Anspessade. Halt! Front! Present!
Wallenstein (after he has run through them with his eye, to the
Anspessade). I know thee well. Thou art out of Brüggin in Flanders:
Thy name is Mercy.
Anspessade. Henry Mercy.
Wallenstein. Thou wert cut off on the march, surrounded
by the Hessians, and didst fight thy way with a hundred and 5
eighty men through their thousand.
Anspessade. ‘Twas even so, General!
Wallenstein. What reward hadst thou for this gallant exploit?
Anspessade. That which I asked for: the honour to serve
in this corps. 10
Wallenstein (turning to a second). Thou wert among the
volunteers that seized and made booty of the Swedish battery
at Altenburg.
Second Cuirassier. Yes, General!
Wallenstein. I forget no one with whom I have exchanged 15
words. (A pause). Who sends you?
Anspessade. Your noble regiment, the Cuirassiers of
Piccolomini.
Wallenstein. Why does not your colonel deliver in your
request, according to the custom of service? 20
Anspessade. Because we would first know whom we serve.
Wallenstein. Begin your address.
Anspessade (giving the word of command). Shoulder your arms!
Wallenstein (turning to a third). Thy name is Risbeck, Cologne
is thy birthplace. 25
Third Cuirassier. Risbeck of Cologne.
Wallenstein. It was thou that broughtest in the Swedish
colonel, Diebald, prisoner, in the camp at Nuremberg.
Third Cuirassier. It was not I, General!
Wallenstein. Perfectly right! It was thy elder brother: 30
thou hadst a younger brother too: Where did he stay?
Third Cuirassier. He is stationed at Olmutz with the
Imperial army.
Wallenstein (to the Anspessade). Now then — begin.
Anspessade. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor 35
Commanding us ——
Wallenstein. Who chose you?
Anspessade. Every company
Drew its own man by lot.
Wallenstein. Now! to the business.
Anspessade. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor
Commanding us collectively, from thee
All duties of obedience to withdraw, 40
Because thou wert an enemy and traitor.
Wallenstein. And what did you determine?
Anspessade. All our comrades
At Brannau, Budweiss, Prague and Olmutz, have
Obeyed already, and the regiments here, 45
Tiefenbach and Toscana, instantly
Did follow their example. But — but we
Do not believe that thou art an enemy
And traitor to thy country, hold it merely
For lie and trick, and a trumped-up Spanish story! 50
Thyself shalt tell us what thy purpose is,
For we have found thee still sincere and true:
No mouth shall interpose itself betwixt
The gallant General and the gallant troops.
Wallenstein. Therein I recognize my Pappenheimers. 55
Anspessade. And this proposal makes thy regiment to thee:
Is it thy purpose merely to preserve
In thy own hands this military sceptre,
Which so becomes thee, which the Emperor
Made over to thee by a covenant? 60
Is it thy purpose merely to remain
Supreme commander of the Austrian armies? —
We will stand by thee, General! and guarantee
Thy honest rights against all opposition.
And should it chance, that all the other regiments 65
Turn from thee, by ourselves will we stand forth
Thy faithful soldiers, and, as is our duty,
Far rather let ourselves be cut to pieces,
Than suffer thee to fall. But if it be
As the Emperor’s letter says, if it be true, 70
That thou in traitorous wise wilt lead us over
To the enemy, which God in heaven forbid!
Then we too will forsake thee, and obey
That letter ——
Wallenstein. Hear me, children!
Anspessade. Yes, or no!
There needs no other answer.
Wallenstein. Yield attention. 75
You’re men of sense, examine for yourselves;
Ye think, and do not follow with the herd:
And therefore have I always shewn you honour
Above all others, suffered you to reason;
Have treated you as free men, and my orders 80
Were but the echoes of your prior suffrage. —
Anspessade. Most fair and noble has thy conduct been
To us, my General! With thy confidence
Thou hast honoured us, and shewn us grace and favour
Beyond all other regiments; and thou seest 85
We follow not the common herd. We will
Stand by thee faithfully. Speak but one word —
Thy word shall satisfy us, that it is not
A treason which thou meditatest — that
Thou meanest not to lead the army over 90
To the enemy; nor e’er betray thy country.
Wallenstein. Me, me are they betraying. The Emperor
Hath sacrificed me to my enemies,
And I must fall, unless my gallant troops
Will rescue me. See! I confide in you. 95
And be your hearts my strong hold! At this breast
The aim is taken, at this hoary head.
This is your Spanish gratitude, this is our
Requital for that murderous fight at Lutzen!
For this we threw the naked breast against 100
The halbert, made for this the frozen earth
Our bed, and the hard stone our pillow! never stream
Too rapid for us, nor wood too impervious:
With cheerful spirit we pursued that Mansfield
Through