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WALLENSTEIN and WRANGEL.

Wallenstein. Your name is Wrangel?

Wrangel. Gustave Wrangel, General

Of the Sudermanian Blues.

Wallenstein. It was a Wrangel

Who injured me materially at Stralsund,

And by his brave resistance was the cause

Of the opposition which that seaport made. 5

Wrangel. It was the doing of the element

With which you fought, my Lord! and not my merit.

The Baltic Neptune did assert his freedom,

The sea and land, it seemed, were not to serve

One and the same.

Wallenstein (makes a motion for him to take a seat, and seats

himself). And where are your credentials? 10

Come you provided with full powers, Sir General?

Wrangel. There are so many scruples yet to solve ——

Wallenstein (having read the credentials). An able

letter! — Ay — he is a prudent,

Intelligent master, whom you serve, Sir General!

The Chancellor writes me, that he but fulfils 15

His late departed Sovereign’s own idea

In helping me to the Bohemian crown.

Wrangel. He says the truth. Our great King, now in heaven,

Did ever deem most highly of your Grace’s

Preeminent sense and military genius; 20

And always the commanding Intellect,

He said, should have command, and be the King.

Wallenstein. Yes, he might say it safely. — General Wrangel,

[Taking his hand.

Come, fair and open — Trust me, I was always

A Swede at heart. Ey! that did you experience 25

Both in Silesia and at Nuremburg;

I had you often in my power, and let you

Always slip out by some back door or other.

‘Tis this for which the Court can ne’er forgive me,

Which drives me to this present step: and since 30

Our interests so run in one direction,

E’en let us have a thorough confidence

Each in the other.

Wrangel. Confidence will come

Has each but only first security.

Wallenstein. The Chancellor still, I see, does not quite trust

me; 35

And, I confess — the gain does not wholly lie

To my advantage — Without doubt he thinks

If I can play false with the Emperor,

Who is my Sov’reign, I can do the like

With the enemy, and that the one too were 40

Sooner to be forgiven me than the other.

Is not this your opinion too, Sir General?

Wrangel. I have here an office merely, no opinion.

Wallenstein. The Emperor hath urged me to the uttermost.

I can no longer honourably serve him. 45

For my security, in self-defence,

I take this hard step, which my conscience blames.

Wrangel. That I believe. So far would no one go

Who was not forced to it. [After a pause.

What may have impelled

Your princely Highness in this wise to act 50

Toward your Sovereign Lord and Emperor,

Beseems not us to expound or criticize.

The Swede is fighting for his good old cause.

With his good sword and conscience. This concurrence,

This opportunity, is in our favour, 55

And all advantages in war are lawful.

We take what offers without questioning;

And if all have its due and just proportions ——

Wallenstein. Of what then are ye doubting? Of my will?

Or of my power? I pledged me to the Chancellor, 60

Would he trust me with sixteen thousand men,

That I would instantly go over to them

With eighteen thousand of the Emperor’s troops.

Wrangel. Your Grace is known to be a mighty war-chief,

To be a second Attila and Pyrrhus. 65

‘Tis talked of still with fresh astonishment,

How some years past, beyond all human faith,

You called an army forth, like a creation:

But yet ——

Wallenstein. But yet?

Wrangel. But still the Chancellor thinks,

It might yet be an easier thing from nothing 70

To call forth sixty thousand men of battle,

Than to persuade one sixtieth part of them —

Wallenstein. What now? Out with it, friend!

Wrangel. To break their oaths.

Wallenstein. And he thinks so? — He judges like a Swede,

And like a Protestant. You Lutherans 75

Fight for your Bible. You are interested

About the cause; and with your hearts you follow

Your banners. — Among you, whoe’er deserts

To the enemy, hath broken covenant

With two Lords at one time. — We’ve no such fancies. 80

Wrangel. Great God in Heaven! Have then the people here

No house and home, no fireside, no altar?

Wallenstein. I will explain that to you, how it stands —

The Austrian has a country, ay, and loves it,

And has good cause to love it — but this army, 85

That calls itself the Imperial, this that houses

Here in Bohemia, this has none — no country;

This is an outcast of all foreign lands,

Unclaimed by town or tribe, to whom belongs

Nothing, except the universal sun. 90

Wrangel. But then the Nobles and the Officers?

Such a desertion, such a felony,

It is without example, my Lord Duke,

In the world’s history.

