.' It does not please me, Princess! that he holds Himself so still, exactly at this time.

Thek. Exactly at this time?

Coun.

He now knows all.

"Twere now the moment to declare himself.

Thek. If I'm to understand you, speak less darkly. Coun. 'Twas for that purpose that I bade her leave us. Thekla, you are no more a child. Your heart

Is now no more in nonage: for you love,

And boldness dwells with love-that you have proved.
Your nature moulds itself upon your father's

More than your mother's spirit. Therefore may you
Hear, what were too much for her fortitude.

Thek. Enough! no further preface, I entreat you.
At once out with it! Be it what it may,

It is not possible that it should torture me
More than this introduction. What have you
To say to me? Tell me the whole and briefly!
Coun. You'll not be frightened-

Name it, I entreat you.

Thek.
Coun. It lies within your power to do your father
A weighty service-

Thek.

Lies within my power? Coun. Max. Piccolomini loves you.

What need of me for that?

Already linked to him?

You can link him

Indissolubly to your father.

And is he not

He was.

And wherefore

Not more than duty

We ask

Coun.

Thek.

Should he not be so now-not be so always?
Coun. He cleaves to th' Emperor too.
Thek.

And honour may demand of him.

Coun.

Proofs of his love, and not proofs of his honour.