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COUNTESS (returns), THEKLA.

Countess. Fie, lady niece! to throw yourself upon him,

Like a poor gift to one who cares not for it,

And so must be flung after him! For you,

Duke Friedland’s only child, I should have thought

It had been more beseeming to have shewn yourself 5

More chary of your person.

Thekla. And what mean you?

Countess. I mean, niece, that you should not have forgotten

Who you are, and who he is. But perchance

That never once occurred to you.

Thekla. What then?

Countess. That you’re the daughter of the Prince-Duke Friedland. 10

Thekla. Well — and what farther?

Countess. What? a pretty question!

Thekla. He was born that which we have but become.

He’s of an ancient Lombard family,

Son of a reigning princess.

Countess. Are you dreaming?

Talking in sleep? An excellent jest, forsooth! 15

We shall no doubt right courteously entreat him

To honour with his hand the richest heiress

In Europe.

Thekla. That will not be necessary.

Countess. Methinks ‘twere well though not to run the hazard.

Thekla. His father loves him, Count Octavio 20

Will interpose no difficulty ——

Countess. His!

His father! his! But yours, niece, what of yours?

Thekla. Why I begin to think you fear his father,

So anxiously you hide it from the man!

His father, his, I mean.

Countess (looks at her). Niece, you are false. 25

Thekla. Are you then wounded? O, be friends with me!

Countess. You hold your game for won already. Do not

Triumph too soon! —

Thekla. Nay now, be friends with me.

Countess. It is not yet so far gone.

Thekla. I believe you.

Countess. Did you suppose your father had laid out 30

His most important life in toils of war,

Denied himself each quiet earthly bliss,

Had banished slumber from his tent, devoted

His noble head to care, and for this only,

To make a happy pair of you? At length 35

To draw you from your convent, and conduct

In easy triumph to your arms the man

That chanc’d to please your eyes! All this, methinks,

He might have purchased at a cheaper rate.

Thekla. That which he did not plant for me might yet 40

Bear me fair fruitage of its own accord.

And if my friendly and affectionate fate,

Out of his fearful and enormous being,

Will but prepare the joys of life for me —

Cast thine eye round, bethink thee who thou art.

Into no house of joyance hast thou stepped,

For no espousals dost thou find the walls

Deck’d out, no guests the nuptial garland wearing.

Here is no splendour but of arms. Or think’st thou 50

That all these thousands are here congregated

To lead up the long dances at thy wedding?

Thou see’st thy father’s forehead full of thought,

Thy mother’s eye in tears: upon the balance

Lies the great destiny of all our house. 55

Leave now the puny wish, the girlish feeling,

O thrust it far behind thee! Give thou proof,

Thou’rt the daughter of the Mighty — his

Who where he moves creates the wonderful.

Not to herself the woman must belong, 60

Annexed and bound to alien destinies.

But she performs the best part, she the wisest,

Who can transmute the alien into self,

Meet and disarm necessity by choice;

And what must be, take freely to her heart, 65

And bear and foster it with mother’s love.

Thekla. Such ever was my lesson in the convent.

I had no loves, no wishes, knew myself

Only as his — his daughter — his, the Mighty!

His fame, the echo of whose blast drove to me 70

From the far distance, wakened in my soul

No other thought than this — I am appointed

To offer up myself in passiveness to him.

Countess. That is thy fate. Mould thou thy wishes to it.

I and thy mother gave thee the example. 75

Thekla. My fate hath shewn me him, to whom behoves it

That I should offer up myself. In gladness

Him will I follow.

Countess. Not thy fate hath shewn him!

Thy heart, say rather—’twas thy heart, my child!

Thekla. Fate hath no voice but the heart’s impulses. 80

I am all his! His Present — his alone,

Is this new life, which lives in me. He hath

A right to his own creature. What was I

Ere his fair love infused a soul into me?

Countess. Thou would’st oppose thy father then, should he 85

Have otherwise determined with thy person?

[THEKLA remains silent. The COUNTESS continues.

Thou mean’st to force him to thy liking? — Child,

His name is Friedland.

Thekla. My name too is Friedland.

He shall have found a genuine daughter in me.

Countess. What? he has vanquished all impediment, 90

And in the wilful mood of his own daughter

Shall a new struggle rise for him? Child! child!

As yet thou hast seen thy father’s smiles alone;

The eye of his rage thou hast not seen. Dear child,

I will not frighten thee. To that extreme, 95

I trust, it ne’er shall come. His will is yet

Unknown to me: ‘tis possible his aims

May have the same direction as thy wish.

