Chapter 36

SCENE.--_A Chamber in PICCOLOMINI'S Mansion.--Night._

_OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI. A_ Valet de Chambre, _with Lights._

_Octavio._----And when my son comes in, conduct him hither. What is the hour?

_Valet._ 'Tis on the point of morning.

_Octavio._ Set down the light. We mean not to undress. You may retire to sleep.

[_Exit Valet. OCTAVIO paces, musing, across the chamber; MAX PICCOLOMINI enters unobserved, and looks at his father for some moments in silence._

_Max._ Art thou offended with me? Heaven knows 5 That odious business was no fault of mine. 'Tis true, indeed, I saw thy signature. What thou hadst sanctioned, should not, it might seem, Have come amiss to me. But--'tis my nature-- Thou know'st that in such matters I must follow 10 My own light, not another's.

_Octavio (embraces him)._ Follow it, O follow it still further, my best son! To-night, dear boy! it hath more faithfully Guided thee than the example of thy father.

_Max._ Declare thyself less darkly.

_Octavio._ I will do so. 15 For after what has taken place this night, There must remain no secrets 'twixt us two.

[_Both seat themselves._

Max Piccolomini! what thinkest thou of The oath that was sent round for signatures?

_Max._ I hold it for a thing of harmless import, 20 Although I love not these set declarations.

_Octavio._ And on no other ground hast thou refused The signature they fain had wrested from thee?

_Max._ It was a serious business----I was absent-- The affair itself seemed not so urgent to me. 25

_Octavio._ Be open, Max. Thou hadst then no suspicion?

_Max._ Suspicion! what suspicion? Not the least.

_Octavio._ Thank thy good angel, Piccolomini: He drew thee back unconscious from the abyss.

_Max._ I know not what thou meanest.

_Octavio._ I will tell thee. 30 Fain would they have extorted from thee, son, The sanction of thy name to villainy; Yea, with a single flourish of thy pen, Made thee renounce thy duty and thy honour!

_Max (rises)._ Octavio!

_Octavio._ Patience! Seat yourself. Much yet 35 Hast thou to hear from me, friend!--hast for years Lived in incomprehensible illusion. Before thine eyes is Treason drawing out As black a web as e'er was spun for venom: A power of hell o'erclouds thy understanding. 40 I dare no longer stand in silence--dare No longer see thee wandering on in darkness, Nor pluck the bandage from thine eyes.

_Max._ My father! Yet, ere thou speak'st, a moment's pause of thought! If your disclosures should appear to be 45 Conjectures only--and almost I fear They will be nothing further--spare them! I Am not in that collected mood at present, That I could listen to them quietly.

_Octavio._ The deeper cause thou hast to hate this light, 50 The more impatient cause have I, my son, To force it on thee. To the innocence And wisdom of thy heart I could have trusted thee With calm assurance--but I see the net Preparing--and it is thy heart itself 55 Alarms me for thine innocence--that secret, Which thou concealest, forces mine from me. Know, then, they are duping thee!--a most foul game With thee and with us all--nay, hear me calmly-- The Duke even now is playing. He assumes 60 The mask, as if he would forsake the army; And in this moment makes he preparations That army from the Emperor to steal, And carry it over to the enemy!

_Max._ That low Priest's legend I know well, but did not 65 Expect to hear it from thy mouth.

_Octavio._ That mouth, From which thou hearest it at this present moment, Doth warrant thee that it is no Priest's legend.

_Max._ How mere a maniac they supposed the Duke! What, he can meditate?--the Duke?--can dream 70 That he can lure away full thirty thousand Tried troops and true, all honourable soldiers, More than a thousand noblemen among them, From oaths, from duty, from their honour lure them, And make them all unanimous to do 75 A deed that brands them scoundrels?

_Octavio._ Such a deed, With such a front of infamy, the Duke No wise desires--what he requires of us Bears a far gentler appellation. Nothing He wishes, but to give the Empire peace. 80 And so, because the Emperor hates this peace, Therefore the Duke--the Duke will force him to it. All parts of the Empire will he pacify, And for his trouble will retain in payment (What he has already in his gripe)--Bohemia! 85

_Max._ Has he, Octavio, merited of us, That we--that we should think so vilely of him?

