The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 58

The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Volume II Part 58

_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 n.o.ble 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--

[655:1]_Countess._ Thou seest it with a love-lorn maiden's eyes. 45 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 trans.m.u.te 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 pa.s.siveness 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 G.o.d-like 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.[658:1] 130

[_Exit THEKLA._

FOOTNOTES:

[655:1] A n.o.ble speech, and with the additional excellence of being in character. _MS. R_.

[658:1] There are few, who will not have taste enough to laugh at the two concluding lines of this soliloquy; and still fewer, I would fain hope, who would not have been more disposed to shudder, had I given a _faithful_ translation. For the readers of German I have added the original:

Blind-wuthend schleudert selbst der Gott der Freude Den Pechkranz in das brennende Gebaude.[658:A]

[658:A] The two lines are sufficiently fustian, but this seems no reason for interpreting 'the G.o.d of Joy' as any higher divinity than Comus or rather an allegoric personage.

Festivity alluding to the festive music and uproar heard from the banquet-room. _MS. R_.

LINENOTES:

[6] _Thekla (rising)._ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[8] _you_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[12] _born . . . become_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[16] _entreat_ 1800, 1828, 1829.

[21] _His_ 1800, 1828, 1829.