Читать книгу The Piccolomini - Фридрих Шиллер, Friedrich von Schiller - Страница 3

Ye have come too late-but ye are come! The distance,

   Count Isolani, excuses your delay.

   Add this too, that we come not empty-handed.

   At Donauwerth1 it was reported to us,

   A Swedish caravan was on its way,

   Transporting a rich cargo of provision,

   Almost six hundreds wagons. This my Croats

   Plunged down upon and seized, this weighty prize! —

   We bring it hither —

              Just in time to banquet

   The illustrious company assembled here.

   'Tis all alive! a stirring scene here!

                      Ay!

   The very churches are full of soldiers.

   And in the council-house, too, I observe,

   You're settled quite at home! Well, well! we soldiers

   Must shift and suit us in what way we can.

   We have the colonels here of thirty regiments.

   You'll find Count Terzky here, and Tiefenbach,

   Kolatto, Goetz, Maradas, Hinnersam,

   The Piccolomini, both son and father —

   You'll meet with many an unexpected greeting

   From many an old friend and acquaintance. Only

   Gallas is wanting still, and Altringer.

   Expect not Gallas.

             How so? Do you know —

   Max. Piccolomini here? O bring me to him.

   I see him yet ('tis now ten years ago,

   We were engaged with Mansfeldt hard by Dessau),

   I see the youth, in my mind's eye I see him,

   Leap his black war-horse from the bridge adown,

   And t'ward his father, then in extreme peril,

   Beat up against the strong tide of the Elbe.

   The down was scarce upon his chin! I hear

   He has made good the promise of his youth,

   And the full hero now is finished in him.

   You'll see him yet ere evening. He conducts

   Both wife and daughter does the duke call hither?

   He crowds in visitants from all sides.

                      Hm!

   So much the better! I had framed my mind

   To hear of naught but warlike circumstance,

   Of marches and attacks, and batteries;

   And lo! the duke provides, and something too

   Of gentler sort and lovely, should be present

   To feast our eyes.

             And how came you to know

   That the Count Gallas joins us not?

                     Because

   He importuned me to remain behind.

   And you? You hold out firmly!

                   Noble Butler!

   After the obligation which the duke

   Had laid so newly on me —

                 I had forgotten

   A pleasant duty – major-general,

   I wish you joy!

           What, you mean, of this regiment?

   I hear, too, that to make the gift still sweeter,

   The duke has given him the very same

   In which he first saw service, and since then

   Worked himself step by step, through each preferment,

   From the ranks upwards. And verily, it gives

   A precedent of hope, a spur of action

   To the whole corps, if once in their remembrance

   An old deserving soldier makes his way.

   I am perplexed and doubtful whether or no

   I dare accept this your congratulation.

   The emperor has not yet confirmed the appointment.

   Seize it, friend, seize it! The hand which in that post

   Placed you is strong enough to keep you there,

   Spite of the emperor and his ministers!

   Ay, if we would but so consider it! —

   If we would all of us consider it so!

   The emperor gives us nothing; from the duke

   Comes all – whate'er we hope, whate'er we have.

   My noble brother! did I tell you how

   The duke will satisfy my creditors?

   Will be himself my bankers for the future,

   Make me once more a creditable man!

   And this is now the third time, think of that!

   This kingly-minded man has rescued me

   From absolute ruin and restored my honor.

   Oh that his power but kept pace with his wishes!

   Why, friend! he'd give the whole world to his soldiers.

   But at Vienna, brother! – here's the grievance, —

   What politic schemes do they not lay to shorten

   His arm, and where they can to clip his pinions.

   Then these new dainty requisitions! these

   Which this same Questenberg brings hither!

                         Ay!

   Those requisitions of the emperor —

   I too have heard about them; but I hope

   The duke will not draw back a single inch!

   Not from his right most surely, unless first

   From office!

          Know you aught then? You alarm me.

   We should be ruined, every one of us!

   Yonder I see our worthy friend [spoken with a sneer] approaching

   With the Lieutenant-General Piccolomini.

   I fear we shall not go hence as we came.