That you are now in camp, and among warriors.
The soldier's boldness constitutes his freedom.
Could he act daringly, unless he dared
Talk even so? One runs into the other.
The boldness of this worthy officer,

[pointing to Butler.

Which now has but mistaken in its mark,

Preserved, when nought but boldness could preserve it,

To the Emperor his capital city, Prague,

In a most formidable mutiny

Of the whole garrison.

Hah! here they come!

[Military music at a distance.

ILLO.

The sentries are saluting them: this signal
Announces the arrival of the Duchess.

OCTAVIO (to Questenberg).

Then my son Max. too has returned. 'Twas he Fetched and attended them from Carnthen hither.

Shall we not go in

ISOLANI (to Illo).

company to greet them?

ILLO.

Well, let us go.-Ho! Colonel Butler, come.

[to Octavio.

You'll not forget, that yet ere noon we meet
The noble Envoy at the General's palace.

[Exeunt all but Questenberg and Octavio.

SCENE III.

QUESTENBERG and OCTAVIO.

QUESTENBERG (with signs of aversion and astonishment).

What have I not been forced to hear, Octavio ! What sentiments! what fierce, uncurbed defiance ! And were this spirit universal

OCTAVIO.

Hm!

You are now acquainted with three fourths of the

army.

QUESTENBERG.

Where must we seek then for a second host

To have the custody of this? That Illo

Thinks worse, I fear me, than he speaks. And then

This Butler too-he cannot even conceal

The passionate workings of his ill intentions.

OCTAVIO.

Quickness of temper-irritated pride;

'Twas nothing more. I cannot give up Butler. I know a spell that will soon dispossess

The evil spirit in him.

QUESTENBERG (walking up and down in evi

dent disquiet).

Friend, friend!

O this is worse, far worse, than we had suffered

Ourselves to dream of at Vienna. There
We saw it only with a courtier's eyes,

Eyes dazzled by the splendour of the throne.
We had not seen the War-chief, the Commander,
The man all-powerful in his camp. Here, here,
"Tis quite another thing.

Here is no Emperor more-the Duke is Emperor.
Alas, my friend! alas, my noble friend!

This walk which you have ta'en me through the camp Strikes my hopes prostrate.

OCTAVIO.

Now you see yourself

Of what a perilous kind the office is,

Which you deliver to me from the Court.
The least suspicion of the General

Costs me my freedom and my life, and would
But hasten his most desperate enterprise.

QUESTENBERG.

Where was our reason sleeping when we trusted This madman with the sword, and placed such power you, he'll refuse,

In such a hand? I tell

Flatly refuse, to obey the Imperial orders.

Friend, he can do't, and what he can, he will.

And then the impunity of his defiance

O! what a proclamation of our weakness!

OCTAVIO.

D'ye think too, he has brought his wife and daughter Without a purpose hither? Here in camp!

And at the very point of time, in which

We're arming for the war? That he has taken
These, the last pledges of his loyalty,
Away from out the Emperor's domains-
This is no doubtful token of the nearness
Of some eruption!

QUESTENBERG.

How shall we hold footing
Beneath this tempest, which collects itself
And threats us from all quarters? The enemy
Of the empire on our borders, now already
The master of the Danube, and still farther,
And farther still, extending every hour!
In our interior the alarum-bells
Of insurrection-peasantry in arms-
All orders discontented-and the army,
Just in the moment of our expectation
Of aidance from it-lo! this very army
Seduced, run wild, lost to all discipline,
Loosened, and rent asunder from the state
And from their sovereign, the blind instrument
Of the most daring of mankind, a weapon
Of fearful power, which at his will he wields !

OCTAVIO.

Nay, nay, friend! let us not despair too soon
Men's words are ever bolder than their deeds:
And many a resolute, who now appears
Made up to all extremes, will, on a sudden
Find in his breast a heart he wot not of,
Let but a single honest man speak out
The true name of his crime! Remember too,
We stand not yet so wholly unprotected.
Counts Altringer and Galas have maintained
Their little army faithful to its duty,
And daily it becomes more numerous.
Nor can he take us by surprize: you know,
I hold him all encompassed by my listeners.
Whate'er he does, is mine, even while 'tis doing-
No step so small, but instantly I hear it ;
Yea, his own mouth discloses it.

QUESTENBERG.

'Tis quite

Incomprehensible, that he detects not

The foe so near!

OCTAVIO,

Beware, you do not think,

That I by lying arts, and complaisant
Hypocrisy, have skulked into his graces :
Or with the sustenance of smooth professions