The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition). Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition) - Samuel Taylor Coleridge страница 408

The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Illustrated Edition) - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Скачать книгу

What is there of such urgence? We are busy.

      Tertsky (from without). Lay all aside at present, I entreat you.

       It suffers no delaying.

      Wallenstein. Open, Seni!

      [While SENI opens the doors for TERTSKY, WALLENSTEIN

       draws the curtain over the figures.

      Tertsky (enters). Hast thou already heard it? He is taken.

       Galas has given him up to the Emperor. 50

      [SENI draws off the black table, and exit.

       Table of Contents

      WALLENSTEIN, COUNT TERTSKY.

      Wallenstein (to Tertsky). Who has been taken? — Who is given up?

      Tertsky. The man who knows our secrets, who knows every

       Negotiation with the Swede and Saxon,

       Through whose hands all and every thing has passed —

      Wallenstein (drawing back). Nay, not Sesina? — Say, No! I entreat

       thee. 5

      Tertsky. All on his road for Regenspurg to the Swede

       He was plunged down upon by Galas’ agent,

       Who had been long in ambush, lurking for him.

       There must have been found on him my whole packet

       To Thur, to Kinsky, to Oxenstirn, to Arnheim: 10

       All this is in their hands; they have now an insight

       Into the whole — our measures, and our motives.

       Table of Contents

      To them enters ILLO.

      Illo (to Tertsky). Has he heard it?

      Tertsky. He has heard it.

      Illo (to Wallenstein). Thinkest thou

       still

       To make thy peace with the Emperor, to regain

       His confidence? — E’en were it now thy wish

       To abandon all thy plans, yet still they know

       What thou hast wished; then forwards thou must press; 5

       Retreat is now no longer in thy power.

      Tertsky. They have documents against us, and in hands,

       Which shew beyond all power of contradiction —

      Wallenstein. Of my handwriting — no iota. Thee

       I punish for thy lies.

      Illo. And thou believest, 10

       That what this man, that what thy sister’s husband,

       Did in thy name, will not stand on thy reck’ning?

       His word must pass for thy word with the Swede,

       And not with those that hate thee at Vienna.

      Tertsky. In writing thou gav’st nothing — But bethink thee, 15

       How far thou ventured’st by word of mouth

       With this Sesina? And will he be silent?

       If he can save himself by yielding up

       Thy secret purposes, will he retain them?

      Illo. Thyself dost not conceive it possible; 20

       And since they now have evidence authentic

       How far thou hast already gone, speak! — tell us,

       What art thou waiting for? thou canst no longer

       Keep thy command; and beyond hope of rescue

       Thou’rt lost, if thou resign’st it.

      Wallenstein. In the army 25

       Lies my security. The army will not

       Abandon me. Whatever they may know,

       The power is mine, and they must gulp it down —

       And substitute I caution for my fealty,

       They must be satisfied, at least appear so. 30

      Illo. The army, Duke, is thine now — for this moment —

       ‘Tis thine: but think with terror on the slow,

       The quiet power of time. From open violence

       The attachment of thy soldiery secures thee

       To-day — tomorrow; but grant’st thou them a respite, 35

       Unheard, unseen, they’ll undermine that love

       On which thou now dost feel so firm a footing,

       With wily theft will draw away from thee

       One after the other ——

      Wallenstein. ‘Tis a curséd accident!

      Illo. O, I will call it a most blessed one, 40

       If it work on thee as it ought to do,

       Hurry thee on to action — to decision.

       The Swedish General ——

      Wallenstein. He’s arrived! Know’st thou

       What his commission is ——

      Illo. To thee alone

       Will he entrust the purpose of his coming. 45

      Wallenstein. A curséd, curséd accident! Yes, yes,

       Sesina knows too much, and won’t be silent.

      Tertsky. He’s a Bohemian fugitive and rebel,

       His neck is forfeit. Can he save himself

       At thy cost, think you he will scruple it? 50

       And if they put him to the torture, will he,

      

Скачать книгу