Save only he. Maria. That aged man, his father! Alhadra (sternly). Why had he such a son? [The Moors press on. Maria (still kneeling, and wild with affright). Yet spare his life! They must not murder him! Alhadra. An enviable lot to waste away And is it then With inward wounds, and like the spirit of chaos Cursing all lovely things? to let him live It were a deep revenge! All the band cry out-No mercy! no mercy! 295 300 [NAOMI advances with the sword towards OSORIO. Alhadra. Nay, bear him forth! Why should this innocent maid Behold the ugliness of death? Osorio (with great majesty). O woman! I have stood silent like a slave before thee, That I might taste the wormwood and the gall, With bitterer agonies than death can give. 305 [The Moors gather round him in a crowd, and pass off the stage. That point Alhadra. I thank thee, Heaven! thou hast ordain'd it wisely, That still extremes bring their own cure. In misery which makes the oppressed man Regardless of his own life, makes him too Lord of the oppressor's! Knew I an hundred men Despairing, but not palsied by despair, This arm should shake the kingdoms of this world; 310 1 In MS. II 'worm' has the place of slave', which is the word in MS. I. Affixed to 300 ALHADRA snatches it from him and suddenly stabs ORDONIO. ALVAR rushes towards him through the Moors, and catches him in his arms, de, MS. III. 303-4 Tis well! thou hast avenged thyself I have stood in silence like a slave before thee Corr, in MS. III. 305 spirit] heart Remorse. After 306 Forgive me, Alvar! O couldst thou forgive thyself. Corr, in MS. III. Oh! couldst thou forget me! The deep foundations of iniquity Should sink away, earth groaning from beneath them; 315 The strong holds of the cruel men should fall, Their temples and their mountainous towers should fall; Till desolation seem'd a beautiful thing, And all that were and had the spirit of life Sang a new song to him who had gone forth 320 1 On a blank page of MS. III some one, probably Bowles, has written :'Upon the whole a very masterly production, and with judicious contractments might be rendered an interesting Drama on the stage.' Shouts of Alvar! Alvar! Noises heard; a Moor rushes in. And still cries out, 'My son! My son is living' ALHADRA (to Alvar). Thou then art Alvar! to my aid and safety Thy word stands pledged. Altar. Arm of avenging Heaven! (The Moors surround ALHADRA) and force her off. The stage fills 320 him] her Remorse. After 321 [ALHADRA hurries of with the Moors; the stage fills with armed Peasants and Servants, ZULIMEZ and VALDEZ at their head. VALDEZ rushes into ALVAR's arms. Alvar. Turn not thy face that way, my father! hide, Flow in unmingled stream through thy first blessing. [both kneel to Valdez, Valdez. My Son! My Alvar! bless, Oh bless him, heaven! Valdez. And while she scares us, goads us to our fate. Remorse. THE PICCOLOMINI1 OR, THE FIRST PART OF WALLENSTEIN A DRAMA TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF SCHILLER PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION It was my intention to have prefixed a Life of Wallenstein to this translation; but I found that it must either have occupied a space wholly disproportionate to the nature of the publication, or have been merely a meagre catalogue of events narrated not more fully than they already are in the Play itself. The recent translation, likewise, of Schiller's History of the Thirty Years' 1 First published in a single octavo volume, 1800 included in 1828, 1829, 1834, and in Dramatic Works (one vol. 8vo) 1852. The Piccolomini and the Death of Wallenstein were translated from MS. copies which had been acquired by the Messrs. Longman. The MS. copy of the original of the Death of Wallenstein is in the possession of Mrs. Alexander Gillman. The MS. of the copy of the original of the Piccolomini was at one time in the possession of Mr. Henry R. Mark of 17 Highbury Crescent. A note in Schiller's handwriting, dated 'Jena, 30. September 1799', attesting the genuineness of the copies, is attached to either play. The MS. copy of Wallenstein's Camp (Wallenstein's Lager'), which Coleridge did not attempt to translate, is not forthcoming. See two articles by Ferdinand Freiligrath, published in the Athenæum, July 15 and August 31, 1861. See, too, Die Wallensteinübersetzung von Samuel T. Coleridge und ihr Deutsches Original... vorgelegt von Hans Roscher. Borna-Leipzig, 1905. A copy of the translation which Macready marked for acting is in the Forster Library, which forms part of the Victoria and Albert Museum at South Kensington. See note by J. Dykes Campbell, P. W., 1893, p. 649. annotated copy (in Coleridge's handwriting) of the translation of the Piccolomini and the Death of Wallenstein, presented by Mr. Shadworth Hodgson, is in the Library of Rugby School [MS. R.]. The MS. contents of this volume are now published for the first time. Coleridge began his translation of the two plays at No. 21 Buckingham Street, Strand, in December, 1799, and finished the last sheet' at Town End, Grasmere, April 20, 1800. An 'These dramas have two grievous faults: they are prolix in the particular parts and slow in the general movement. But they have passion, distinct and diversified character, and they abound in passages of great moral and poetic beauty.' S. T. COLERIDGE. 