The central sun with ever-narrowing orbit

These see the glance alone, the unseal'd 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 night, 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,
Strew'd 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. There reigns a momentary silence.

Wal. I have understood, 'tis true, the sum and import Of your instructions, Questenberg, have weigh'd them, And form'd my final, absolute resolve;

Yet it seems fitting, that the Generals

Should hear the will of th' Emperor from your mouth. May't please you then to open your commission

Before these noble Chieftains.

To obey you; but will first entreat your Highness,
And all these noble Chieftains, to consider,

Th' Imperial dignity and sov'reign right

Speaks from my mouth, and not my own presumption. Wal. We excuse all preface.

Ques.

When his Majesty

The Emperor to his courageous armies

Presented in the person of Duke Friedland
A most experienc'd and renown'd commander,
He did it in glad hope and confidence,
To give thereby to the fortune of war

A rapid and auspicious change. The onset
Was favourable to his royal wishes.
Bohemia was deliver'd from the Saxons,

The Swede's career of conquest check'd! These lands
Began to draw breath freely, as Duke Friedland
From all the streams of Germany forc'd hither
The scatter'd armies of the enemy,

Hither invok'd, as round one magic circle,
The Rhinegrave, Bernhard, Banner, Oxenstirn,
Yea, and that never-conquer'd 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 monarch 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,
March'd toward Bohemia with the speed of flight,
And vanish'd from the theatre of war;

While the young Weimar hero forc'd 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 march'd, and now at once 'fore Regensburg
Stood to th' 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 Friendland, Seven horsemen couriers sends he with th' entreaty:

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 Regensburg.

Wal. Max., to what period of the war alludes he? My recollection fails me here.

The Swedes and Saxons from the province.
Wal.

True.

In that description which the minister gave
I seem'd to have forgotten the whole war.

Well, but proceed a little.

Ques.

(to Questenberg-)

Yes! at length

Beside the river Oder did the Duke

Assert his ancient fame. Upon the fields

Of Steinau did the Swedes lay down their arms,
Subdued without a blow. And here, with others,
The righteousness of Heaven to his avenger
Deliver'd that long-practis'd stirrer-up
Of insurrection, that curse-laden torch
And kindler of this war, Matthias Thur.
But he had fallen into magnanimous hands!
Instead of punishment he found reward,
And with rich presents did the Duke dismiss
The arch-foe of his Emperor.

Wal. (laughs)

I know,

I know you had already in Vienna,
Your windows and balconies all forestall'd
To see him on the executioner's cart.

I might have lost the battle, lost it too
With infamy, and still retain'd your graces-
But, to have cheated them of a spectacle,
Oh! that the good folks of Vienna never,
No, never can forgive me.

Ques.

So Silesia

Was freed, and all things loudly call'd the Duke
Into Bavaria, now press'd hard on all sides.
And he did put his troops in motion; slowly,
Quite at his ease, and by the longest road
He traverses Bohemia; but ere ever

He hath once seen the enemy, faces round,
Breaks up the march, and takes to winter quarters.
Wal. The troops were pitiably destitute

Of every necessary, every comfort.

The winter came. What thinks his Majesty

His troops are made of? An't we men? subjected
Like other men to wet, and cold, and all
The circumstances of necessity?

O miserable lot of the poor soldier!
Wherever he comes in, all flee before him,
And when he goes away the general curse
Follows him on his rout. All must be seiz'd,
Nothing is given him. And compell'd to seize
From every man, he's every man's abhorrence.
Behold, here stand my Generals.

Karaffa!

Count Deodate! Butler! Tell this man
How long the soldiers' pay is in arrears.
But. Already a full year.

And 'tis the hire

Wal.
That constitutes the hireling's name and duties.
The soldier's pay is the soldier's covenant.*

Ques. Ah! this is a far other tone from that

* The original is not translatable into English;

Und sein sold.

Muss dem soldaten werden, darnach heist er.

It might perhaps have been thus rendered;

"And that for which he sold his services,

The soldier must receive."

But a false or doubtful etymology is no more than a dull pun.