Wal. And what did you determine?

Ans.

All our comrades

At Brunau, Budweiss, Prague and Olmutz, have
Obey'd already, and the regiments here,
Tiefenbach and Toscana, instantly

Did follow their example. But-but we
Do not believe that thou art an enemy

And traitor to thy country, hold it merely
For lie and trick, and a trump'd up Spanish story!
(With warmth.)

Thyself shalt tell us what thy purpose is,

For we have found thee still sincere and true :

No mouth shall interpose itself betwixt

The gallant General and the gallant troops.

Wal. Therein I recognize my Pappenheimers.

Ans. And this proposal makes thy regiment to thee:

Is it thy purpose merely to preserve

In thy own hands this military sceptre,

Which so becomes thee, which the Emperor

Made over to thee by a covenant;

Is it thy purpose merely to remain

Supreme commander of the Austrian armies;
We will stand by thee, General! and guarantee
Thy honest rights against all opposition.

And should it chance, that all the other regiments
Turn from thee, by ourselves will we stand forth
Thy faithful soldiers, and, as is our duty,
Far rather let ourselves be cut to pieces,
Than suffer thee to fall. But if it be
As the Emperor's letter says, if it be true,
That thou in trait'rous wise wilt lead us over
To the enemy, which God in heaven forbid !
Then we too will forsake thee, and obey
That letter-

You're men of sense, examine for yourselves;
Ye think, and do not follow with the herd:
And therefore have I always shown you honour
Above all others; suffer'd you to reason;
Have treated you as free men, and my orders
Were but the echoes of your prior suffrage.—
Ans. Most fair and noble has thy conduct been
To us, my General! With thy confidence

Thou hast honour'd us, and shown us grace and favour
Beyond all other regiments; and thou see'st
We follow not the common herd. We will

Stand by thee faithfully. Speak but one word—
Thy word shall satisfy us, that it is not
A treason which thou meditatest-that
Thou meanest not to lead the army over
To the enemy; nor e'er betray thy country.

Wal. Me, me, are they betraying. Th' Emperor
Hath sacrificed me to my enemies ;

At this breast

And I must fall, unless my gallant troops
Will rescue me. See! I confide in you.
And be your hearts my strong hold!
The aim is taken, at this hoary head.
This is your Spanish gratitude, this is our
Requital for that murderous fight at Lützen!
For this we threw the naked breast against
The halbert, made for this the frozen earth

Our bed, and the hard stone our pillow! never stream
Too rapid for us, no wood too impervious;

With cheerful spirit we pursued that Mansfield
Through all the turns and windings of his flight;

Yea, our whole life was but one restless march;
And homeless, as the stirring wind, we travell'd
O'er the war-wasted earth. And now, even now,
That we have well nigh finish'd the hard toil,
The unthankful, the curse-laden toil of weapons,
With faithful indefatigable arm

Have roll'd the heavy war-load up the hill,
Behold! this boy of the Emperor's bears away
The honours of the peace, an easy prize!
He'll weave, forsooth, into his flaxen locks
The olive branch, the hard-earn'd ornament
Of this grey head, grown grey beneath the helmet.
Ans. That shall he not, while we can hinder it!
No one, but thou, who hast conducted it

With fame, shall end this war, this frightful war!
Thou led'st us out into the bloody field

Of death, thou and no other shalt conduct us home
Rejoicing to the lovely plains of peace-

Shalt share with us the fruits of the long toil.

Wal. What? Think you then at length in late old age To enjoy the fruits of toil? Believe it not.

Never, no never, will you see the end

Of the contest! you and me, and all of us,

This war will swallow up! War, war, not peace,
Is Austria's wish; and therefore, because I
Endeavour'd after peace, therefore I fall.
For what cares Austria, how long the war

Wears out the armies and lays waste the world?
She will but wax and grow amid the ruin,

And still win new domains.

(The Cuirassiers express agitation by their gestures.) Ye're mov'd-I see

A noble rage flash from your eyes, ye warriors!

Oh that my spirit might possess you now,

Daring as once it led you to the battle!

Ye would stand by me with your veteran arms,
Protect me in my rights; and this is noble !
But think not that you can accomplish it,
Your scanty number! to no purpose will you
Have sacrificed you for your General.

(Confidentially.)

No! let us tread securely, seek for friends;
The Swedes have proffer'd us assistance, let us
Wear for a while the appearance of good will,
And use them for our profit, till we both
Carry the fate of Europe in our hands,
And from our camp to the glad jubilant world
Lead peace forth with the garland on her head!

Ans. 'Tis then but mere appearances which thou Dost put on with the Swede? Thou'lt not betray The Emperor? Wilt not turn us into Swedes? This is the only thing which we desire

To learn from thee.

་

Wal.

What care I for the Swedes ?

I hate them as I hate the pit of hell,

And, under Providence, I trust right soon

To chase them to their homes across their Baltic.
My cares are only for the whole: I have

A heart-it bleeds within me for the miseries
And piteous groaning of my fellow Germans.
Ye are but common men, but yet ye think
With minds not common; ye appear to me
Worthy before all others, that I whisper ye
A little word or two in confidence!
See now! already for full fifteen years
The war-torch has continu'd burning, yet
No rest, no pause of conflict. Swede and German!
Papist and Lutheran! neither will give way

To the other, every hand's against the other.

Each one is party and no one a judge.

Where shall this end? Where's he that will unravel

This tangle, ever tangling more and more.

It must be cut asunder.

I feel that I am the man of destiny,

And trust, with your assistance, to accomplish it.

SCENE IV.

To these enter Butler.

But. (passionately) General! This is not right!

Wal.

What is not right?

But. It must needs injure us with all honest men.
Wal. But what?

From off the banners, and instead of it,

Have rear'd aloft thy arms.

Ans. (abruptly to the Cuirassiers) Right about! March! Wal. Curs'd be this counsel, and accurs'd who gave it! (To the Cuirassiers, who are retiring.)

Halt, children, halt. There's some mistake in this!

Hark! I will punish it severely. Stop!

They do not hear. (To Illo.) Go after them, assure

them,

And bring them back to me, cost what it may,

(Illo hurries out.)