The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 46

The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 46

Set twelve chairs. 20 Twelve! twelve signs hath the zodiac: five and seven, The holy numbers, include themselves in twelve.

_Second Servant._ And what may you have to object against eleven? I should like to know that now.

_Seni._ Eleven is--transgression; eleven oversteps 25 The ten commandments.

_Second Servant._ That's good! and why do you call five an holy number?

_Seni._ Five is the soul of man: for even as man Is mingled up of good and evil, so 30 The five is the first number that's made up Of even and odd.

_Second Servant._ The foolish old c.o.xcomb!

_First Servant._ Ey! let him alone though. I like to hear him; there is more in his words than can be seen at first sight. 35

_Third Servant._ Off! They come.

_Second Servant._ There! Out at the side-door.

[_They hurry off. SENI follows slowly. A page brings the staff of command on a red cushion, and places it on the table near the DUKE'S chair. They are announced from without, and the wings of the door fly open._

LINENOTES:

[13] _hum_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[Before 15] _Seni (with gravity)._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[15] _nothing_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[16] _Nothing_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

SCENE VII

_WALLENSTEIN, d.u.c.h.eSS._

_Wallenstein._ You went then through Vienna, were presented To the Queen of Hungary?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ Yes, and to the Empress too, And by both Majesties were we admitted To kiss the hand.

_Wallenstein._ And how was it received, That I had sent for wife and daughter hither 5 To the camp, in winter time?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ I did even that Which you commissioned me to do. I told them, You had determined on our daughter's marriage, And wished, ere yet you went into the field, To shew the elected husband his betrothed. 10

_Wallenstein._ And did they guess the choice which I had made?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ They only hoped and wished it may have fallen Upon no foreign nor yet Lutheran n.o.ble.

_Wallenstein._ And you--what do you wish, Elizabeth?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ Your will, you know, was always mine.

_Wallenstein._ Well, then? 15 And in all else, of what kind and complexion Was your reception at the court?

Hide nothing from me. How were you received?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ O! my dear lord, all is not what it was.

A cankerworm, my lord, a cankerworm 20 Has stolen into the bud.

_Wallenstein._ Ay! is it so!

What, they were lax? they failed of the old respect?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ Not of respect. No honours were omitted, No outward courtesy; but in the place Of condescending, confidential kindness, 25 Familiar and endearing, there were given me Only these honours and that solemn courtesy.

Ah! and the tenderness which was put on, It was the guise of pity, not of favour.

No! Albrecht's wife, Duke Albrecht's princely wife, 30 Count Harrach's n.o.ble daughter, should not so-- Not wholly so should she have been received.

_Wallenstein._ Yes, yes; they have ta'en offence. My latest conduct, They railed at it, no doubt.

_d.u.c.h.ess._ O that they had!

I have been long accustomed to defend you, 35 To heal and pacify distempered spirits.

No; no one railed at you. They wrapped them up, O Heaven! in such oppressive, solemn silence!-- Here is no every-day misunderstanding, No transient pique, no cloud that pa.s.ses over; 40 Something most luckless, most unhealable, Has taken place. The Queen of Hungary Used formerly to call me her dear aunt, And ever at departure to embrace me--

_Wallenstein._ Now she omitted it?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ She did embrace me, 45 But then first when I had already taken My formal leave, and when the door already Had closed upon me, then did she come out In haste, as she had suddenly bethought herself, And pressed me to her bosom, more with anguish 50 Than tenderness.

_Wallenstein (seizes her hand soothingly)._ Nay, now collect yourself, And what of Eggenberg and Lichtenstein, And of our other friends there?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ I saw none.

_Wallenstein._ The Amba.s.sador from Spain, who once was wont To plead so warmly for me?--

_d.u.c.h.ess._ Silent, Silent! 55

_Wallenstein._ These suns then are eclipsed for us. Henceforward Must we roll on, our own fire, our own light.

_d.u.c.h.ess._ And were it--were it, my dear lord, in that Which moved about the court in buzz and whisper, But in the country let itself be heard 60 Aloud--in that which Father Lamormain In sundry hints and----

_Wallenstein._ Lamormain! what said he?

_d.u.c.h.ess._ That you're accused of having daringly O'erstepped the powers entrusted to you, charged With traitorous contempt of the Emperor 65 And his supreme behests. The proud Bavarian, He and the Spaniards stand up your accusers-- That there's a storm collecting over you Of far more fearful menace than that former one Which whirled you headlong down at Regensburg. 70 And people talk, said he, of----Ah!--

_Wallenstein._ Proceed!

_d.u.c.h.ess._ I cannot utter it!

_Wallenstein._ Proceed!

_d.u.c.h.ess._ They talk----

_Wallenstein._ Well!