_Octavio._ What we would think is not the question here. The affair speaks for itself--and clearest proofs! Hear me, my son--'tis not unknown to thee, 90 In what ill credit with the Court we stand. But little dost thou know, or guess, what tricks, What base intrigues, what lying artifices, Have been employed--for this sole end--to sow Mutiny in the camp! All bands are loosed-- 95 Loosed all the bands, that link the officer To his liege Emperor, all that bind the soldier Affectionately to the citizen. Lawless he stands, and threateningly beleaguers The state he's bound to guard. To such a height 100 'Tis swoln, that at this hour the Emperor Before his armies--his own armies--trembles; Yea, in his capital, his palace, fears The traitor's poniards, and is meditating To hurry off and hide his tender offspring---- 105 Not from the Swedes, not from the Lutherans-- No! from his own troops hide and hurry them!

_Max._ Cease, cease! thou tortur'st, shatter'st me. I know That oft we tremble at an empty terror; But the false phantasm brings a real misery. 110

_Octavio._ It is no phantasm. An intestine war, Of all the most unnatural and cruel, Will burst out into flames, if instantly We do not fly and stifle it. The Generals Are many of them long ago won over; 115 The subalterns are vacillating--whole Regiments and garrisons are vacillating. To foreigners our strong holds are entrusted; To that suspected Schafgotch is the whole Force of Silesia given up: to Tertsky 120 Five regiments, foot and horse--to Isolani, To Illo, Kinsky, Butler, the best troops.

_Max._ Likewise to both of us.

_Octavio._ Because the Duke Believes he has secured us--means to lure us Still further on by splendid promises. 125 To me he portions forth the princedoms, Glatz And Sagan; and too plain I see the angle With which he doubts not to catch thee.

_Max._ No! no! I tell thee--no!

_Octavio._ O open yet thine eyes! And to what purpose think'st thou he has called us 130 Hither to Pilsen?--to avail himself Of our advice?--O when did Friedland ever Need our advice?--Be calm, and listen to me. To sell ourselves are we called hither, and, Decline we that--to be his hostages. 135 Therefore doth noble Galas stand aloof; Thy father, too, thou would'st not have seen here, If higher duties had not held him fettered.

_Max._ He makes no secret of it--needs make none-- That we're called hither for his sake--he owns it. 140 He needs our aidance to maintain himself-- He did so much for us; and 'tis but fair That we too should do somewhat now for him.

_Octavio._ And know'st thou what it is which we must do? That Illo's drunken mood betrayed it to thee. 145 Bethink thyself--what hast thou heard, what seen? The counterfeited paper--the omission Of that particular clause, so full of meaning, Does it not prove, that they would bind us down To nothing good?

_Max._ That counterfeited paper 150 Appears to me no other than a trick Of Illo's own device. These underhand Traders in great men's interests ever use To urge and hurry all things to the extreme. They see the Duke at variance with the court, 155 And fondly think to serve him, when they widen The breach irreparably. Trust me, father, The Duke knows nothing of all this.

_Octavio._ It grieves me That I must dash to earth, that I must shatter A faith so specious; but I may not spare thee! 160 For this is not a time for tenderness. Thou must take measures, speedy ones--must act. I therefore will confess to thee, that all Which I've entrusted to thee now--that all Which seems to thee so unbelievable, 165 That--yes, I will tell thee--Max! I had it all From his own mouth--from the Duke's mouth I had it.

_Max._ No!--no!--never!

_Octavio._ Himself confided to me What I, 'tis true, had long before discovered By other means--himself confided to me, 170 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 175 Of irritation, what if he, for once, Forgot himself? He's an impetuous man.

_Octavio._ Nay, in cold blood he did confess this to me: And having construed my astonishment Into a scruple of his power, he shewed me 180 His written evidences--shewed me letters, Both from the Saxon and the Swede, that gave Promise of aidance, and defin'd the amount.

_Max._ It cannot be!--can _not_ be! _can_ not be! Dost thou not see, it cannot! 185 Thou wouldest of necessity have shewn him Such horror, such deep loathing--that or he Had taken thee for his better genius, or Thou stood'st not now a living man before me--

_Octavio._ I have laid open my objections to him, 190 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.

