their poor saving, their last worthless keep,Which having staked and lost, they stake themselves
In the mad rage of gaming. Thou art rich,
And glorious; with an unpolluted heart
Thou canst make conquest of whate’er seems highest! 90
But he, who once hath acted infamy,
Does nothing more in this world.
Wallenstein (grasps his hand). Calmly, Max!
Much that is great and excellent will we
Perform together yet. And if we only
Stand on the height with dignity, ‘tis soon 95
Forgotten, Max, by what road we ascended.
Believe me, many a crown shines spotless now,
That yet was deeply sullied in the winning.
To the evil spirit doth the earth belong,
Not to the good. All, that the powers divine 100
Send from above, are universal blessings:
Their light rejoices us, their air refreshes,
But never yet was man enriched by them:
In their eternal realm no property
Is to be struggled for — all there is general. 105
The jewel, the all-valued gold we win
From the deceiving Powers, depraved in nature,
That dwell beneath the day and blessed sunlight.
Not without sacrifices are they rendered
Propitious, and there lives no soul on earth 110
That e’er retired unsullied from their service.
Max. Whate’er is human, to the human being
Do I allow — and to the vehement
And striving spirit readily I pardon
The excess of action; but to thee, my General! 115
Above all others make I large concession.
For thou must move a world, and be the master —
He kills thee, who condemns thee to inaction.
So be it then! maintain thee in thy post
By violence. Resist the Emperor, 120
And if it must be, force with force repel:
I will not praise it, yet I can forgive it.
But not — not to the traitor — yes! — the word
Is spoken out ——
Not to the traitor can I yield a pardon. 125
That is no mere excess! that is no error
Of human nature — that is wholly different,
O that is black, black as the pit of hell!
Thou canst not hear it nam’d, and wilt thou do it?
O turn back to thy duty. That thou canst, 130
I hold it certain. Send me to Vienna.
I’ll make thy peace for thee with the Emperor.
He knows thee not. But I do know thee. He
Shall see thee, Duke! with my unclouded eye,
And I bring back his confidence to thee. 135
Wallenstein. It is too late. Thou knowest not what has happened.
Max. Were it too late, and were things gone so far,
That a crime only could prevent thy fall,
Then — fall! fall honourably, even as thou stood’st.
Lose the command. Go from the stage of war. 140
Thou canst with splendour do it — do it too
With innocence. Thou hast liv’d much for others,
At length live thou for thy own self. I follow thee.
My destiny I never part from thine.
Wallenstein. It is too late! Even now, while thou art losing 145
Thy words, one after the other are the mile-stones
Left fast behind by my post couriers,
Who bear the order on to Prague and Egra.
Yield thyself to it. We act as we are forced.
I cannot give assent to my own shame 150
And ruin. Thou — no — thou canst not forsake me!
So let us do, what must be done, with dignity,
With a firm step. What am I doing worse
Than did famed Cæsar at the Rubicon,
When he the legions led against his country, 155
The which his country had delivered to him?
Had he thrown down the sword, he had been lost,
As I were, if I but disarmed myself.
I trace out something in me of his spirit.
Give me his luck, that other thing I’ll bear. 160
[MAX quits him abruptly. WALLENSTEIN, startled and
overpowered, continues looking after him, and
is still in this posture when TERTSKY enters.
[After 128] [WALLENSTEIN betrays a sudden agitation. 1800, 1828, 1829.
[After 148] [MAX stands as convulsed, with a gesture and countenance
expressing the most intense anguish. 1800, 1828, 1829.
SCENE III
WALLENSTEIN, TERTSKY.
Tertsky. Max Piccolomini just left you?
Wallenstein. Where is Wrangel?
Tertsky. He is already gone.
