THE PICCOLOMINI.

ACT I.

SCENE I.—An old Gothic Chamber in the Council-house at Pilsen, decorated with colors and other war insignia.

Illo with Butler and Isolani.

Illo. YE have come late-but ye are come! The distance, Count Isolan, excuses your delay.

Iso. Add this too, that we come not empty handed.

At Donauwert* it was reported to us,

A Swedish caravan was on its way

Transporting a rich cargo of provision,

Almost six hundred wagons. This my Croats

Plunged down upon and seized, this weighty prize!—
We bring it hither

Illo.

Just in time to banquet

The illustrious company assembled here.

But. 'Tis all alive! a stirring scene here!
Iso.

The very churches are all full of soldiers.
And in the Council-house, too, I observe,

Ay!

[Casts his eye round.

You're settled, quite at home! Well, well! we soldiers
Must shift and suit us in what way we can.

Illo. We have the Colonels here of thirty regiments.
You'll find Count Tertsky here, and Tiefenbach,

Kolatto, Goetz, Maradas, Hinnersam,

The Piccolomini, both son and father

You'll meet with many an unexpected greeting

From many an old friend and acquaintance. Only
Galas is wanting still, and Altringer.

But. Expect not Galas.

* A town about twelve German miles N.E, of Ulm

Illo. (hesitating.)

How so? Do you know

Iso. (interrupting him.) Max. Piccolomini here ?-O bring

me to him.

I see him yet, ('tis now ten years ago,

We were engaged with Mansfeld hard by Dessau)
I see the youth, in my mind's eye I see him,
Leap his black war-horse from the bridge adown,
And toward his father, then in extreme peril,
Beat up against the strong tide of the Elbe.
The down was scarce upon his chin! I hear
He has made good the promise of his youth,
And the full hero now is finished in him.

Illo. You'll see him yet ere evening. He conducts

The Duchess Friedland hither, and the Princess

From Kärnthen. We expect them here at noon.

But. Both wife and daughter does the Duke call hither? He crowds in visitants from all sides.

Hm !

Iso.
So much the better! I had framed my mind
To hear of naught but warlike circumstance,

Of marches, and attacks, and batteries:

And lo! the Duke provides, that something too

Of gentler sort, and lovely, should be present

To feast our eyes,

Illo. [who has been standing in the attitude of meditation, to Butler, whom he leads a little on one side.

And how came you to know

That the Count Galas joins us not?

But

Because

He importuned me to remain behind.

Illo. (with warmth.) And you?—You hold out firmly ? (Grasping his hand with affection.) Noble Butler !

But. After the obligation which the Duke

Had laid so newly on me

I hear, too, that to make the gift still sweeter,
The Duke has given him the very same

In which he first saw service, and since then,
Worked himself, step by step, through each preferment,
From the ranks upwards. And verily, it gives

A precedent of hope, a spur of action

To the whole corps, if once in their remembrance
An old deserving soldier makes his way.

But. I am perplexed and doubtful, whether or no

I dare accept this your congratulation.

The Emperor has not yet confirmed the appointment.

Iso. Seize it, friend! Seize it! The hand which in that post Placed you, is strong enough to keep you there,

Spite of the Emperor and his Ministers.

Illo. Ay, if we would but so consider it !—

If we would all of us consider it so !

The Emperor gives us nothing; from the Duke

Comes all-whate'er we hope, whate'er we have.

Iso. (to Illo.) My noble brother! did I tell you how The Duke will satisfy my creditors?

Will be himself my banker for the future,

Make me once more a creditable man !--

And this is now the third time, think of that!
This kingly-minded man has rescued me
From absolute ruin, and restored my honor.

Illo. O that his power but kept pace with his wishes!
Why, friend! he'd give the whole world to his soldiers.
But at Vienna, brother!-here's the grievance !-
What politic schemes do they not lay to shorten
His arm, and, where they can, to clip his pinions.
Then these new dainty requisitions! these,
Which this same Questenberg brings hither!—
But.

These requisitions of the Emperor,

I too have heard about them; but I hope

Ay,

The Duke will not draw back a single inch!
Illo. Not from his right most surely, unless first-

From office!

But. (shocked and confused.) Know you aught then?

alarm me.

You

Iso. (at the same time with Butler, and in a hurried voice.) We should be ruined every one of us!

Illo.

No more!

Yonder I see our worthy friend* approaching

With the Lieutenant-General, Piccolomini.

But. (shaking his head significantly.) I fear we shall not go

hence as we came.

SCENE II.—Enter Octavio Piccolomini and Questenberg.

Oct. (still in the distance.) Ay, ay! more still! Still more new visitors!

Acknowledge, friend! that never was a camp,

Which held at once so many heads of heroes.

Welcome, Count Isolani!

Iso.

[Approaching nearer.

My noble brother,

Even now am I arrived; it had been else my duty-
Oct. And Colonel Butler-trust me, I rejoice

Thus to renew acquaintance with a man
Whose worth and services I know and honor.
See, see, my friend !

There might we place at once before our eyes
The sum of war's whole trade and mystery-

[To Questenberg, presenting Butler and Isolani at the
same time to him.

These two the total sum-STRENGTH and DESPATCH.

Ques. (to Octavio.) And lo! betwixt them both experienced PRUDENCE!

Oct. (presenting Questenberg to Butler and Isolani.) The Chamberlain and War-commissioner Questenberg,

The bearer of the Emperor's behests,

The long-tried friend and patron of all soldiers,

We honor in this noble visitor.

[Universal silence.

Illo. (moving towards Questenberg.) 'Tis not the first time,

noble Minister,

You have shown our camp this honor.

Ques.

I stood before these colors.

Once before

Illo. Perchance, too, you remember where that was.

* Spoken with a sneer.

It was at Znäim* in Moravia, where

You did present yourself on the part

Of the Emperor, to supplicate our Duke

That he would straight assume the chief command.
Ques. To supplicate? Nay, noble General!

So far extended neither my commission
(At least to my own knowledge) nor my zeal.

Illo. Well, well, then-to compel him, if you choose.
I can remember me right well, Count Tilly
Had suffered total rout upon the Lech.
Bavaria lay all open to the enemy,

Whom there was nothing to delay from pressing
Onwards into the very heart of Austria.
At that time you and Werdenberg appeared
Before our General, storming him with prayers,
And menacing the Emperor's displeasure,

Unless he took compassion on this wretchedness.

Iso. (steps up to them.) Yes, yes, 'tis comprehensible enough, Wherefore with your commission of to-day

You were not all too willing to remember

Your former one.

Ques.

Why not, Count Isolan?

No contradiction sure exists between them.
It was the urgent business of that time
To snatch Bavaria from her enemy's hand;
And my commission of to-day instructs me
To free her from her good friends and protectors.
Illo. A worthy office! After with our blood
We have wrested this Bohemia from the Saxon,
To be swept out of it is all our thanks,

The sole reward of all our hard-won victories.

Ques. Unless that wretched land be doomed to suffer

Only a change of evils, it must be

Freed from the scourge alike of friend and foe.

Illo. What? 'twas a favorable year; the Boors Can answer fresh demands already.

Ques.

Nay,

If you discourse of herds and meadow-grounds

* A town not far from the Mine-mountains, on the high road from Vienna to Prague.