What ever was, and ever more returns,
Stirling to-morrow, for to-day 'twas sterling!
For of the wholly common is man made,
And custom is his nurse! Woe then to them,
Who lay irreverent hands upon his old
House furniture, the dear inheritance
From his forefathers. For time consecrates;
And what is grey with age becomes religion.
Be in possession, and thou hast the right,
And sacred will the many guard it for thee!
(To the Page, who here enters.)

The Swedish officer?-Well, let him enter.

(The Page exit, Wallenstein fixes his eye in deep
thought on the door.)

Yet is it pure-as yet!-the crime has come
Not o'er this threshold yet-so slender is
The boundary that divideth life's two paths.

SCENE V.

Wallenstein and Wrangel.

Wal. (after having fixed a searching look on him) Your name is Wrangel?

Wran.

Gustave Wrangel, General

It was a Wrangel

Of the Sudermanian blues.

Wal.

Who injur'd me materially at Stralsund,
And by his brave resistance was the cause
Of th' opposition which that sea-port made.

Wran. It was the doing of the element

With which you fought, my Lord! and not my merit.

The Baltic Neptune did assert his freedom; ;
The sea and land, it seem'd, were not to serve
One and the same.

Wal. (makes the motion for him to take a seat, and
seats himself) And where are your credentials?
Come you provided with full powers, Sir General?
Wran. There are so many scruples yet to solve—
Wal. (having read the credentials) An able letter!-
Ay-he is a prudent,

Intelligent master, whom you serve, Sir General!
The Chancellor writes me, that he but fulfils

His late departed Sovereign's own idea

In helping me to the Bohemian crown.

Wran. He says the truth. Our great King, now in heaven,

Did ever deem most highly of your Grace's
Pre-eminent sense and military genius;

And always the commanding intellect,

He said, should have command, and be the King. Wal. Yes, he might say it safely.-General Wrangel, (Taking his hand affectionately.)

Come, fair and open.-Trust me, I was always

A Swede at heart. Ey! that did you experience
Both in Silesia and at Nuremburg;

I had you often in my power, and let you

Always slip out by some back door or other.

'Tis this for which the court can ne'er forgive me, Which drives me to this present step: and since Our interests so run in one direction,

E'n let us have a thorough confidence

Each in the other.

Wran.

Confidence will come

Has each but only first security.

Wal. The Chancellor still, I see, does not quite trust me,

And, I confess-the game does not lie wholly
To my advantage-Without doubt he thinks
If I can play false with the Emperor,
Who is my Sov'reign, I can do the like

With th' enemy, and that the one, too, were
Sooner to be forgiven me than the other.

Is not this your opinion too, Sir General?

Wran. I have here an office merely, no opinion.
Wal. The Emperor hath urged me to the uttermost.
I can no longer honourably serve him.

For my security, in self-defence,

I take this hard step, which my conscience blames.
Wran. That I believe. So far would no one go
Who was not forc'd to it.

(After a pause.)

What may have impelled

Your princely Highness in this wise to act
Toward your Sovereign Lord and Emperor,
Beseems not us to expound or criticise.

The Swede is fighting for his good old cause,

With his good sword and conscience. This concurrence, This opportunity, is in our favour,

And all advantages in war are lawful.

We take what offers without questioning;
And if all have its due and just proportions-

Wal. Of what then are ye doubting? Of my will? Or of my power? I pledg'd me to the Chancellor, Would he trust me with sixteen thousand men,

That I would instantly go over to them

With eighteen thousand of the Emperor's troops.

Wran. Your Grace is known to be a mighty war-chief,

To be a second Attila and Pyrrhus.

'Tis talk'd of still with fresh astonishment,

How some years past, beyond all human faith,

You called an army forth, like a creation :

But yet

Wal.
Wran.

But yet?

But still the Chancellor thinks,
It might yet be an easier thing from nothing
To call forth sixty thousand men of battle,
Than to persuade one sixtieth part of them—
Wal. What now? Out with it, friend!

Wran.

To break their oaths.

Wal. And he thinks so ?—He judges like a Swede, And like a Protestant. You Lutherans

Fight for your bible. You are int'rested

About the cause; and with your hearts you follow
Your banners.-Among you, whoe'er deserts

To the enemy, hath broken covenant

With two Lords at one time. We've no such fancies. Wran. Great God in Heaven! Have then the people here

No house and home, no fire-side, no altar?

Wal. I will explain that to you, how it stands-
The Austrian has a country, ay, and loves it,
And has good cause to love it—but this army,
That calls itself th' Imperial, this that houses
Here in Bohemia, this has none-no country;
This is an outcast of all foreign lands,

Unclaim'd by town or tribe, to whom belongs
Nothing, except the universal sun.

Wran. But then the nobles and the officers?
Such a desertion, such a felony,

It is without example, my Lord Duke,

In the world's history.

Wal.

They are all mine

Mine unconditionally-mine on all terms.

Not me, your own eyes you may trust.

(He gives him the paper containing the written oath. Wrangel reads it through, and having read it, lays it on the table, remaining silent.)

Now comprehend you?

Wran.

So then ?

Comprehend, who can!

My Lord Duke! I will let the mask drop-yes!

I've full powers for a final settlement.

The Rhinegrave stands but four days march from here
With fifteen thousand men, and only waits

For orders to proceed and join your army.
Those orders I give out, immediately

We're compromis'd.

Wal.

What asks the Chancellor ?

Wran. (considerately) Twelve regiments, every man a

T' insist thereon, that he do formally,

Irrevocably break with th' Emperor,

Else not a Swede is trusted to Duke Friedland.

Wal. Come, brief, and open! What is the demand? Wran. That he forthwith disarm the Spanish reg'

ments

Attach'd to th' Emperor, that he seize Prague,

And to the Swedes give up that city, with

The strong pass Egra.

Wal. That is much indeed!

Prague !-Egra's granted-But-but Prague !-'Twon't

do.

I give you every security

Which you may ask of me in common reason