How far thou hast already gone, speak !-tell us, Lies my security. The army will not Abandon me. Whatever they may know, The power is mine, and they must gulp it down- They must be satisfied, at least appear so. Illo. The army, Duke, is thine now-for this moment- On which thou now dost feel so firm a footing, One after th' other Wal. 'Tis a cursed accident! Illo. O I will call it a most blessed one, If it work on thee as it ought to do, Wal. He's arriv'd!-Know'st thou To thee alone What his commission is Illo. Will he intrust the purpose of his coming. Ter. He's a Bohemian fugitive and rebel, Will he, that dastardling, have strength enough— Wal. (lost in thought) Their confidence is lost—irre. parably! And I may act what way I will, I shall Be and remain for ever in their thought It will no longer help me That it will do! Not thy fidelity, Thy weakness will be deem'd the sole occasion- Because I toy'd too freely with the thought? Accursed he who dallies with a devil! And must I-I must realize it now Now, while I have the power, it must take place? Illo. Now-now-ere they can ward and parry it! Wal. (looking at the paper of signatures) I have the General's words—a written promise! Max. Piccolomini stands not here-how's that? Ter. It was -he fancied Illo. Mere self-willedness. There needed no such thing 'twixt him and you. Wal. He is quite right-there needeth no such thing. The regiments, too, deny to march for Flanders Have sent me in a paper of remonstrance, And openly resist the imperial orders. The first step to revolt 's already taken. Illo. Believe me, thou wilt find it far more easy To lead them over to the enemy Than to the Spaniard. Wal. I will hear, however, What the Swede has to say to me. Illo. (eagerly to Tertsky) Go, call him! He stands without the door in waiting. Wal. Stay! Stay yet a little. It hath taken me All by surprise,-it came to quick upon me; With its dark lordship, and blind agency, Is't so? I can no longer what I would? To make the fancy minister to hope, To fill the air with pretty toys of air, And clutch fantastic sceptres moving t'ward me? The road of duty close beside me-but One little step, and once more I was in it! Rises obedient to the spells I mutter'd And meant not-my own doings tower behind me. (Pauses and remains in deep thought.) A punishable man I seem, the guilt, Try what I will, I cannot roll off from me; And even my purest acts from purest motives Suspicion poisons with malicious gloss. Were I that thing, for which I pass, that traitor, A goodly outside I had sure reserv'd, Had drawn the cov'rings thick and double round me, I gave way to my humours, to my passion : How else! since that the heart's unbias'd instinet Impell'd me to the daring deed, which now Not without shudder may a human hand For ever to those sly malicious powers (Paces in agitation through the chamber, then What is thy enterprise? thy aim? thy object? Power seated on a quiet throne thou'dst shake, Strong in possession, founded in old custom; Fix'd to the people's pious nursery-faith. This, this will be no strife of strength with strength. Whom I can look on, fixing eye to eye, Who full himself of courage kindles courage The which I fear-a fearful enemy, Which in the human heart opposes me, By it's coward fear alone made fearful to me. O no! it is the common, the quite common, Y |