He did himself entrust this strong hold to me,Which I am now required to make his dungeon. 60
We subalterns have no will of our own:
The free, the mighty man alone may listen
To the fair impulse of his human nature.
Ah! we are but the poor tools of the law,
Obedience the sole virtue we dare aim at! 65
Butler. Nay, let it not afflict you, that your power
Is circumscribed. Much liberty, much error!
The narrow path of duty is securest.
Gordon. And all then have deserted him, you say?
He has built up the luck of many thousands; 70
For kingly was his spirit: his full hand
Was ever open! Many a one from dust
Hath he selected, from the very dust
Hath raised him into dignity and honour.
And yet no friend, not one friend hath he purchased, 75
Whose heart beats true to him in the evil hour.
Butler. Here’s one, I see.
Gordon. I have enjoyed from him
No grace or favour. I could almost doubt,
If ever in his greatness he once thought on
An old friend of his youth. For still my office 80
Kept me at distance from him; and when first
He to this citadel appointed me,
He was sincere and serious in his duty.
I do not then abuse his confidence,
If I preserve my fealty in that 85
Which to my fealty was first delivered.
Butler. Say, then, will you fulfil the attainder on him?
Gordon. If it be so — if all be as you say —
If he’ve betrayed the Emperor, his master,
Have sold the troops, have purposed to deliver 90
The strong holds of the country to the enemy —
Yea, truly! — there is no redemption for him!
Yet it is hard, that me the lot should destine
To be the instrument of his perdition;
For we were pages at the court of Bergau 95
At the same period; but I was the senior.
Butler. I have heard so ——
Gordon. ‘Tis full thirty years since then.
A youth who scarce had seen his twentieth year
Was Wallenstein, when he and I were friends:
Yet even then he had a daring soul: 100
His frame of mind was serious and severe
Beyond his years: his dreams were of great objects.
He walked amidst us of a silent spirit,
Communing with himself: yet I have known him
Transported on a sudden into utterance 105
Of strange conceptions; kindling into splendour
His soul revealed itself, and he spake so
That we looked round perplexed upon each other,
Not knowing whether it were craziness,
Or whether it were a god that spoke in him. 110
Butler. But was it where he fell two story high
From a window-ledge, on which he had fallen asleep;
And rose up free from injury? From this day
(It is reported) he betrayed clear marks
Of a distempered fancy.
Gordon. He became 115
Doubtless more self-enwrapt and melancholy;
He made himself a Catholic. Marvellously
His marvellous preservation had transformed him.
Thenceforth he held himself for an exempted
And privileged being, and, as if he were 120
Incapable of dizziness or fall,
He ran along the unsteady rope of life.
But now our destinies drove us asunder:
He paced with rapid step the way of greatness,
Was Count, and Prince, Duke-regent, and Dictator. 125
And now is all, all this too little for him;
He stretches forth his hands for a king’s crown,
And plunges in unfathomable ruin.
Butler. No more, he comes.
[After 72] [With a sly glance on BUTLER. 1800, 1828, 1829.
[Before 88] Gordon (pauses reflecting — then as in deep dejection).
1800, 1828, 1829.
SCENE III
To these enter WALLENSTEIN, in conversation with the Burgomaster of
Egra.
Wallenstein. You were at one time a free town. I see,
Ye bear the half eagle in your city arms.
Why the half eagle only?
Burgomaster. We were free,
But for these last two hundred years has Egra
Remained in pledge to the Bohemian crown, 5
Therefore we bear the half eagle, the other half
Being cancelled till the empire ransom us,
