TERTSKY.. Nay, collect yourself a little. ISOLANI. Awake, man! awake!-Come, thy fignature, and have done with it! What? Thou art the youngest in the whole company, and wouldeft be wifer than all of us together? Look there! thy father has figned-we have all figned. Ufe TERTSKY. (to Octavio.) your influence. Inftru&t him. OCTAVIO.. My son is at the age of discretion. ILLO. (leaves the fervice-cup on the fide-board.) What's the difpute? TERTSKY. He declines fubfcribing the paper, MAX, I fay, it may as well ftay till to-morrow. ILLO. It cannot ftay. We have all fubfcribed to it and so must you.-You must subscribe. MAX. Illo, good night! ILLO. No! You come not off fo! The Duke shall learn who are his friends. (all collect round Illo ́and Max.) MAX, What my fentiments are towards the Duke, the Duke knows, every one knows-what need of this wild ftuff? LLO. ILLO. This is the thanks the Duke gets for his partialty to Italians and foreigners.-Us Bohemians he holds for little better than dullards-nothing pleases him but what's outlandish. TERTSKY. (in extreme embarrafment, to the commanders, who at Illo's words gave a sudden start, as preparing to refent them.) It is the wine that fpeaks, and not his reafon. Attend not to him, I entreat you. ISOLANI. (with a bitter laugh.) Wine invents nothing: it only tattles. ILLO. He who is not with me is against me. Your tender confciences! Unless they can flip out by a back-door, by a puny provifo TERTSKY. (interrupting him.) He is ftark mad-don't listen to him! ILLO. (raifing his voice to the highest pitch.) Unless they can flip out by a provifo.-What of the provifo? The devil take this provifo! MAX. (has his attention roused, and looks again into the paper.) What is there here then of fuch perilous import? You make me curious-I must look closer at it. TERTSKY. (in a low voice to Illo.) What are you doing, Illo? You are ruining us. Ay, ay! I obferved, that before we fat down to fupper, it was read differently. GOETZ GOETZ. Why, I feemed to think fo too. ISOLANI. What do I care for that? Where there fland other names, mine can ftand too. TIEFENBACII. Before fupper there was a certain provifo therein, or short claufe concerning our duties to the Emperor. BUTLER. (to one of the commanders.) For fhame, for fhame! Bethink you. What is the main bufinefs here? The queftion now is, whether we shall keep our General, or let him retire. One muft not take these things too nicely and over-fcrupulously. ISOLANI. (to one of the generals.) Did the Duke make any of these provifoes when he gave you your regiment? TERTSKY. (to Goetz.) Or when he gave you the office of army-purveyancer, which brings you in yearly a thousand piftoles! ILLO. He is a rafcal who makes us out to be rogues. If there be any one that wants fatisfaction, let him say so.—I am his man. TIEFENBACH. Softly, foftly! 'Twas but a word or two. MAX. (having read the paper gives it back.) Till to-morrow therefore! ILLO. (flammering with rage and fury, lofes all command over himself, and prefents the paper to Max. with one hand, and his fword in the other.) Subfcribe-Judas! ISOLANI. Out upon you, Illo! OCTAVIO, TERTSKY, BUTLER. (all together.) Down with the fword! MAX. (rufhes on him fuddenly and difarms him, then to Count Tertsky.) Take him off to bed. (Max. leaves the ftage. Illo curfing and raving is held back by fome of the officers, and amidst an univerfal confufion the curtain drops. END OF ACT II. ACT III ACT III. Scene a Chamber in Piccolomini's Manfion.It is Night. SCENE I. OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI. A Valet de Chambre, with Lights. OCTAVIO. And when my fon comes in, conduct him. hither. What is the hour? VALET. 'Tis on the point of morning, OCTAVIO. Set down the light. We mean not to undrefs. You may retire to fleep. [Exit Valet. Octavio paces, mufing, across the chamber. Max. Piccolomini enters unobferved, and looks at his father for some moments in filence. MAX. Art thou offended with me? Heav'n knows |