The Death of Wallenstein

Shot his red lightnings at my stars, disturbing
Their blessed influences and sweet aspects:
Now they have conquered the old enemy,
And bring him in the heavens a prisoner to me.

SENI (who has come down from the window)

And in a corner-house, your highness – think of that!
That makes each influence of double strength.

WALLENSTEIN

And sun and moon, too, in the Sextile aspect,
The soft light with the vehement – so I love it.
Sol is the heart, Luna the head of heaven,
Bold be the plan, fiery the execution.

SENI

And both the mighty Lumina by no
Maleficus affronted. Lo! Saturnus,
Innocuous, powerless, in cadente Domo.

WALLENSTEIN

The empire of Saturnus is gone by;
Lord of the secret birth of things is he;
Within the lap of earth, and in the depths
Of the imagination dominates;
And his are all things that eschew the light.
The time is o'er of brooding and contrivance,
For Jupiter, the lustrous, lordeth now,
And the dark work, complete of preparation,
He draws by force into the realm of light.
Now must we hasten on to action, ere
The scheme, and most auspicious positure
Parts o'er my head, and takes once more its flight,
For the heaven's journey still, and adjourn not.

[There are knocks at the door.

There's some one knocking there. See who it is.

TERZKY (from without)

Open, and let me in.

WALLENSTEIN

Ay – 'tis Terzky.
What is there of such urgence? We are busy.

TERZKY (from without)

Lay all aside at present, I entreat you;
It suffers no delaying.

WALLENSTEIN

Open, Seni!

[While SENI opens the door for TERZKY, WALLENSTEIN draws the curtain over the figures

SCENE II

WALLENSTEIN, COUNT TERZKY.

TERZKY (enters)

Hast thou already heard it? He is taken.
Gallas has given him up to the emperor.

[SENI draws off the black table, and exit.

WALLENSTEIN (to TERZKY)

Who has been taken? Who is given up?

TERZKY

The man who knows our secrets, who knows every
Negotiation with the Swede and Saxon,
Through whose hands all and everything has passed —

WALLENSTEIN (drawing back)

Nay, not Sesina? Say, no! I entreat thee.

TERZKY

All on his road for Regensburg to the Swede
He was plunged down upon by Gallas' agent,
Who had been long in ambush, lurking for him.
There must have been found on him my whole packet
To Thur, to Kinsky, to Oxenstiern, to Arnheim:
All this is in their hands; they have now an insight
Into the whole – our measures and our motives.

SCENE III