'The defects of these dramas are all of an instructive character; for tho' not the products of genius, like those of Shakespere, they result from an energetic and thinking mind. (1) The speeches are seldom suited to characters-the characters are truly diversified and distinctly conceived-but we learn them from the actions and from the descriptions given by other characters, or from particular speeches. The brutal Illo repeatedly talks language which belongs to the Countess, &c. (2) Astrology War diminished the motives thereto. In the translation I endeavoured to render my Author literally wherever I was not prevented by absolute differences of idiom; but I am conscious that in two or three short passages I have been guilty of dilating the original; and, from anxiety to give the full meaning, have weakened the force. In the metre I have availed myself of no other liberties than those which Schiller had permitted to himself, except the occasional breaking-up of the line by the substitution of a trochee for an iambus; of which liberty, so frequent in our tragedies, I find no instance in these dramas. S. T. COLERIdge. (an undramatic superstition because it inspires no terror, and its foundation of imagination is overbuilt and concealed by its scientific superstructure, with other cause from the imagery, is thus unpopular or swallowed up in more gencral and pleasing associations, as the Sun and Moon) Astrology is made prophetic, and yet treated ludicrously: the author as philosopher is in compleat discord with himself as Historian. This is a most grievous fault. (3) The assassins talk ludicrously. This is a most egregious misimitation of Shakespere-Schiller should not have attempted tragicocomedy, and none but Shakespere has succeeded. It is wonderful, however, that Schiller, who had studied Shakespere, should not have perceived his divine judgment in the management of his assassins, as in Macbeth. They are fearful and almost pitiable Beings-not loathsome, ludicrous miscreants. (4) The character of Thekla 0, the bold Heroine = of any novel. Nothing of the Convent, no superstition, nothing of the Daughter of Wallenstein, nothing that her past life is represented by. (5) Wallenstein is a finer psychological than dramatic, and a more dramatic than a tragic character. Shakespere draws strength as in Richard the Third, and even when he blends weakness as in Macbeth-yet it is weakness of a specific kind that leaves the strength in full and fearful energy-but Schiller has drawn weakness imposing on itself the love of power for the sense of strength (a fine conception in itself, but not tragic-at least for the principal character of a long drama).-Hence Wallenstein, with one exception (that of the Regimental Deputation to him in the Second Part) evaporates in mock-mysterious speeches. These are the chief defects, I think. On the other hand, the character of Butler is admirable throughout. Octavio is very grand, and Max, tho' it may be an easy character to draw, for a man of thought and lofty feeling-for a man who possesses all the analoga of genius, is yet so delightful, and its moral influence so grand and salutary, that we must allow it great praise. The childish love-toying with the glove and Aunt Tertsky in the first act should be omitted. Certain whole scenes are masterly, and far above anything since the dramatists of Eliz. & James the first.' Note on fly-leaf of annotated copy (MS. K.). THE PICCOLOMINI 1 ACT I SCENE I An old Gothic Chamber in the Council House at Pilsen, decorated with Colours and other War Insignia. ILLO with BUTLER and ISOLANI. Illo. Ye have come late-but ye are come! The distance, Count Isolan, excuses your delay. Isolani. Add this too, that we come not empty-handed. At Donauwert it was reported to us, A Swedish caravan was on its way Transporting a rich cargo of provision, In 1800 the following table of Dramatis Personae was prefixed to Act I of The Piccolomini, or The First Part of Wallenstein. In 1828, 1829, and 1834 this table was omitted. DRAMATIS PERSONAE WALLENSTEIN, Duke of Friedland, Generalissimo of the Imperial Forces in The Thirty-years' War. OCTAVIO PICCOLOMINI, Lieutenant-General. MAX PICCOLOMINI, his son, Colonel of a Regiment of Cuirassiers. COUNT TERISKY, the Commander of several Regiments, and Brother-in-law of Wallenstein. ILLO, Field Marshal, Wallenstein's Confidant. ISOLANI, General of the Croats. BUTLER, an Irishman, Commander of a Regiment of Dragoons. NEUMANN, Captain of Cavalry, Aide-de-Camp to Tertsky. The War Commissioner, VON QUESTENBERG, Imperial Envoy. BAPTISTA SENI, Astrologer. DUCHESS OF FRIEDLAND, Wife of Wallenstein. THEKLA, her Daughter, Princess of Friedland. The COUNTESS TERTSKY, Sister of the Duchess. Several COLONELS and GENERALS, PAGES and ATTENDANTS belonging to Wallenstein. 2 A town about 12 German miles NE. of Ulm. I are 1800. |