FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  
et with. WALLENSTEIN. What did the aide-de-camp deliver to you? TERZKY. My regiments had despatched him; yet once more They swear fidelity to thee, and wait The shout for onset, all prepared, and eager. WALLENSTEIN. But whence arose this larum in the camp? It should have been kept secret from the army Till fortune had decided for us at Prague. TERZKY. Oh, that thou hadst believed me! Yester-evening Did we conjure thee not to let that skulker, That fox, Octavio, pass the gates of Pilsen. Thou gavest him thy own horses to flee from thee. WALLENSTEIN. The old tune still! Now, once for all, no more Of this suspicion--it is doting folly. TERZKY. Thou didst confide in Isolani too; And lo! he was the first that did desert thee. WALLENSTEIN. It was but yesterday I rescued him From abject wretchedness. Let that go by; I never reckoned yet on gratitude. And wherein doth he wrong in going from me? He follows still the god whom all his life He has worshipped at the gaming-table. With My fortune and my seeming destiny He made the bond and broke it, not with me. I am but the ship in which his hopes were stowed, And with the which, well-pleased and confident, He traversed the open sea; now he beholds it In eminent jeopardy among the coast-rocks, And hurries to preserve his wares. As light As the free bird from the hospitable twig Where it had nested he flies off from me: No human tie is snapped betwixt us two. Yea, he deserves to find himself deceived Who seeks a heart in the unthinking man. Like shadows on a stream, the forms of life Impress their characters on the smooth forehead, Naught sinks into the bosom's silent depth: Quick sensibility of pain and pleasure Moves the light fluids lightly; but no soul Warmeth the inner frame. TERZKY. Yet, would I rather Trust the smooth brow than that deep furrowed one. SCENE VIII. WALLENSTEIN, TERZKY, ILLO. ILLO (who enters agitated with rage). Treason and mutiny! TERZKY. And what further now? ILLO. Tiefenbach's soldiers, when I gave the orders. To go off guard--mutinous villains! TERZKY. Well! WALLENSTEIN. What followed? ILLO. They refused obedience to them. TERZKY. Fire on them instantly! Give out the order. WALLENSTEIN. Gently! what cause did they assign? ILLO. No other, They said, had right to issue orders but Lieutenant-General Piccolomini. WALLENSTEIN (in a con
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

WALLENSTEIN

 

TERZKY

 

fortune

 

smooth

 

orders

 

Naught

 
Impress
 

silent

 

characters

 
forehead

stream

 

deserves

 

nested

 

hospitable

 
preserve
 

hurries

 
snapped
 

betwixt

 

unthinking

 

deceived


shadows
 

refused

 

obedience

 

instantly

 

villains

 
mutinous
 

Lieutenant

 

General

 

Piccolomini

 

Gently


assign

 

soldiers

 

Tiefenbach

 

Warmeth

 

pleasure

 
fluids
 

lightly

 
agitated
 

Treason

 

mutiny


enters

 
furrowed
 

sensibility

 

conjure

 

skulker

 

evening

 
believed
 

Yester

 
Octavio
 
horses