GORDON (rises). The Rhinegrave's still far off. Give but the orders, Is able to perform. And if indeed For that which thou hast done amiss,-this, this Who gladly turns his heart to thoughts of mercy, [Stepping to the window. All dark and silent-at the Castle too SCENE IV. GORDON, BUTLER (at first behind the Scenes). BUTLER (not yet come into view of the stage Here stand in silence till I give the signal GORDON (starts up). "Tis he, he has already brought the murderers. BUTLER. The lights are out. All lies in profound sleep. GORDON. What shall I do? Shall I attempt to save him? BUTLER (appears, but scarcely on the stage). GORDON. But then I break my oath to the Emperor; BUTLER (stepping forward). Hark! Who speaks there GORDON. 'Tis better, I resign it to the hands BUTLER (advances). Butler! "Tis Gordon. I should know that voice. BUTLER. What do you want here! when the Duke dismiss'd you? [The GROOM OF THE CHAMBER, who had entered And thou too! But I know why thou dost wish My servants? Well! to no one I employ That Fortune has fled from me, go! forsake me. Of this last day or two was great. May't please you! Refuses your arm. BUTLER. Is he? Speak. GORDON. Not through you' The Heaven BUTLER. GORDON. [Exit WALLENSTEIN, the GROOM OF THE CHAMBER There is no need of my arm. The most guilty with his eye, till he disappears at the farther Have perish'd, and enough is given to justice. GORDON. His heart still cleaves To earthly things: he's not prepared to step BUTLER (going). God's merciful! Grant him but this night's respite. May ruin all. SCENE VI. COUNTESS TERTSKY (with a light). The next moment If that my husband now were but return'd GORDON (holds him still). BUTLER. Unhold me! What Home from the banquet!--Hark! I wonder whether Murder! Help! COUNTESS. What too late? BUTLER. Down with him! GROOM OF THE CHAMBER (run through the body by DEVEREUX, falls at the entrance of the gallery). Jesus Maria! BUTLER. Burst the doors open. Who will be here himself? Octavio In Egra? Treason! Treason!-Where's the Duke? [She rushes to the Gallery SCENE VIII. [They rush over the body into the gallery-two (Servants run across the Stage full of terror. The whole doors are heard to crash one after the other— Scene must be spoken entirely without pauses` SENI (from the Gallery). O bloody frightful deed! 211 Fly! fly they murder us all! Heaven forbid! FIRST SERVANT. SECOND SERVANT (carrying silver plate). That way! the lower Passages are block'd up. VOICE (from behind the Scene). Make room for the Lieutenant-General! Rail you against me? What is my offence? I pull'd the string. You sow'd blood, and yet starvi [At these words the COUNTESS starts from her stupor, Astonish'd that blood is come up. I always collects herself, und retires suddenly. VOICE (from behind the Scene). Keep back the people! Guard the door! SCENE IX. To these enters OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI with all his Train. At the same time DEVEREUX and MACDONALD enter from the Corridor with the Halberdiers. -WALLENSTEIN's dead body is carried over the back part of the Stage, wrapped in a piece of crimson tapestry. OCTAVIO (entering abruptly). It must not be! It is not possible! Butler! Gordon! I'll not believe it. Say, No! [GORDON, without answering, points with his hand to the Body of WALLENSTEIN as it is carried over the back of the Stage. OCTAVIO looks that way, and stands overpowered with horror. DEVEREUX (to BUTLER). Here is the golden fleece-the Duke's swordIs it your order MACDONALD. BUTLER (pointing to OCTAVIO). Here stands he who now Hath the sole power to issue orders. OCTAVIO (turning to BUTLER). To thee I lift my hand! I am not guilty Of this foul deed. Knew what I did, and therefore no result SCENE X. [Erit BUTLER To these enter the COUNTESS TERTSKY, pale and dis ordered. Her utterance is slow and