Wallenstein. They are all mine —

Mine unconditionally — mine on all terms. 95

Not me, your own eyes you must trust.

[He gives him the paper containing the written oath.

WRANGEL reads it through, and, having read it,

lays it on the table, remaining silent.

So then?

Now comprehend you?

Wrangel. Comprehend who can!

My Lord Duke; I will let the mask drop — yes!

I’ve full powers for a final settlement.

The Rhinegrave stands but four days’ march from here 100

With fifteen thousand men, and only waits

For orders to proceed and join your army.

Those orders I give out, immediately

We’re compromised.

Wallenstein. What asks the Chancellor?

Wrangel. Twelve Regiments, every man a Swede — my head 105

The warranty — and all might prove at last

Only false play ——

Wallenstein (starting). Sir Swede!

Wrangel. Am therefore forced

T’ insist thereon, that he do formally,

Irrevocably break with the Emperor,

Else not a Swede is trusted to Duke Friedland. 110

Wallenstein. Come, brief and open! What is the demand?

Wrangel. That he forthwith disarm the Spanish regiments

Attached to the Emperor, that he seize Prague,

And to the Swedes give up that city, with

The strong pass Egra.

Wallenstein. That is much indeed! 115

Prague! — Egra’s granted — But — but Prague!—’Twon’t do.

I give you every security

Which you may ask of me in common reason —

But Prague — Bohemia — these, Sir General,

I can myself protect.

Wrangel. We doubt it not. 120

But ‘tis not the protection that is now

Our sole concern. We want security,

That we shall not expend our men and money

All to no purpose.

Wallenstein. ‘Tis but reasonable.

Wrangel. And till we are indemnified, so long 125

Stays Prague in pledge.

Wallenstein. Then trust you us so little?

Wrangel (rising). The Swede, if he would treat well with the

German,

Must keep a sharp look-out. We have been called

Over the Baltic, we have saved the empire

From ruin — with our best blood have we seal’d 130

The liberty of faith, and gospel truth.

But now already is the benefaction

No longer felt, the load alone is felt. ——

Ye look askance with evil eye upon us,

As foreigners, intruders in the empire, 135

And would fain send us, with some paltry sum

Of money, home again to our old forests.

No, no! my Lord Duke! no! — it never was

For Judas’ pay, for chinking gold and silver,

That we did leave our King by the Great Stone. 140

No, not for gold and silver have there bled

So many of our Swedish Nobles — neither

Will we, with empty laurels for our payment,

Hoist sail for our own country. Citizens

Will we remain upon the soil, the which 145

Our Monarch conquered for himself, and died.

Wallenstein. Help to keep down the common enemy,

And the fair border land must needs be yours.

Wrangel. But when the common enemy lies vanquished,

Who knits together our new friendship then? 150

We know, Duke Friedland! though perhaps the Swede

Ought not t’ have known it, that you carry on

Secret negotiations with the Saxons.

Who is our warranty, that we are not

The sacrifices in those articles 155

Which ‘tis thought needful to conceal from us?

Wallenstein (rises). Think you of something better, Gustave

Wrangel!

Of Prague no more.

Wrangel. Here my commission ends.

Wallenstein. Surrender up to you my capital!

Far liever would I face about, and step 160

Back to my Emperor.

Wrangel. If time yet permits ——

Wallenstein. That lies with me, even now, at any hour.

Wrangel. Some days ago, perhaps. To-day, no longer,

No longer since Sesina is a prisoner.

My Lord Duke, hear me — We believe that you 165

At present do mean honourably by us.

Since yesterday we’re sure of that — and now

This paper warrants for the troops, there’s nothing

Stands in the way of our full confidence.

Prague shall not part us. Hear! The Chancellor 170

Contents himself with Albstadt, to your Grace

He gives up Ratschin and the narrow side,

But Egra above all must open to us,

Ere we can think of any junction.

Wallenstein. You,

You therefore must I trust, and you not me? 175

I will consider of your proposition.

Wrangel. I must entreat, that your consideration

Occupy not too long a time. Already

Has this negotiation, my Lord Duke!

Crept on into the second year. If nothing 180

Is settled this time, will the Chancellor

Consider it as broken off for ever.

Wallenstein. Ye press me hard. A measure, such as this,

Ought to be thought of.

Wrangel. Ay! but think of this too,

That sudden action only can procure it 185

Success — think first of this, your Highness. [Exit WRANGEL.