Isolani. Wine invents nothing: it only tattles.

Illo. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender consciences! Unless they can slip out by a back-door, by a puny proviso

Tertsky. He is stark mad-don't listen to him!

Illo.-Unless they can slip out by a proviso.-What of the proviso? The devil take this proviso!

Max. What is there here then of such perilous import? You make me curious-I must look closer at it.

55

Tertsky (in a low voice to Illo). What are you doing, Illo? 60 You are ruining us.

Tiefenbach (to Kolatto). Ay, ay! I observed, that before we sat down to supper, it was read differently.

Goetz. Why, I seemed to think so too.

Isolani. What do I care for that? Where there stand other 65 names, mine can stand too.

Tiefenbach. Before supper there was a certain proviso therein, or short clause concerning our duties to the Emperor.

Butler (to one of the commanders). For shame, for shame! Bethink you. What is the main business here? The question 70 now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire. One must not take these things too nicely and over-scrupulously.

Isolani (to one of the Generals). Did the Duke make any of these provisos when he gave you your regiment?

Tertsky (to Goetz). Or when he gave you the office of armypurveyancer, which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles! Illo. He is a rascal who makes us out to be rogues. If there be any one that wants satisfaction, let him say so,-I am his man.

Tiefenbach. Softly, softly! 'Twas but a word or two.

Max (having read the paper gives it back). Till to-morrow, therefore!

Illo (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over himself, and presents the paper to Max with one hand, and his sword in the other). Subscribe-Judas!

Isolani. Out upon you, Illo!

Octavio, Tertsky, Butler (all together). Down with the sword!

51 tattles 1800, Before 56

Before 51 Isolani (with a bitter laugh). 1800, 1828, 1829. 1828, 1829. Before 55 Tertsky (interrupting him). 1800, 1828, 1829. Illo (raising his voice to the highest pitch). 1800, 1828, 1829. 1828, 1829.

57 proviso 1800,

Before 58 Max (has his attention roused, and looks again into the

paper). 1800, 1828, 1829. 67 was 1800, 1828, 1829.

75

80

85

Max (rushes on him suddenly and disarms him, then to Count Tertsky). Take him off to bed.

[MAX leaves the stage.

ILLO cursing and raving is held back by some of the Officers, and amidst a universal confusion the curtain drops.

ACT III

SCENE I

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? 'Tis on the point of morning. Octavio. Set down the light. We mean not to undress. You may retire to sleep.

Valet.

[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 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
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.

For after what has taken place this night,
There must remain no secrets 'twixt us two.

5

10

15

[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,
Although I love not these set declarations.

Octavio. And on no other ground hast thou refused

20

Act III, Scene I. A Chamber, &c.... It is Night. Octavio, &c. 1800, 1828, 8 thou 1800, 1828, 1829. Before 12 Octavio (goes up to him and

1829.

embraces him). 1800, 1828, 1829.

The signature they fain had wrested from thee?

Max. It was a serious business- -I was absentThe affair itself seemed not so urgent to me.

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.

25

I will tell thee. 30

Octavio.
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.
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

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.

40

45

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

Alarms me for thine innocence-that secret,
Which thou concealest, forces mine from me.

55

Know, then, they are duping thee!-a most foul game

After

57 mine

39 for] from 1800, 1828, 1829. 47 They] There 1828, 1829. 56 [Fixing his eye steadfastly on his son's face. 1800, 1828, 1829. 1800, 1828, 1829, After 57 [Max attempts to answer but hesitates, and casts his eyes to the ground, embarrassed. Octavio, after a pause. 1800, 1828, 1829.

With thee and with us all-nay, hear me calmly

The Duke even now is playing. He assumes

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!

60

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

That mouth,

Octavio.
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
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
A deed that brands them scoundrels?
Octavio.

Such a deed,

70

75

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.
And so, because the Emperor hates this peace,

So

(What he has already in his gripe)-Bohemia ! Max. Has he, Octavio, merited of us,

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

85

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,
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-
Loosed all the bands, that link the officer
To his liege Emperor, all that bind the soldier
63 steal 1800, 1828, 1829.
wise] ways 1800, 1828, 1829.
1800, 1828, 1829.

69 supposed] suppose 1800, 1828, 1829.
81 this 1800. 82 force 1800.

90

95

78

88 we would

J

Affectionately to the citizen.

Lawless he stands, and threateningly beleaguers

The state he's bound to guard. To such a height
'Tis swoln, that at this hour the Emperor
Before his armies-his own armies-trembles;

100

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,

Will burst out into flames, if instantly

Of all the most unnatural and cruel,

We do not fly and stifle it. The Generals
Are many of them long ago won over;
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
Five regiments, foot and horse-to Isolani,
To Illo, Kinsky, Butler, the best troops.
Max. Likewise to both of us.
Octavio.
Believes he has secured us-means to lure us
Still further on by splendid promises.

Because the Duke

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.

I tell thee-no!

Octavio.

O open yet thine eyes!

No! no!

And to what purpose think'st thou he has called us
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,

115

I 20

125

130

104 traitor's] traitors' 1800, 1828, 1829. 127 angle] angel 1800, 1828, 1829, 1834. angle 1852. Angle, der Angel, a curious misprint perpetuated in the new edition. [MS. note by Derwent Coleridge.] 128 thee 1800, 1828, 1829.