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What I, 'tis true, had long before discover'd
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

Max.

He is passionate.

The court has stung him-he is sore all over
With injuries and affronts; and in a moment
Of irritation, what if he, for once,

Forgot himself? He's an impetuous man.

Oct. Nay, in cold blood he did confess this to me; And having constructed my astonishment

Into a scruple of his power, he show'd me
His written evidences-show'd me letters,
Both from the Saxon and the Swede, that gave
Promise of aidance, and defin'd th' amount.

Max. It cannot be !-can not be !-can not be ! Dost thou not see, it cannot !

Thou wouldest of necessity have shown him
Such horror, such deep loathing-that or he
Had tak'n thee for his better genius, or

Thou stood'st not now a living man before me→
Oct. I have laid open my objections to him,
Dissuaded him with pressing earnestness;
But my abhorrence, the full sentiment

Of my whole heart--that I have still kept sacred
To my own consciousness.

Мах.

And thou hast been

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 secresy.
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, evinc'd 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
Soil'd 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
Obey'd 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 serv'd-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 hast 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 rash, my sire. By all that's good
Let me invoke thee-no precipitation !

Oct. With light tread stole he on his evil way,
And light of tread hath 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.

Мах.

Oct. (seizes the patent,)

May I know it?

Max !

(A pause.)

-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,

Hath knit thee too 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

Мах.

Oct.

Father
O my son !

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?

Мах.

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 sentenc'd and condemn'd!

Oct.

Even so.

Max. (throws down the paper,) O this is too much!— O unhappy error !

Oct. Read on. Collect thyself.

Max. (after he has read further, with a look of affright and astonishment 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 assign'd to me.

Мах.

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 enjoin'd 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 warn'd-the dangerous
Are closely watch'd. I wait but the first step,
And then immediately―

Мах. Immediately? Oct.

What! on suspicion?

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 displac'd 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 call'st 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 unenforc'd

Till some act is committed which convicts him

Of a high-treason, without doubt or plea,

And that shall sentence him.

Мах.

Oct. Thyself.

But who the judge?

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