Max. What? ere I've taken a last parting leave, The very last-no, never!

Spare thyself

Oct.
The pang of necessary separation.
Come with me! Come, my son!

[Attempts to take him with him.

Max. No! as sure as God lives, no!

Oct, (more urgently.) Come with me, I command thee! I, thy father.

Max. Command me what is human. I stay here.

Oct. Max. in the Emperor's name I bid thee come.
Max. No Emperor has power to prescribe

Laws to the heart! and would'st thou wish to rob me
Of the sole blessing which my fate has left me,
Her sympathy. Must then a cruel deed

Be done with cruelty? The unalterable
Shall I perform ignobly-steal away,
With stealthy coward flight forsake her? No!
She shall behold my suffering, my sore anguish,
Hear the complaints of the disparted soul,
And weep tears o'er me. Oh the human race
Have steely souls-but she is as an angel.
From the black deadly madness of despair
Will she redeem my soul, and in soft words

Of comfort, plaining, loose this pang of death!

Oct. Thou will not tear thyself away; thou canst not.

O, come, my son! I bid thee save thy virtue.

Max. Squander not thou thy words in vain.

The heart I follow, for I dare trust to it.

Oct. (trembling and losing all self-command.) Max. ! Max.! if that most damned thing could be,

If thou-my son-my own blood-(dare I think it?)

Do sell thyself to him, the infamous,

Do stamp this brand upon our noble house,

Then shall the world behold the horrible deed,
And in unnatural combat shall the steel

Of the son trickle with the father's blood.

Max. O hadst thou always better thought of men, Thou hadst then acted better. Curst suspicion! Unholy miserable doubt! To him

Nothing on earth remains unwrenched and firm,

Who has no faith.

Oct.

And if I trust thy heart,

Will it be always in thy power to follow it?

Max. The heart's voice thou hast not o'erpower'd-as little Will Wallenstein be able to o'erpower it.

Oct. 0, Max.! I see thee never more again!
Max. Unworthy of thee wilt thou never see me.
Oct. I go to Frauenberg-the Pappenheimers
I leave thee here, the Lothrings too; Toskana
And Tiefenbach remain here to protect thee.
They love thee, and are faithful to their oath,
And will far rather fall in gallant contest
Than leave their rightful leader, and their honor.

Max. Rely on this, I either leave my life
In the struggle, or conduct them out of Pilsen.
Oct. Farewell, my son!

Max.

Oct.

Farewell!

How? not one look

Of filial love? No grasp of th' hand at parting?

It is a bloody war, to which we are going,
And the event uncertain and in darkness.
So used we not to part-it was not so!
Is it then true, I have a son no longer?

[Max. falls into his arms; they hold each for a long
time in a speechless embrace, then go away at different
sides.]

The Curtain drops.

THE DEATH OF WALLENSTEIN

A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS.

20*

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

WALLENSTEIN, Duke of Friedland, Generalissimo of the Imperial Forces in

the Thirty Years' War.

DUCHESS OF FRIEDLAND, Wife of Wallenstein.
THEKLA, her Daughter, Princess of Friedland.
THE COUNTESS TERTSKY, Sister of the Duchess.
LADY NEUBRUNN.

OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, Lieutenant-General.

MAX. PICCOLOMINI, his Son, Colonel of a Regiment of Cuirassiers.
COUNT TERTSKY, the Commander of several Regiments, and Brother-in-Law

of Wallenstein.

ILLO, Field-Marshal, Wallenstein's Confidant.

BUTLER, an Irishman, Commander of a Regiment of Dragoons.
GORDON, Governor of Egra.

MAJOR GERALDIN.

CAPTAIN DEVEREUX.

CAPTAIN MACDONALD.

NEUMANN, Captain of Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp to Tertsky.

SWEDISH CAPTAIN.

SENI.

BURGOMASTER of Egra.

ANSPESSADE of the Cuirassiers.

GROOM OF THE CHAMBER, belonging to the Duke.

А PAGE,

Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Servants.