In which the Duke spoke eight, nine years ago.
Wal. Yes! 'tis my fault, I know it: I myself
Have spoilt the Emperor by indulging him.
Nine years ago, during the Danish war,
I rais'd him up a force, a mighty force,
Forty or fifty thousand men, that cost him
Of his own purse no doit. Through Saxony
The fury goddess of the war march'd on,
E'en to the surf-rocks of the Baltic, bearing
The terrors of his name. That was a time!
In the whole Imperial realm no name like mine
Honour'd with festival and celebration-
And Albrecht Wallenstein, it was the title
Of the third jewel in his crown!

But at the Diet, when the Princes met

At Regensburg, there, there the whole broke out,
There 'twas laid open, there it was made known,
Out of what money-bag I had paid the host.
And what was now my thanks, what had I now,
That I, a faithful servant of the Sovereign,
Had loaded on myself the people's curses,
And let the Princes of the empire pay
The expences of this war, that aggrandizes
The Emperor alone-What thanks hand I!
What? I was offer'd up to their complaints,
Dismiss'd, degraded !

Ques.

But your highness knows

What little freedom he possess'd of action
In that disastrous Diet.

Wal.

Death and hell!

I had that which could have procur'd him freedom.
No! Since 'twas prov'd so inauspicious to me
To serve the Emperor at the empire's cost,
I have been taught far other trains of thinking

Of th' empire, and the Diet of the empire.
From th' Emperor, doubtless, I receiv'd this staff,
But now I hold it as the empire's general-
For the common weal, the universal int'rest,
And no more for that one man's aggrandizement !
But to the point. What is it that's desir'd of me?
Ques. First, his Imperial Majesty hath will'd,
That without pretexts of delay the army

Evacuate Bohemia.

Wal.

In this season?

And to what quarter, wills the Emperor
That we direct our course?

His Majesty resolves, that Regensburg

Be purified from the enemy ere Easter,
That Luth'ranism may be no longer preach'd
In that cathedral, nor heretical

Defilement desecrate the celebration

Of that pure festival.

Already hath commanded colonel Suys

To advance toward Bavaria.

Wal.

What did Suys?

Ques. That which his duty prompted. He advanc'd!

Wal. What? he advanc'd? And I, his general,

Had given him orders, peremptory orders,
Not to desert his station! Stands it thus
With my authority? Is this th' obedience
Due to my office, which being thrown aside
No war can be conducted? Chieftains, speak!

You be the judges, generals! What deserves
That officer, who, of his oath neglectful,

Is guilty of contempt of orders?

Illo.

Death.

Wal. (raising his voice, as all but Illo had remained silent, and seemingly scrupulous,)

Count Piccolomini, what has he deserv'd?

Max. (After a long pause) According to the letter of the law,

Death.

Iso.

Death.

But.

Death, by the laws of war.

(Questenberg rises from his seat, Wallenstein follows, all the rest rise.)

Wal. To this the law condemns him, and not I.

And if I show him favour, 'twill arise

From the rev'rence that I owe my Emperor.

Ques. If so, I can say nothing further-here!

Wal. I accepted the command but on conditions! And this the first, that to the diminution

Of my authority, no human being,

Not even the Emperor's self, should be entitled
To do aught, or to say aught, with the army.
If I stand warranter of the event,

Placing my honour and my head in pledge,
Needs must I have full mastery in all

The means thereto. What render'd thiş Gustavus
Resistless, and unconquer'd upon earth?

This that he was the monarch in his army;

A monarch, one who is indeed a monarch,

Was never yet subdued but by his equal.

But to the point! The best is yet to come.
Attend now, generals!

Ques.

The prince Cardinal

Q

Begins his route at the approach of spring

From the Milanese; and leads a Spanish army
Thro' Germany into the Netherlands.

That he may march secure and unimpeded.

'Tis th' Emperor's will, you grant him a detachment Of eight horse-regiments from the army here.

Wal. Yes, yes! I understand!-Eight regiments!

Well,

Right well concerted, father Lamormain !

Eight thousand horse! Yes, yes! 'Tis as it should be!

I see it coming.

Ques.

There is nothing coming;

All stands in front: the counsel of state-prudence,

The dictate of necessity!

What, my Lord Envoy? May I not be suffer'd
To understand that folks are tir'd of seeing
The sword's hilt in my grasp: and that your court
Snatch eagerly at this pretence, and use
The Spanish title, to drain off my forces,
To lead into the empire a new army
Unsubjected to my control. To throw me
Plumply aside.-I am still too powerful for you
To venture that. My stipulation runs,
That all the Imperial forces shall obey me
Where'er the German is the native language.
Of Spanish troops and of Prince Cardinals,
That take their route, as visitors, thro' the empire,
There stands no syllable in my stipulation.

No syllable! And so the politic court

Steals in a tiptoe, and creeps round behind it;

First makes me weaker, then to be dispens'd with,

Till it dares strike at length a bolder blow

And make short work with me.

What need of all these crooked ways, Lord Envoy?
Straight-forward, man! His compact with me pinches
The Emperor. He would that I mov'd off!—
Well!-I will gratify him!-

(Here there commences an agitation among the generals which increases continually.)

It grieves me for my noble officers sakes!

I see not yet, by what means they will come at
The moneys they have advanced, or how obtain
The recompense their services demand.
Still a new leader brings new claimants forward,
And prior merit superannuates quickly.
There serve here many foreigners in th' army,
And were the man in all else brave and gallant,
I was not wont to make nice scrutiny

After his pedigree or catechism.

This will be otherwise, i' the time to come.

Well-me no longer it concerns.

(He seats himself.)

Max. Forbid it Heaven, that it should come to this!

Our troops will swell in dreadful fermentation

The Emperor is abus'd-it cannot be.

Iso. It cannot be; all goes to instant wreck.
Wal. Thou hast said truly, faithful Isolani!
What we with toil and foresight have built up,
Will go to wreck-all go to instant wreck.
What then? another chieftain is soon found,
Another army likewise (who dares doubt it?)
Will flock from all sides to the Emperor
At the first beat of his recruiting drum.

(During this speech, Isolani, Tertsky, Illo, and Maradas, talk confusedly with great agitation.) Max. (Busily, and passionately going from one to another, and soothing them.)

Hear, my commander! Hear me, generals!