The Death of Wallenstein (play)

SCENE II.

BUTLER, CAPTAIN DEVEREUX, and MACDONALD.

MACDONALD.

Here we are, general.

DEVEREUX.

What's to be the watchword?

BUTLER.

Long live the emperor!

BOTH (recoiling).

How?

BUTLER.

Live the house of Austria.

DEVEREUX.

Have we not sworn fidelity to Friedland?

MACDONALD.

Have we not marched to this place to protect him?

BUTLER.

Protect a traitor and his country's enemy?

DEVEREUX.

Why, yes! in his name you administered

Our oath.

MACDONALD.

And followed him yourself to Egra.

BUTLER.

I did it the more surely to destroy him.

DEVEREUX.

So then!

MACDONALD.

An altered case!

BUTLER (to DEVEREU%).

Thou wretched man

So easily leavest thou thy oath and colors?

DEVEREUX.

The devil! I but followed your example;

If you could prove a villain, why not we?

MACDONALD.

We've naught to do with thinking-that's your business.

You are our general, and give out the orders;

We follow you, though the track lead to hell.

BUTLER (appeased).

Good, then! we know each other.

MACDONALD.

I should hope so.

DEVEREUX.

Soldiers of fortune are we-who bids most

He has us.

MACDONALD.

'Tis e'en so!

BUTLER.

Well, for the present

You must remain honest and faithful soldiers.

DEVEREUX.

We wish no other.

BUTLER.

Ay, and make your fortunes.

MACDONALD.

That is still better.

BUTLER.

Listen!

BOTH.

We attend.

BUTLER.

It is the emperor's will and ordinance

To seize the person of the Prince-Duke Friedland

Alive or dead.

DEVEREUX.

It runs so in the letter.

MACDONALD.

Alive or dead-these were the very words.

BUTLER.

And he shall be rewarded from the state

In land and gold who proffers aid thereto.

DEVEREUX.

Ay! that sounds well. The words sound always well

That travel hither from the court. Yes! yes!

We know already what court-words import.

A golden chain perhaps in sign of favor,

Or an old charger, or a parchment-patent,

And such like. The prince-duke pays better.

MACDONALD.

Yes,

The duke's a splendid paymaster.

BUTLER.

All over

With that, my friends. His lucky stars are set.

MACDONALD.

And is that certain?

BUTLER.

You have my word for it.

DEVEREUX.

His lucky fortune's all passed by?

BUTLER.

Forever.

He is as poor as we.

MACDONALD.

As poor as we?

DEVEREUX.

Macdonald, we'll desert him.

BUTLER.

We'll desert him?

Full twenty thousand have done that already;

We must do more, my countrymen! In short-

We-we must kill him.

BOTH (starting back)

Kill him!

BUTLER.

Yes, must kill him;

And for that purpose have I chosen you.

BOTH.

Us!

BUTLER.

You, Captain Devereux, and thee, Macdonald.

DEVEREUX (after a pause).

Choose you some other.

BUTLER.

What! art dastardly?

Thou, with full thirty lives to answer for-

Thou conscientious of a sudden?

DEVEREUX.

Nay

To assassinate our lord and general--

MACDONALD.

To whom we swore a soldier's oath--

BUTLER.

The oath

Is null, for Friedland is a traitor.

DEVEREUX.

No, no! it is too bad!

MACDONALD.

Yes, by my soul!

It is too bad. One has a conscience too--

DEVEREUX.

If it were not our chieftain, who so long

Has issued the commands, and claimed our duty--

BUTLER.

Is that the objection?

DEVEREUX.

Were it my own father,

And the emperor's service should demand it of me,

It might be done perhaps-but we are soldiers,

And to assassinate our chief commander,

That is a sin, a foul abomination,

From which no monk or confessor absolves us.

BUTLER.

I am your pope, and give you absolution.

Determine quickly!

DEVEREUX.

'Twill not do.

MACDONALD.

'Twont do!

BUTLER.

Well, off then! and-send Pestalutz to me.

DEVEREUX (hesitates).

The Pestalutz--

MACDONALD.

What may you want with him?

BUTLER.

If you reject it, we can find enough--

DEVEREUX.

Nay, if he must fall, we may earn the bounty

As well as any other. What think you,

Brother Macdonald?

MACDONALD.

Why, if he must fall,

And will fall, and it can't be otherwise,

One would not give place to this Pestalutz.

DEVEREUX (after some reflection).

When do you purpose he should fall?

BUTLER.

This night.

To-morrow will the Swedes be at our gates.

DEVEREUX.

You take upon you all the consequences?

BUTLER.

I take the whole upon me.

DEVEREUX.

And it is

The emperor's will, his express absolute will?

For we have instances that folks may like

The murder, and yet hang the murderer.

