The Piccolomini (play)

SCENE V.

The MASTER OF THE CELLAR, advancing with NEUMANN, SERVANTS passing

backwards and forwards.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The best wine! Oh, if my old mistress, his lady

mother, could but see these wild goings on she would turn herself round

in her grave. Yes, yes, sir officer! 'tis all down the hill with this

noble house! no end, no moderation! And this marriage with the duke's

sister, a splendid connection, a very splendid connection! but I will

tell you, sir officer, it looks no good.

NEUMANN. Heaven forbid! Why, at this very moment the whole prospect is

in bud and blossom!

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. You think so? Well, well! much may be said on

that head.

FIRST SERVANT (comes). Burgundy for the fourth table.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Now, sir lieutenant, if this aint the seventieth

flask--

FIRST SERVANT. Why, the reason is, that German lord, Tiefenbach, sits at

that table.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (continuing his discourse to NEUMANN). They are

soaring too high. They would rival kings and electors in their pomp and

splendor; and wherever the duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious

master, the count, loiter on the brink-(to the SERVANTS). What do you

stand there listening for? I will let you know you have legs presently.

Off! see to the tables, see to the flasks! Look there! Count Palfi has

an empty glass before him!

RUNNER (comes). The great service-cup is wanted, sir, that rich gold cup

with the Bohemian arms on it. The count says you know which it is.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Ay! that was made for Frederick's coronation by

the artist William-there was not such another prize in the whole booty

at Prague.

RUNNER. The same!-a health is to go round in him.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (shaking his head while he fetches and rinses the

cups). This will be something for the tale-bearers-this goes to Vienna.

NEUMANN. Permit me to look at it. Well, this is a cup indeed! How

heavy! as well it may be, being all gold. And what neat things are

embossed on it! how natural and elegant they look! There, on the first

quarter, let me see. That proud amazon there on horseback, she that is

taking a leap over the crosier and mitres, and carries on a wand a hat

together with a banner, on which there's a goblet represented. Can you

tell me what all this signifies?

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The woman you see there on horseback is the Free

Election of the Bohemian Crown. That is signified by the round hat and

by that fiery steed on which she is riding. The hat is the pride of man;

for he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors is no free

man.

NEUMANN. But what is the cup there on the banner.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. The cup signifies the freedom of the Bohemian

Church, as it was in our forefathers' times. Our forefathers in the wars

of the Hussites forced from the pope this noble privilege; for the pope,

you know, will not grant the cup to any layman. Your true Moravian

values nothing beyond the cup; it is his costly jewel, and has cost the

Bohemians their precious blood in many and many a battle.

NEUMANN. And what says that chart that hangs in the air there, over it

all?

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. That signifies the Bohemian letter-royal which we

forced from the Emperor Rudolph-a precious, never to be enough valued

parchment, that secures to the new church the old privileges of free

ringing and open psalmody. But since he of Steiermark has ruled over us

that is at an end; and after the battle at Prague, in which Count

Palatine Frederick lost crown and empire, our faith hangs upon the pulpit

and the altar-and our brethren look at their homes over their shoulders;

but the letter-royal the emperor himself cut to pieces with his scissors.

NEUMANN. Why, my good Master of the Cellar! you are deep read in the

chronicles of your country.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. So were my forefathers, and for that reason were

they minstrels, and served under Procopius and Ziska. Peace be with

their ashes! Well, well! they fought for a good cause though. There !

carry it up!

NEUMANN. Stay! let me but look at this second quarter. Look there!

That is, when at Prague Castle, the imperial counsellors, Martinitz and

Stawata, were hurled down head over heels. 'Tis even so! there stands

Count Thur who commands it.

[RUNNER takes the service-cup and goes off with it.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Oh, let me never more hear of that day. It was

the three-and-twentieth of May in the year of our Lord one thousand six

hundred and eighteen. It seems to me as it were but yesterday-from that

unlucky day it all began, all the heartaches of the country. Since that

day it is now sixteen years, and there has never once been peace on the

earth.

[Health drunk aloud at the second table.

The Prince of Weimar! Hurrah!

[At the third and fourth tables.

Long live Prince William! Long live Duke Bernard! Hurrah!

[Music strikes up.

FIRST SERVANT. Hear 'em! Hear 'em! What an uproar!

SECOND SERVANT (comes in running). Did you hear? They have drunk the

Prince of Weimar's health.

THIRD SERVANT. The Swedish chief commander!

FIRST SERVANT (speaking at the same time). The Lutheran!

SECOND SERVANT. Just before, when Count Deodati gave out the emperor's

health, they were all as mum as a nibbling mouse.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR. Po, po! When the wine goes in strange things come

out. A good servant hears, and hears not! You should be nothing but

eyes and feet, except when you are called to.

SECOND SERVANT.

[To the RUNNER, to whom he gives secretly a flask of wine, keeping

his eye on the MASTER OF THE CELLAR, standing between him and the

RUNNER.

Quick, Thomas! before the Master of the Cellar runs this way; 'tis a

flask of Frontignac! Snapped it up at the third table. Canst go off

with it?

RUNNER (hides it in his, pocket). All right!

[Exit the Second Servant.

THIRD SERVANT (aside to the FIRST). Be on the hark, Jack! that we may

have right plenty to tell to Father Quivoga. He will give us right

plenty of absolution in return for it.

FIRST SERVANT. For that very purpose I am always having something to do

behind Illo's chair. He is the man for speeches to make you stare with.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (to NEUMANN). Who, pray, may that swarthy man be,

he with the cross, that is chatting so confidently with Esterhats?

NEUMANN. Ay, he too is one of those to whom they confide too much. He

calls himself Maradas; a Spaniard is he.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (impatiently). Spaniard! Spaniard! I tell you,

friend, nothing good comes of those Spaniards. All these outlandish

fellows are little better than rogues.

NEUMANN. Fy, fy! you should not say so, friend. There are among them

our very best generals, and those on whom the duke at this moment relies

the most.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR.

[Taking the flask out of RUNNER'S pocket.

My son, it will be broken to pieces in your pocket.

[TERZKY hurries in, fetches away the paper, and calls to a servant

for pen and ink, and goes to the back of the stage.

MASTER OF THE CELLAR (to the SERVANTS). The lieutenant-general stands

up. Be on the watch. Now! They break up. Off, and move back the

forms.

[They rise at all the tables, the SERVANTS hurry off the front of

the stage to the tables; part of the guests come forward.