worth to thee.

MAX.

O God! how can I
Do otherwise? Am I not forced to do it?
My oath--my duty--my honor--

WALLENSTEIN.

How? Thy duty?
Duty to whom? Who art thou? Max! bethink thee
What duties mayst _thou_ have? If _I_ am acting
A criminal part toward the Emperor,
It is my crime, not thine. Dost thou belong
To thine own self? Art thou thine own commander?
Stand'st thou, like me, a freeman in the world,
That in thy actions thou shouldst plead free agency?
On me thou'rt planted, I am thy Emperor;
To obey _me_, to _belong_ to me, this is
Thy honor, this a law of nature to thee!
And if the planet, on the which thou livest
And hast thy dwelling, from its orbit starts,
It is not in thy choice whether or no
Thou'lt follow it. Unfelt it whirls thee onward
Together with his ring, and all his moons.
With little guilt stepp'st thou into this contest,
Thee will the world not censure, it will praise thee,
For that thou held'st thy friend more worth to thee
Than names and influences more removed;
For justice is the virtue of the ruler,
Affection and fidelity the subject's.
Not every one doth it beseem to question
The far-off high Arcturus. Most securely
Wilt thou pursue the nearest duty: let
The pilot fix his eye upon the pole-star.

SCENE XIX

_To these enter_ NEUMANN

WALLENST.

What now?

NEUMANN.

The Pappenheimers are dismounted,
And are advancing now on foot, determined
With sword in hand to storm the house, and free
The Count, their colonel.

WALLENSTEIN (_to_ TERZKY).

Have the cannon planted.
I will receive them with chain-shot.

[_Exit_ TERZKY

Prescribe to me with sword in hand! Go, Neumann,
'Tis my command that they retreat this moment,
And in their ranks in silence wait my pleasure.

[NEUMANN _exit_. ILLO _steps to the window_.]

COUNTESS.
Let him go, I entreat thee, let him go.

ILLO (_at the window_).

Hell and perdition!

WALLENSTEIN.

What is it?

ILLO. They scale the council-house, the roof's uncovered,
They level at this house the cannon--

MAX.

Madmen!

ILLO.

They are making preparations now to fire on us.

DUCHESS and COUNTESS.
Merciful heaven!

MAX (_to_ WALLENSTEIN).

Let me go to them!

WALLENSTEIN.