Of all, this camp include. Great Destiny, In fpirit. Great the preffure and the tumult! 'Twas broad day, and Octavio stood before me.. P. 193. In fpite, however, of the fuperftitious affurance of Wallenflein, Octavio employs the precious moments of delay in eftranging from the general's interefts Ifolani and Butler, the. latter of whom determines to remain in Wallenftein's camp for the purpose of revenging an injury, which, according to the reprefentation of Piccolomini, the general had done him by a letter to the imperial court. The drama thus concludes with the refufal of Max. Piccolomini to quit the camp together with his father. • Od. How? not one look Of filial love? No grafp of the hand at parting? It is a bloody war, to which we are going, So us'd we not to part-it was not fo! Is it then true? I have a fon no longer! (Max. falls into his arms, they hold each for a long time in a Speechlefs embrace, then go away at different fides.)' P. 214. And truly may it be faid, that this is a moft lame and impotent conclufion.' Nothing is decided-the fate of the principal characters hangs in fufpenfe--all is dark and uncertain: and upon a review of the whole drama we mast, however unwillingly, acknowledge that it is flat and tedious. The author feems indeed to have intended it merely as an introduction to The Death of Wallenftein. In this latter tragedy, Schiller is himself again.' Its action is rapid; its events interefting. It abounds in pathetic incidents and moving fpeeches. The moral which it inculcates is correct and highly important. The three firft fcenes of The Death of Wallenftein are of a domeftic nature, and exhibit the countefs Tertsky inftigating Thekla to ufe her influence over Max. Piccolomini to induce him to defert his duty to the emperor, and bind himself to the fortunes of her father. The princefs is unwilling to underftand the true nature of Wallenftein's defigns; but when at length the truth is plainly disclosed, she burfts forth into the following pathetic exclamation. 'O my fore-boding bofom! Even now, An heavy ominous presentiment Reveal'd to me that fpirits of death were hov'ring First of myself? My mother! O, my mother!' P. 6. The affectionate timidity of the duchefs, the wife of Wallenftein, is feelingly depicted in the enfuing dialogue, which is interrupted by the intervention of Wallenftein and Illo. The former, oppreffed with care, defires his daughter to foothe his fpirits by a fong. Come here, my fweet girl! Seat thee by me, Thy mother prais'd to me thy ready skill: She fays a voice of melody dwells in thee, Which doth enchant the foul. Now fuch a voice That beats his black wings close above my head.' P. 13. Thekla, unable, on account of the agitation of her heart, to comply with her father's request, abruptly retires. This gives the countefs Tertfky an opportunity of difclofing to her brother the mutual love of his daughter and the younger Piccolomini. Of this paffion Wallenftein fternly difapproves. The difcuffion of the matter, however, is clofed by the abrupt arrival of Tertfky to announce the revolt of feveral of the regiments, and among the reft of the troops of Ifolani, from the caufe of their general. Tertfky is foon followed by Illo, who communicates further particulars of the difaffection of the army. Wallenftein now looks for comfort and advice from the treacherous Butler, who remains with him apparently from motives of friendship, but in reality with a determination to enfure his ruin. In this truly pathetic scene, Butler announces to the general the failure of his defigns upon the city of Prague. On the receipt of this intelligence, Wallenftein thus expreffes the emotions of a determined mind. 'Tis decided! 'Tis well! I have receiv'd a fudden cure From all the pangs of doubt: with steady stream I drew the fword-'twas with an inward ftrife, The murd'rous knife I fight now for my head and for my life.' P. 31. In the beginning of the second act, Wallenftein receives a deputation from the regiment of Pappenheim, who, on behalf of their conftituents, demand from him a declaration of his intentions with refpect to the emperor. In his conference with this deputation, the imperial commander displays all the arts of popularity. But when he has almoft perfuaded the delegated foldiers to adopt his quarrel, he is interrupted by Butler, who defignedly enters to announce an open declaration of infurrection which has been made by count Tertfky's regiment. Thefe tidings difguft the deputies, who retire; and, in the courfe of a few minutes the Pappenheimers are heard in uproar, demanding Max. Piccolomini their colonel, whom they imagine to be detained as a prifoner in Wallenftein's palace. Max. has, in fact, concealed himself in the palace, and now comes forward avowing to her father his love for Thekla. The act clofes with the departure of Max. who is torn from the arms of his mittress by his foldiers, who rush into the palace to refcue him from apprehended danger. In the third act the fcene is transferred to Egra, to which fortrefs the difcomfited Wallenftein is determined to retire. He has difpatched Butler to prepare all things for his reception. Butler arrives, and intimates to Gordon, the governor, that Wallenftein is attainted of treason, and demands his co-operation in executing the fentence of death to which the emperor has doomed him. While Butler is thus endeavouring to infpirit. the governor, who diflikes this commiffion, Wallenftein enters, and inquires into the ftate of the town and garrifon. A courier now arrives with the tidings of the death of Max. Piccolomini, who, urged on by defpair, was flain together with all his regiment in a furious onfet on a fuperior body of Swedes. This intelligence haftens the defigns of Butler, who refolves to murder the general that very night. At the commencement of the fourth act Butler thus the detail of his plot against the life of Wallenstein. opens Find me twelve ftrong dragoons, arm them with pikes, Conceal them fome-where near the banquet-room, The fubfequent conference between Butler and his fubordinate agents is fpun out to an unwarrantable length; but it contains many true touches of nature. Rich amends are, however, made for the faults of this fcene by fcenes III. and IV. than which we remember nothing more pathetic in the whole range of dramatic writing. In thefe fcenes Thekla, who had accidentally heard of the death of her lover, is indulged with the particulars of the event from the messenger who brought the fad intelligence. In the firft fcene of the fifth act the reader is thus folemnly prepared for the approaching horrors. Wal. (rifes and ftrides across the faloon.) The night's far fpent. Betake thee to thy chamber. Countess. Bid me not go, O let me stay with thee! Wal. (moves to the window.) There is a bufy motion in the heaven, The wind doth chace the flag upon the tower, Is Jupiter. (a paufe.) But now The blackness of the troubled element hides him! The finks into profound melancholy, and looks vacantly into the diftance.) • Countess. (looks on him mournfully, then grafps his hand.) What art thou brooding on? Wal. Methinks, 6 Wal. (remains for a while with abfent mind, then affumes a livelier manner, and turns fuddenly to the countefs.) See him again? O never, never again. 6 Countefs. How? • Wal. He is gone-is duft. Countess. Whom mean'ft thou then? Wal. He the more fortunate! yea, he hath finish'd! No more fubmitted to the change and chance With him! but who knows what the coming hour Countefs. Thou speakest Of Piccolomini.' P. 127. After a converfation with Gordon and Seni, in which his confidence in his good fortune cafts an additional interest upon his perilous circumftances, Wallenftein retires to repofe. Butler and the affaffins now enter reeking from the murder of Illo and Tertsky, whom they had furprised while revelling in a midnight banquet. The merciful agony of Gordon on the fight of thefe villains is thus expreffed. Gor. He fleeps! O murder not the holy fleep! To earthly things: he's not prepar'd to step But. (going.) God's merciful! • Gor. (holds him.) Grant him but this night's respite. May ruin all. • Gor. (holds him fill.) One hour! But. Unhold me! What Can that short refpite profit him? Gor. O-Time Works miracles. In one hour many thousands |