In a balcony we were standing mute,
And gazing out upon the dreary field:
Before us the dragoons were riding onward,
The safeguard which the Duke had sent us-heavy
The inquietude of parting lay upon me,
And trembling ventured I at length these words:
This all reminds me, noble maiden, that
To-day I must take leave of my good fortune.
A few hours more, and you will find a father,
Will see yourself surrounded by new friends,
And I henceforth shall be but as a stranger,
Lost in the many—“Speak with my aunt Tertsky!"
With hurrying voice she interrupted me.
She falter'd. I beheld a glowing red
Possess her beautiful cheeks, and from the ground
Raised slowly up, her eye met mine-no longer
Did I control myself.

[The Princess THEKLA appears at the door, and
remains standing, observed by the COUNTESS,
but not by PICCOLOMINI.

MAX.

This morning, when I found you in the circle
Of all your kindred, in your father's arms,
Beheld myself an alien in this circle,
O! what an impulse felt I in that moment
To fall upon his neck, to call him father!
But his stern eye o'erpower'd the swelling passion-
It dared not but be silent. And those brilliants,
That like a crown of stars enwreathed your brows,
They scared me too! O wherefore, wherefore should he
At the first meeting spread as 't were the ban
Of excommunication round you,—wherefore
Dress up the angel as for sacrifice,

And cast upon the light and joyous heart
The mournful burthen of his station? Fitly
May love dare woo for love; but such a splendor
Might none but monarchs venture to approach.

The game of life Looks cheerful, when one carries in one's heart The unalienable treasure. "Tis a game, Which having once review'd, I turn more joyous Back to my deeper and appropriate bliss.

[Breaking off, and in a sportive tone In this short time that I've been present here, What new unheard-of things have I not seen! And yet they all must give place to the wonder Which this mysterious castle guards.

COUNTESS (recollecting).

And what Can this be then? Methought I was acquainted With all the dusky corners of this house.

It was a strange
Sensation that came o'er me, when at first
From the broad sunshine I stepp'd in; and now
The narrowing line of day-light, that ran after
The closing door, was gone; and all about me
Twas pale and dusky night, with many shadows
Fantastically cast. Here six or seven
Colossal statues, and all kings, stood round me
In a half-circle. Each one in his hand
A sceptre bore, and on his head a star;
And in the tower no other light was there

But from these stars: all seem'd to come from them.
"These are the planets," said that low old man,
"They govern worldly fates, and for that cause
Are imaged here as kings. He farthest from you,
Spiteful, and cold, an old man melancholy,
With bent and yellow forehead, he is Saturn.
He opposite, the king with the red light,
An arm'd man for the battle, that is Mars:
And both these bring but little luck to man."
But at his side a lovely lady stood,

The star upon her head was soft and bright,
And that was Venus, the bright star of joy.
On the left hand, lo! Mercury, with wings.
Quite in the middle glitter'd silver bright
A cheerful man, and with a monarch's mien;
And this was Jupiter, my father's star;
And at his side I saw the Sun and Moon.

МАХ.

O never rudely will I blame his faith

In the might of stars and angels! "Tis not merely
The human being's Pride that peoples space
With life and mystical predominance :
Since likewise for the stricken heart of Love
This visible nature, and this common world,
Is all too narrow: yea, a deeper import

For fable is Love's world, his home, his birth-place
Delightedly dwells he 'mong fays and talismans,
And spirits; and delightedly believes
Divinities, being himself divine.

The intelligible forms of ancient poets,
The fair humanities of old religion,

The Power, the Beauty, and the Majesty,
That had her haunts in dale, or piny mountain,
Or forest by slow stream, or pebbly spring,
Or chasms and wat'ry depths; all these have vanish'd.
They live no longer in the faith of reason!
But still the heart doth need a language, still
Doth the old instinct bring back the old names,
And to yon starry world they now are gone,
Spirits or gods, that used to share this earth
With man as with their friend ;* and to the lover
Yonder they move, from yonder visible sky
Shoot influence down: and even at this day
"Tis Jupiter who brings whate'er is great,
And Venus who brings every thing that's fair!

THEKLA.

And if this be the science of the stars,

Will learn acquaintance with this cheerful faith.
I too, with glad and zealous industry,
It is a gentle and affectionate thought,
That in immeasurable heights above us,

At our first birth, the wreath of love was woven,
With sparkling stars for flowers.

COUNTESS.

Not only roses, But thorns too hath the heaven; and well for you Leave they your wreath of love inviolate: What Venus twined, the bearer of glad fortune, The sullen orb of Mars soon tears to pieces.

ΜΑΧ.

Soon will his gloomy empire reach its close.
Blest be the General's zeal: into the laurel
Will he inweave the olive-branch, presenting
Peace to the shouting nations. Then no wish
Will have remain'd for his great heart! Enough
Live for himself and his. To his domains
Has he perform'd for glory, and can now
Will he retire; he has a stately seat
Of fairest view at Gitschin; Reichenberg,
And Friedland Castle, both lie pleasantly—
Even to the foot of the huge mountains here
Stretches the chase and covers of his forests:
His ruling passion, to create the splendid,
He can indulge without restraint; can give
A princely patronage to every art,

And to all worth a sovereign's protection.
Can build, can plant, can watch the starry courses—

MAX.

Follow me!

Let us not place too great a faith in men.
These Tertskys-we will still be grateful to them
For every kindness, but not trust them further
Than they deserve;—and in all else rely-
On our own hearts!

MAX.

O! shall we e'er be happy?

[He draws up to her, their eyes meet, she stands silent a moment, then throws herself into kis arms; he presses her fast to his heart.

COUNTESS.

Off! Heavens! if any one should come.
Hark! What's that noise! it comes this way.- -Off!
MAX. tears himself away out of her arms, and goes.
The COUNTESS accompanies him. THEKLA

follows him with her eyes at first, walks rest

COUNTESS.

after she has played a while an irregular and melancholy symphony, she falls gradually into the music, and sings.

THEKLA (plays and sings).

The cloud doth gather, the greenwood roar,
The damsel paces along the shore ;

The billows they tumble with might, with might;
And she flings out her voice to the darksome night;
Her bosom is swelling with sorrow;
The world it is empty, the heart will die,
There's nothing to wish for beneath the sky :
Thou Holy One, call thy child away!
I've lived and loved, and that was to-day-
Make ready my grave-clothes to-morrow.*

LITERAL TRANSLATION.

THEKLA (plays and sings).

The oak-forest bellows, the clouds gather, the damsel walks to and fro on the green of the shore; the wave breaks with might, with might, and she sings out into the dark night, her eye discolored with weeping: the heart is dead, the world is empty, and further gives it nothing more to the wish. Thou Holy One, call thy child home. I have enjoyed the happiness of this world, I have lived and have loved.

I cannot but add here an imitation of this song, with which the author of "The Tale of Rosamund Gray and Blind Mar

garet" has favored me, and which appears to me to have caught the happiest manner of our old ballads.

The clouds are blackening, the storms threat'ning,
The cavern doth mutter, the greenwood moan;
Billows are breaking, the damsel's heart aching,
Thus in the dark night she singeth alone,
Her eye upward roving:

The world is empty, the heart is dead surely,
In this world plainly all seemeth amiss;

To thy heaven, Holy One, take home thy little one.
I have partaken of all earth's bliss,

Both living and loving.

That which he did not plant for me might yet
Bear me fair fruitage of its own accord.
And if my friendly and affectionate fate,