_Max._ And thou hast been So treacherous? That looks not like my father! 195 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.

_Octavio._ I did not thrust myself into his secrecy.

_Max._ Uprightness merited his confidence. 200

_Octavio._ He was no longer worthy of sincerity.

_Max._ Dissimulation, sure, was still less worthy Of thee, Octavio!

_Octavio._ Gave I him a cause To entertain a scruple of my honour?

_Max._ That he did not, evinced his confidence. 205

_Octavio._ 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 210 Will sometimes bear away her outward robes Soiled 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: 215 I but perform my orders; the Emperor Prescribes my conduct to me. Dearest boy, Far better were it, doubtless, if we all Obeyed the heart at all times; but so doing, In this our present sojourn with bad men, 220 We must abandon many an honest object. 'Tis now our call to serve the Emperor, By what means he can best be served--the heart May whisper what it will--this is our call!

_Max._ It seems a thing appointed, that to-day 225 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-- 230 My friend thou stealest not from me-- Let me not lose my father!

_Octavio._ 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 235 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 240 His evil fate, most evil, most mysterious!

_Max._ O nothing rash, my sire! By all that's good Let me invoke thee--no precipitation!

_Octavio._ With light tread stole he on his evil way, With light tread hath Vengeance stole on after him. 245 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! 250 And that was for me only.

_Max._ May I know it?

_Octavio (seizes the patent)._ 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, 255 Hath knit thee to 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----

_Max._ Father----

_Octavio._ O my son! 260 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?

_Max._ According 265 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!

_Octavio._ Read it.

_Max (just glances on it)._ Duke Friedland sentenced and condemned!

_Octavio._ Even so.

_Max (throws down the paper)._ O this is too much! O unhappy error! 270

_Octavio._ Read on. Collect thyself.

_Max (after he has read further, with a look of affright and astonishment on his father)._ How! what! Thou! thou!

_Octavio._ But for the present moment, till the King Of Hungary may safely join the army, Is the command assigned to me.

_Max._ And think'st thou, Dost thou believe, that thou wilt tear it from him? 275 O never hope it!--Father! father! father! An inauspicious office is enjoined 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 280 Disarm--degrade! Thou art lost, both thou and all of us.

_Octavio._ 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. 285 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 warned--the dangerous Are closely watched. I wait but the first step, 290 And then immediately----

_Max._ What! on suspicion? Immediately?

_Octavio._ 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, 295 He will be silently displaced 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---- 300

_Max._ What callest thou such a step? A wicked step Ne'er will he take; but thou mightest easily, Yea, thou hast done it, misinterpret him.

_Octavio._ Nay, howsoever punishable were Duke Friedland's purposes, yet still the steps 305 Which he hath taken openly, permit A mild construction. It is my intention To leave this paper wholly uninforced Till some act is committed which convicts him Of a high-treason, without doubt or plea, 310 And that shall sentence him.

_Max._ But who the judge?

_Octavio._ Thyself.

_Max._ For ever, then, this paper will lie idle.

_Octavio._ Too soon, I fear, its powers must all be proved. After the counter-promise of this evening, 315 It cannot be but he must deem himself Secure of the majority with us; And of the army's general sentiment He hath a pleasing proof in that petition Which thou delivered'st to him from the regiments. 320 Add this too--I have letters that the Rhinegrave Hath changed his route, and travels by forced marches To the Bohemian Forest. What this purports, Remains unknown; and, to confirm suspicion, This night a Swedish nobleman arrived here. 325

_Max._ I have thy word. Thou'lt not proceed to action Before thou hast convinced me--me myself.

_Octavio._ Is it possible? Still, after all thou know'st, Canst thou believe still in his innocence?

_Max._ Thy judgment may mistake; my heart can not. 330 These reasons might expound thy spirit or mine; But they expound not Friedland--I have faith: For as he knits his fortunes to the stars, Even so doth he resemble them in secret, Wonderful, still inexplicable courses! 335 Trust me, they do him wrong. All will be solved. These smokes, at once, will kindle into flame-- The edges of this black and stormy cloud Will brighten suddenly, and we shall view The Unapproachable glide out in splendour. 340

_Octavio._ I will await it.

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