BUTLER.

The manifesto says-"alive or dead."

Alive-'tis not possible-you see it is not.

DEVEREUX.

Well, dead then! dead! But bow can we come at him.

The town is filled with Terzky's soldiery.

MACDONALD.

Ay! and then Terzky still remains, and Illo--

BUTLER.

With these you shall begin-you understand me?

DEVEREUX.

How! And must they too perish?

BUTLER.

They the first.

MACDONALD.

Hear, Devereux! A bloody evening this.

DEVEREUX.

Have you a man for that? Commission me--

BUTLER.

'Tis given in trust to Major Geraldin;

This is a carnival night, and there's a feast

Given at the castle-there we shall surprise them,

And hew them down. The Pestalutz and Lesley

Have that commission. Soon as that is finished--

DEVEREUX.

Hear, general! It will be all one to you-

Hark ye, let me exchange with Geraldin.

BUTLER.

'Twill be the lesser danger with the duke.

DEVEREUX.

Danger! The devil! What do you think me, general,

'Tis the duke's eye, and not his sword, I fear.

BUTLER.

What can his eye do to thee?

DEVEREUX.

Death and hell!

Thou knowest that I'm no milksop, general!

But 'tis not eight days since the duke did send me

Twenty gold pieces for this good warm coat

Which I have on! and then for him to see me

Standing before him with the pike, his murderer.

That eye of his looking upon this coat-

Why-why-the devil fetch me! I'm no milksop!

BUTLER.

The duke presented thee this good warm coat,

And thou, a needy wight, hast pangs of conscience

To run him through the body in return,

A coat that is far better and far warmer

Did the emperor give to him, the prince's mantle.

How doth he thank the emperor? With revolt

And treason.

DEVEREUX.

That is true. The devil take

Such thankers! I'll despatch him.

BUTLER.

And would'st quiet

Thy conscience, thou hast naught to do but simply

Pull off the coat; so canst thou do the deed

With light heart and good spirits.

DEVEREUX.

You are right,

That did not strike me. I'll pull off the coat-

So there's an end of it.

MACDONALD.

Yes, but there's another

Point to be thought of.

BUTLER.

And what's that, Macdonald?

MACDONALD.

What avails sword or dagger against him?

He is not to be wounded-he is--

BUTLER (starting up).

What!

MACDONALD.

Safe against shot, and stab, and flash! Hard frozen.

Secured and warranted by the black art

His body is impenetrable, I tell you.

DEVEREUX.

In Ingolstadt there was just such another:

His whole skin was the same as steel; at last

We were obliged to beat him down with gunstocks.

MACDONALD.

Hear what I'll do.

DEVEREUX.

Well.

MACDONALD.

In the cloister here

There's a Dominican, my countryman.

I'll make him dip my sword and pike for me

In holy water, and say over them

One of his strongest blessings. That's probatum!

Nothing can stand 'gainst that.

BUTLER.

So do, Macdonald!

But now go and select from out the regiment

Twenty or thirty able-bodied fellows,

And let them take the oaths to the emperor.

Then when it strikes eleven, when the first rounds

Are passed, conduct them silently as may be

To the house. I will myself be not far off.

DEVEREUX.

But how do we get through Hartschier and Gordon,

That stand on guard there in the inner chamber?

BUTLER.

I have made myself acquainted with the place,

I lead you through a back door that's defended

By one man only. Me my rank and office

Give access to the duke at every hour.

I'll go before you-with one poinard-stroke

Cut Hartschier's windpipe, and make way for you.

DEVEREUX.

And when we are there, by what means shall we gain

The duke's bed-chamber, without his alarming

The servants of the court? for he has here

A numerous company of followers.

BUTLER.

The attendants fills the right wing: he hates bustle,

And lodges in the left wing quite alone.

DEVEREUX.

Were it well over-hey, Macdonald! I

Feel queerly on the occasion, devil knows.

MACDONALD.

And I, too. 'Tis too great a personage.

People will hold us for a brace of villains.

BUTLER.

In plenty, honor, splendor-you may safely

Laugh at the people's babble.

DEVEREUX.

If the business

Squares with one's honor-if that be quite certain.

BUTLER.

Set your hearts quite at ease. Ye save for Ferdinand

His crown and empire. The reward can be

No small one.

DEVEREUX.

And 'tis his purpose to dethrone the emperor?

BUTLER.

Yes! Yes! to rob him of his crown and life.

DEVEREUX.

And must he fall by the executioner's hands,

Should we deliver him up to the emperor

Alive?

BUTLER.

It were his certain destiny.

DEVEREUX.

Well! Well! Come then, Macdonald, he shall not

Lie long in pain.

[Exeunt BUTLER through one door, MACDONALD and DEVEREUX

through the other.