My every fortune, every lovely hope.
Inextricably as in some magic ring

In this name hath my destiny charm-bound me ! Coun. [who during this time has been anxiously watching the DUKE, and remarks that he is lost in thought over the letters.] My brother wishes us to leave him. Come.

Wal. [turns himself round quick, collects himself, and speaks with cheerfulness to the DUCHESS.] Once more I bid thee welcome to the camp, Thou art the hostess of this court. You, Max, Will now again administer your old office, While we perform the sovereign's business here. [MAX PICCOLOMINI offers the DUCHESS his arm, the COUNTESS accompanies the PRINCESS.

Ter. [calling after him.] Max, we depend on seeing you at the meeting.

SCENE X.-WALLENSTEIN, COUNT TERTSKY.
Wal. [in deep thought to himself.] She hath
seen all things as they are-It is so,
And squares completely with my other notices.
They have determined finally in Vienna,
Have given me my successor already;
It is the King of Hungary, Ferdinand,
The Emperor's delicate son! he's now their
saviour,

He's the new star that's rising now! Of us
They think themselves already fairly rid,
And as we were deceased, the heir already

Is entering on possession-Therefore-dispatch! [As he turns round he observes TERTSKY, and gives him a letter.

Count Altringer will have himself excused,
And Gallas too-I like not this!

Ter.

And if

Thou loiterest longer, all will fall away,

One following the other.

Is master of the Tyrole passes. I must forth

with

Send some one to him, that he let not in
The Spaniards on me from the Milanese.

-Well, and the old Sesin, that ancient trader

In contraband negotiations, he

Has shown himself again of late. What brings he From the Count Thurn?

Ter.

The Count communicates,

He has found out the Swedish chancellor

At Halberstadt, where the convention's held, Who says, you've tired him out, and that he'll have No further dealings with you.

Wal.

And why so?

Ter. He says, you are never in earnest in your

speeches;

That you decoy the Swedes-to make fools of

them,

Will league yourself with Saxony against them, And at last make yourself a riddance of them With a paltry sum of money.

Wal.

So then, doubtless,

Yes, doubtless, this same modest Swede expects
That I shall yield him some fair German tract
For his prey and booty, that ourselves at last
On our own soil and native territory,
May be no longer our own lords and masters!
An excellent scheme! No, no! They must be off;
Off, off! away! we want no such neighbours.
Ter. Nay, yield them up that dot, that speck of

land

It goes not from your portion.

The game, what matters it to

If you win

you who pays

it?

Wal. Off with them, off! Thou understand'st

not this.

Never shall it be said of me, I parcelled
My native land away, dismembered Germany,
Betrayed it to a foreigner, in order

To come with stealthy tread, and filch away
My own share of the plunder-Never! never!-
No foreign power shall strike root in the empire,
And least of all, these Goths, these hunger-wolves,
Who send such envious, hot and greedy glances
T'wards the rich blessings of our German lands!
I'll have their aid to cast and draw my nets,
But not a single fish of all the draught
Shall they come in for.

Ter.

You will deal, however,

More fairly with the Saxons? They lose patience
While
you shift ground and make so many curves.
Say, to what purpose all these masks? Your friends

Are plunged in doubts, baffled and led astray in

you.

There's Oxenstiern, there's Arnheim-neither

knows

What he should think of your procrastinations. And in the end I prove the liar; all

Passes through me. I have not even your handwriting.

Wal. I never give my hand-writing; thou knowest it.

Ter. But how can it be known that you're in earnest,

If the act follows not upon the word?

You must yourself acknowledge that in all
Your intercourses hitherto with the enemy

You might have done with safety all you have done,
Had you meant nothing further than to gull him
For the Emperor's service.

Wal. [after a pause during which he looks narrowly on TERTSKY.] And from whence dost thou know

That I'm not gulling him for the Emperor's service? Whence knowest thou that I'm not gulling all of you?

Dost thou know me so well! When made I thee The intendant of my secret purposes ?

I am not conscious that I ever opened

My inmost thoughts to thee. The Emperor, it is

true,

Hath dealt with me amiss; and if I would,

I could repay him with usurious interest
For the evil he hath done me. It delights me
To know my power; but whether I shall use it,
Of that, I should have thought that thou couldst
speak

No wiselier than thy fellows.

Ter. So hast thou always played thy game

with us.

[Enter ILLO.

SCENE XI.-ILLO, WALLENStein, TertskY.

Wal. How stand affairs without? Are they prepared?

Illo. You'll find them in the very mood you wish.

They know about the Emperor's requisitions,
And are tumultuous.

Wal.

Declared himself?

Illo.

How hath Isolan

He's yours, both soul and body,

Since you built up again his faro-bank.

Wal. And which way doth Kolalto bend? Hast thou

Made sure of Tiefenbach and Deodati?

Illo. What Piccolomini does, that they do too. Wal. You mean then I may venture somewhat with them?

Illo. If you are assured of the Piccolomini. Wal. Not more assured of mine own self.