The Camp of Wallenstein (play) Read online

And I have no wish to change with you there.

  SERGEANT.

  Sir Yager, I can't but with pity melt,

  When I think how much among boors you've dwelt.

  The clever knack and the proper tone,

  Are caught by the general's side alone.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Then the lesson is wofully thrown away,-

  How he hawks and spits, indeed, I may say

  You've copied and caught in the cleverest way;

  But his spirit, his genius-oh, these I ween,

  On your guard parade are but seldom seen.

  SECOND YAGER.

  Why, zounds! ask for us wherever you will,

  Friedland's wild hunt is our title still!

  Never shaming the name, all undaunted we go

  Alike through the field of a friend, or a foe;

  Through the rising stalk, or the yellow corn,

  Well know they the blast of Holk's Yager horn.

  In the flash of an eye, we are far or near,

  Swift as the deluge, or there or here-

  As at midnight dark, when the flames outbreak

  In the silent dwelling where none awake;

  Vain is the hope in weapons or flight,

  Nor order nor discipline thwart its might.

  Then struggles the maid in our sinewy arms,

  But war hath no pity, and scorns alarms.

  Go, ask-I speak not with boastful tongue-

  In Bareuth, Westphalia, Voigtland, where'er

  Our troops have traversed-go, ask them there-

  Children and children's children long,

  When hundreds and hundreds of years are o'er,

  Of Holk will tell and his Yager corps.

  SERGEANT.

  Why, hark! Must a soldier then be made

  By driving this riotous, roaring trade!

  'Tis drilling that makes him, skill and sense-

  Perception-thought-intelligence.

  FIRST YAGER.

  'Tis liberty makes him! Here's a fuss!

  That I should such twaddle as this discuss.

  Was it for this that I left the school?

  That the scribbling desk, and the slavish rule,

  And the narrow walls, that our spirits cramp,

  Should be met with again in the midst of the camp?

  No! Idle and heedless, I'll take my way,

  Hunting for novelty every day;

  Trust to the moment with dauntless mind,

  And give not a glance or before or behind.

  For this to the emperor I sold my hide,

  That no other care I might have to bide.

  Through the foe's fierce firing bid me ride,

  Through fathomless Rhine, in his roaring flow,

  Where ev'ry third man to the devil may go,

  At no bar will you find me boggling there;

  But, farther than this, 'tis my special prayer,

  That I may not be bothered with aught like care.

  SERGEANT.

  If this be your wish, you needn't lack it,

  'Tis granted to all with the soldier's jacket.

  FIRST YAGER.

  What a fuss and a bother, forsooth, was made

  By that man-tormentor, Gustavus, the Swede,

  Whose camp was a church, where prayers were said

  At morning reveille and evening tattoo;

  And, whenever it chanced that we frisky grew,

  A sermon himself from the saddle he'd read.

  SERGEANT.

  Ay, that was a man with the fear of God.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Girls he detested; and what's rather odd,

  If caught with a wench you in wedlock were tacked,-

  I could stand it no longer, so off I packed.

  SERGEANT.

  Their discipline now has a trifle slacked.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Well, next to the League I rode over; their men

  Were mustering in haste against Magdeburg then.

  Ha! that was another guess sort of a thing!

  In frolic and fun we'd a glorious swing;

  With gaming, and drinking, and girls at call,

  I'faith, sirs, our sport was by no means small.

  For Tilly knew how to command, that's plain;

  He held himself in but gave us the rein;

  And, long as he hadn't the bother of paying,

  "Live and let live!" was the general's saying.

  But fortune soon gave him the slip; and ne'er

  Since the day of that villanous Leipzig affair

  Would aught go aright. 'Twas of little avail

  That we tried, for our plans were sure to fail.

  If now we drew nigh and rapped at the door,

  No greeting awaited, 'twas opened no more;

  From place to place we went sneaking about,

  And found that their stock of respect was out;

  Then touched I the Saxon bounty, and thought

  Their service with fortune must needs be fraught.

  SERGEANT.

  You joined them then just in the nick to share

  Bohemia's plunder?

  FIRST YAGER.

  I'd small luck there.

  Strict discipline sternly ruled the day,

  Nor dared we a foeman's force display;

  They set us to guard the imperial forts,

  And plagued us all with the farce of the courts.