feeble, and un impassioned. OCTAVIO (meeting her). O Countess Tertsky! These are the results COUNTESS. They are the fruits OCTAVIO (with a deep anguish). O Countess! my house too is desolate COUNTESS. Who next is to be murder'd? Who is next The evil destiny surprised my brother OCTAVIO. Speak not of vengeance! Speak not of maltreatment! The Empress honors your adversity, Takes part in your afflictions, opens to you COUNTESS (with her eye raised to heaven) This sure may well be granted us—one sepulchre [He reads the address, and delivers the letter to OCTAVIO with a look of reproach, and with an emphasis on the word. To the Prince Piccolomini. [OCTAVIO, with his whole frame expressive of sud den anguish, raises his eyes to heaven. (The Curtain drops.) ACCEPT, as a small testimony of my grateful attachment, the following Dramatic Poem, in which I have endeavored to detail, in an interesting form, the fall of a man, whose great bad actions have cast a disastrous lustre on his name. In the execution of the work, as intricacy of plot could not have been attempted without a gross violation of recent facts, it has been my sole aim to imitate the impassioned and highly figurative language of the French Orators, and to develop the characters of the chief actors on a vast stage of horrors. Yours fraternally, S. T. COLERIDGE. JESUS COLLEGE, September 22, 1794. ACT I. SCENE, The Tuilleries BARRERE. The tempest gathers-be it mine to seek when last in secret conference we met, Enter TALLIEN and LEGEndre. TALLIEN. It was Barrere, Legendre! didst thou mark him? LEGENDRE. I mark'd him well. I met his eye's last glance; It menaced not so proudly as of yore. And shall I dread the soft luxurious Tallien ? ST-JUST. I cannot fear him-yet we must not scorn him Methought he would have spoke-but that he dared The state is not yet purified: and though not Such agitation darken'd on his brow. TALLIEN. "Twas all-distrusting guilt that kept from bursting LEGENDRE. Perfidious Traitor!-still afraid to bask Each thought, each action in himself converges ; TALLIEN. Yet much depends upon him-well you know LEGENDRE. O what a precious name is Liberty O Danton! murder'd friend! assist my counsels- TALLIEN. Yet his keen eye that flashes mighty meanings LEGENDRE. Fear not or rather fear th' alternative, [Exeunt. Enter ROBESPIERRE, COUTHON, ST-JUST, and ROBESPIERRE JUNIOR. ROBESPIERRE. What! did La Fayette fall before my power? The stream runs clear, yet at the bottom lies The thick black sediment of all the factionsIt needs no magic hand to stir it up! COUTHON. O we did wrong to spare them-fatal error! ST-JUST. Rightly thou judgest, Couthon! He is one, ROBESPIERRE Is not the commune ours? The stern tribunal? Dumas? and Vivier? Fleuriot? and Louvet? And Henriot? We'll denounce a hundred, nor Shall they behold to-morrow's sun roll westward. ROBESPIERRE JUNIOR. Nay-I am sick of blood; my aching heart Reviews the long, long train of hideous horrors That still have gloom'd the rise of the republic. I should have died before Toulon, when war Became the patriot! ROBESPIERRE. Most unworthy wish! He, whose heart sickens at the blood of traitors, Would be himself a traitor, were he not A coward! 'Tis congenial souls alone Shed tears of sorrow for each other's fate. O thou art brave, my brother! and thine eye Full firmly shines amid the groaning battleYet in thine heart the woman-form of pity Asserts too large a share, an ill-timed guest! There is unsoundness in the state-To-morrow Shall see it cleansed by wholesome massacre! ROBESPIERRE JUNIOR. Beware! already do the sections murmur"O the great glorious patriot, RobespierreThe tyrant guardian of the country's freedom COUTHON. Twere folly sure to work great deeds by halves ROBESPIERRE I see the villain in him! ROBESPIERRE JUNIOR. If he-if all forsake thee-what remains? |