But this can never, never be his will,

That thou, the daughter of his haughty fortunes, 100

Should’st e’er demean thee as a love-sick maiden;

And like some poor cost-nothing, fling thyself

Toward the man, who, if that high prize ever

Be destined to await him, yet, with sacrifices

The highest love can bring, must pay for it. [Exit COUNTESS. 105

Thekla. I thank thee for the hint. It turns

My sad presentiment to certainty.

And it is so! — Not one friend have we here,

Not one true heart! we’ve nothing but ourselves!

O she said rightly — no auspicious signs 110

Beam on this covenant of our affections.

This is no theatre, where hope abides.

The dull thick noise of war alone stirs here.

And love himself, as he were armed in steel,

Steps forth, and girds him for the strife of death. 115

[Music from the banquet-room is heard.

There’s a dark spirit walking in our house,

And swiftly will the Destiny close on us.

It drove me hither from my calm asylum,

It mocks my soul with charming witchery,

It lures me forward in a seraph’s shape, 120

I see it near, I see it nearer floating,

It draws, it pulls me with a godlike power —

And lo! the abyss — and thither am I moving —

I have no power within me not to move!

[The music from the banquet-room becomes louder.

O when a house is doomed in fire to perish, 125

Many a dark heaven drives his clouds together,

Yea, shoots his lightnings down from sunny heights,

Flames burst from out the subterraneous chasms,

And fiends and angels mingling in their fury,

Sling fire-brands at the burning edifice. 130

[Exit THEKLA.

SCENE VIII

A large Saloon lighted up with festal Splendour; in the midst of it,

and in the Centre of the Stage, a Table richly set out, at which eight

Generals are sitting, among whom are OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, TERTSKY, and

MARADAS. Right and left of this, but farther back, two other Tables, at

each of which six Persons are placed. The Middle Door, which is standing

open, gives to the Prospect a Fourth Table, with the same Number of

Persons. More forward stands the sideboard. The whole front of the Stage

is kept open for the Pages and Servants in waiting. All is in Motion.

The Band of Music belonging to Tertsky’s Regiment march across the

Stage, and draw up round the Tables. Before they are quite off from the

Front of the Stage, MAX PICCOLOMINI appears, TERTSKY advances towards

him with a Paper, ISOLANI comes up to meet him with a Beaker or

Service-cup.

TERTSKY, ISOLANI, MAX PICCOLOMINI.

Isolani. Here brother, what we love! Why, where hast been?

Off to thy place — quick! Tertsky here has given

The mother’s holiday wine up to free booty.

Here it goes on as at the Heidelberg castle.

Already hast thou lost the best. They’re giving 5

At yonder table ducal crowns in shares;

There’s Sternberg’s lands and chattels are put up,

With Egenberg’s, Stawata’s, Lichtenstein’s,

And all the great Bohemian feodalities.

Be nimble, lad! and something may turn up 10

For thee — who knows? off — to thy place! quick! march!

Tiefenbach and Goetz (call out from the second and third tables).

Count Piccolomini!

Tertsky. Stop, ye shall have him in an instant. — Read

This oath here, whether as ‘tis here set forth,

The wording satisfies you. They’ve all read it, 15

Each in his turn, and each one will subscribe

His individual signature.

Max (reads). ‘Ingratis servire nefas.’

Isolani. That sounds to my ears very much like Latin,

And being interpreted, pray what may’t mean?

Tertsky. No honest man will serve a thankless master. 20

Max. ‘Inasmuch as our supreme Commander, the illustrious

Duke of Friedland, in consequence of the manifold affronts and

grievances which he has received, had expressed his determination

to quit the Emperor, but on our unanimous entreaty has

graciously consented to remain still with the army, and not to 25

part from us without our approbation thereof, so we, collectively

and each in particular, in the stead of an oath personally taken,

do hereby oblige ourselves — likewise by him honourably and

faithfully to hold, and in nowise whatsoever from him to

part, and to be ready to shed for his interests the last drop of 30

our blood, so far, namely, as our oath to the Emperor will permit

it. (These last words are repeated by ISOLANI.) In testimony of

which we subscribe our names.’

Tertsky. Now! — are you willing to subscribe this paper?

Isolani. Why should he not? All officers of honour 35

Can do it, aye, must do it. — Pen and ink here!

Tertsky. Nay, let it rest till after meal.

Isolani (drawing Max along). Come, Max.

[Both seat themselves at their table.