To urge and hurry all things to the extreme.
They see the Duke at variance with the court,
And fondly think to serve him, when they widen
The breach irreparably. Trust me, father,

The Duke knows nothing of all this.

It grieves me

Oct.
That I must dash to earth, that I must shatter

A faith so specious; but I may not spare thee!

For this is not a time for tenderness.

Thou must take measures, speedy ones-must act.

I therefore will confess to thee, that all

Which I've intrusted to thee now-that all

Which seems to thee so unbelievable,

That-yes, I will tell thee-(4 pause.) Max.! I had it all From his own mouth-from the Duke's mouth I had it. Max. (in excessive agitation). No!-No!-never!

Oct.

Himself confided to me,

What I, 'tis true, had long before discovered

By other means-himself confided to me,

That 'twas his settled plan to join the Swedes;

And, at the head of the united armies,

Compel the Emperor

So treacherous! That looks not like my father!
I trusted not thy words, when thou didst tell me
Evil of him; much less can I now do it,

That thou calumniatest thy own self.

Oct. I did not thrust myself into his secrecy.
Max. Uprightness merited his confidence.
Oct. He was no longer worthy of sincerity.
Max. Dissimulation, sure, was still less worthy
Of thee, Octavio!

Oct.

Gave I him a cause

To entertain a scruple of my honour?

Max. That he did not, evinced his confidence.
Oct. Dear son, it is not always possible

Still to preserve that infant purity

Which the voice teaches in our inmost heart.

Still in alarm, for ever on the watch

Against the wiles of wicked men, e'en Virtue

Will sometimes bear away her outward robes
Soiled in the wrestle with Iniquity.
This is the curse of every evil deed,

That, propagating still, it brings forth evil.
I do not cheat my better soul with sophisms:
I but perform my orders; the Emperor
Prescribes my conduct to me. Dearest boy,
Far better were it, doubtless, if we all
Obeyed the heart at all times; but so doing,
In this our present sojourn with bad men,
We must abandon many an honest object.
"Tis now our call to serve the Emperor,
By what means he can best be served-the heart
May whisper what it will-this is our call:

Max. It seems a thing appointed, that to-day
I should not comprehend, not understand thee.
The Duke thou say'st did honestly pour out
His heart to thee, but for an evil purpose;

And thou dishonestly has cheated him

For a good purpose! Silence, I entreat thee

My friend thou stealest not from me

Let me not lose my father!

Oct. (suppressing resentment). As yet thou know'st not all, my

son. I have

Yet somewhat to disclose to thee.

(After a pause.)

Duke Friedland

Hath made his preparations. He relies
Upon his stars. He deems us unprovided,

And thinks to fall upon us by surprise.
Yea, in his dream of hope, he grasps already

The golden circle in his hand. He errs.
We too have been in action-he but grasps

His evil fate, most evil, most mysterious!

Max. O nothing rush, my sire! By all that's good
Let me invoke thee-no precipitation!

Oct. With light tread stole he on his evil way,
With light tread Vengeance stole on after him.
Unseen she stands already, dark behind him—
But one step more-he shudders in her grasp !
Thou hast seen Questenberg with me.
As yet
Thou know'st but his ostensible commission;
He brought with him a private one, my son!
And that was for me only.
Max.

Oct. (seizes the patent).

May I know it?

-In this disclosure place I in thy hands The Empire's welfare and thy father's life. Dear to thy inmost heart is Wallenstein: A powerful tie of love, of veneration,

Max.!

(4 pause.)

Hath knit thee to him from thy earliest youth.
Thou nourishest the wish.-O let me still

Anticipate thy loitering confidence!

The hope thou nourishest to knit thyself
Yet closer to him-

I trust thy heart undoubtingly. But am I
Equally sure of thy collectedness?

Wilt thou be able, with calm countenance,
To enter this man's presence, when that I
Have trusted to thee his whole fate?

Max.

According

As thou dost trust me, father, with his crime.

(OCTAVIO takes a paper out of his escrutoire, and gives it to him.)

Max. What? how? a full Imperial patent!

Oct.

Read it.

Max. (just glances on it). Duke Friedland sentenced and con

Max. (throws down the paper). O this is too much! O un

happy error

Oct. Read on. Collect thyself.

Maa (after he has read further, with a look of affright and asto nishment on his father). How! what! Thou! thou!

Oct. But for the present moment, till the King

Of Hungary may safely join the army,

Is the command assigned to me.

Max.

And think'st thou,

Dost thou believe, that thou wilt tear it from him?
O never hope it!-Father! father! father!

An inauspicious office is enjoined thee.

This paper here-this! and wilt thou enforce it?
The mighty in the middle of his host,

Surrounded by his thousands, him would'st thou
Disarm-degrade! Thou art lost, both thou and all of us,
Oct. What hazard I incur thereby, I know.
In the great hand of God I stand. The Almighty
Will cover with his shield the Imperial house,
And shatter, in his wrath, the work of darkness.
The Emperor hath true servants still; and even
Here in the camp, there are enough brave men,
Who for the good cause will fight gallantly.
The faithful have been warned-the dangerous
Are closely watched. I wait but the first step,
And then immediately-

Max.

Immediately?

What on suspicion?

Oct.
The Emperor is no tyrant.
The deed alone he'll punish, not the wish.
The Duke hath yet his destiny in his power.
Let him but leave the treason uncompleted,
He will be silently displaced from office,
And make way to his Emperor's royal son.
An honourable exile to his castles

Will be a benefaction to him rather

Than punishment. But the first open step-

Max. What callest thou such a step? A wicked step
Ne'er will he take; but thou might'st easily,

Yea, thou hast done it, misinterpret him.
Oct. Nay, howsoever punishable were
Duke Friedland's purposes, yet still the steps
Which he hath taken openly, permit

A mild construction. It is my intention
To leave this paper wholly unenforced

Till some act is committed which convicts him
Of high treason, without doubt or plea,

And that shall sentence him.

Max.

Oct. Thyself.

Max.

But who the judge?

For ever, then, this paper will lie idle.

Oct. Too soon, I fear, its powers must all be proved. After the counter-promise of this evening,

It cannot be but he must deem himself

Secure of the majority with us;

And of the army's general sentiment

He hath a pleasing proof in that petition

Which thou deliveredst to him from the regiments.
Add this too-I have letters that the Rhinegrave

Hath changed his route, and travels by forced marches
To the Bohemian Forest. What this purports,
Remains unknown; and, to confirm suspicion,
This night a Swedish nobleman arrived here.

Max. I have thy word. Thou'lt not proceed to action
Before thou hast convinced me-me myself.

Oct. Is it possible? Still, after all thou know'st, Canst thou believe still in his innocence?

Max. (with enthusiasm).

heart can not.

Thy judgment may mistake; my

(Moderates his voice and manner.)

These reasons might expound thy spirit or mine;
But they expound not Friedland-I have faith:
For as he knits his fortunes to the stars,
Even so doth he resemble them in secret,
Wonderful, still inexplicable courses!

Trust me, they do him wrong. All will be solved.
These smokes, at once, will kindle into flame-
The edges of this black and stormy cloud
Will brighten suddenly, and we shall view
The Unapproachable glide out in splendour.
Oct. I will await it.

SCENE II.

OCTAVIO and MAX. as before. To them the Valet of the Chamber

Oct. How, now, then?

Vol.

A despatch is at the door.

Who is it?

Val. That he refused to tell me.

Oct. So early? From whom comes he then?