The Death of Wallenstein

To them enters ILLO.

ILLO (to TERZKY)

Has he heard it?

TERZKY

He has heard it.

ILLO (to WALLENSTEIN)

Thinkest thou still
To make thy peace with the emperor, to regain
His confidence? E'en were it now thy wish
To abandon all thy plans, yet still they know
What thou hast wished: then forwards thou must press;
Retreat is now no longer in thy power.

TERZKY

They have documents against us, and in hands,
Which show beyond all power of contradiction —

WALLENSTEIN

Of my handwriting – no iota. Thee
I punish or thy lies.

ILLO

And thou believest,
That what this man, and what thy sister's husband,
Did in thy name, will not stand on thy reckoning?
His word must pass for thy word with the Swede,
And not with those that hate thee at Vienna?

TERZKY

In writing thou gavest nothing; but bethink thee,
How far thou venturedst by word of mouth
With this Sesina! And will he be silent?
If he can save himself by yielding up
Thy secret purposes, will he retain them?

ILLO

Thyself dost not conceive it possible;
And since they now have evidence authentic
How far thou hast already gone, speak! tell us,
What art thou waiting for? Thou canst no longer
Keep thy command; and beyond hope of rescue
Thou'rt lost if thou resign'st it.

WALLENSTEIN

In the army
Lies my security. The army will not
Abandon me. Whatever they may know,
The power is mine, and they must gulp it down
And if I give them caution for my fealty,
They must be satisfied, at least appear so.

ILLO

The army, duke, is thine now; for this moment
'Tis thine: but think with terror on the slow,
The quiet power of time. From open violence
The attachment of thy soldiery secures thee
To-day, to-morrow: but grant'st thou them a respite,
Unheard, unseen, they'll undermine that love
On which thou now dost feel so firm a footing,
With wily theft will draw away from thee
One after the other —

WALLENSTEIN

'Tis a cursed accident!
Oh! I will call it a most blessed one,
If it work on thee as it ought to do,
Hurry thee on to action – to decision.
The Swedish general?

WALLENSTEIN

He's arrived! Know'st
What his commission is —

ILLO

To thee alone
Will he intrust the purpose of his coming.

WALLENSTEIN

A cursed, cursed accident! Yes, yes,
Sesina knows too much, and won't be silent.

TERZKY