  War they waged as a jest 'twere thought-

  And but half a heart to the business brought,

  They would break with none; and thus 'twas plain

  Small honor among them could a soldier gain.

  So heartily sick in the end grew I

  That my mind was the desk again to try;

  When suddenly, rattling near and far,

  The Friedlander's drum was heard to war.

  SERGEANT.

  And how long here may you mean to stay?

  FIRST YAGER.

  You jest, man. So long as he bears the sway,

  By my soul! not a thought of change have I;

  Where better than here could the soldier lie?

  Here the true fashion of war is found,

  And the cut of power's on all things round;

  While the spirit whereby the movement's given

  Mightily stirs, like the winds of heaven,

  The meanest trooper in all the throng.

  With a hearty step shall I tramp along

  On a burgher's neck as undaunted tread

  As our general does on the prince's head.

  As 'twas in the times of old 'tis now,

  The sword is the sceptre, and all must bow.

  One crime alone can I understand,

  And that's to oppose the word of command.

  What's not forbidden to do make bold,

  And none will ask you what creed you hold.

  Of just two things in this world I wot,

  What belongs to the army and what does not,

  To the banner alone is my service brought.

  SERGEANT.

  Thus, Yager, I like thee-thou speakest, I vow,

  With the tone of a Friedland trooper now.

  FIRST YAGER.

  'Tis not as an office he holds command,

  Or a power received from the emperor's hand;

  For the emperor's service what should he care,

  What better for him does the emperor fare?

  With the mighty power he wields at will,

  Has ever he sheltered the land from ill?

  No; a soldier-kingdom he seeks to raise,

  And for this would set the world in a blaze,

  Daring to risk and to compass all-

  TRUMPETER.

  Hush-who shall such words as these let fall?

  FIRST YAGER.

  Whatever I think may be said by me,

  For the general tells us the word is free.

  SERGEANT.

  True-that he said so I fully agree,

>   I was standing by. "The word is free-

  The deed is dumb-obedience blind!"

  His very words I can call to mind.

  FIRST YAGER.

  I know not if these were his words or no,

  But he said the thing, and 'tis even so.

  SECOND YAGER.

  Victory ne'er will his flag forsake,

  Though she's apt from others a turn to take:

  Old Tilly outlived his fame's decline,

  But under the banner of Wallenstein,

  There am I certain that victory's mine!

  Fortune is spell-bound to him, and must yield;

  Whoe'er under Friedland shall take the field

  Is sure of a supernatural shield:

  For, as all the world is aware full well,

  The duke has a devil in hire from hell.

  SERGEANT.

  In truth that he's charmed is past a doubt,

  For we know how, at Luetzen's bloody affair,

  Where firing was thickest he still was there,

  As coolly as might be, sirs, riding about.

  The hat on his head was shot thro' and thro',

  In coat and boots the bullets that flew

  Left traces full clear to all men's view;

  But none got so far as to scratch off his skin,

  For the ointment of hell was too well rubbed in.

  FIRST YAGER.

  What wonders so strange can you all see there?

  An elk-skin jacket he happens to wear,

  And through it the bullets can make no way.

  SERGEANT.

  'Tis an ointment of witches' herbs, I say,

  Kneaded and cooked by unholy spell.

  TRUMPETER.

  No doubt 'tis the work of the powers of hell.

  SERGEANT.

  That he reads in the stars we also hear,

  Where the future he sees-distant or near-

  But I know better the truth of the case

  A little gray man, at the dead of night,

  Through bolted doors to him will pace-

  The sentinels oft have hailed the sight,

  And something great was sure to be nigh,

  When this little gray-coat had glided by.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Ay, ay, he's sold himself to the devil,

  Wherefore, my lads, let's feast and revel.

  SCENE VII.

  The above-Recruit, Citizen, Dragoon.

  (The Recruit advances from the tent, wearing a tin cap

  on his head, and carrying a wine-flask.)

  RECRUIT.

  To father and uncle pray make my bow,

  And bid 'em good-by-I'm a soldier now.

  FIRST YAGER.

  See, yonder they're bringing us something new,

  CITIZEN.

  Oh, Franz, remember, this day you'll rue.

  RECRUIT (sings).

  The drum and the fife,

  War's rattling throng,

  And a wandering life

  The world along!

  Swift steed-and a hand

  To curb and command-

  With a blade by the side,

  We're off far and wide.

  As jolly and free,

  As the finch in its glee,

  On thicket or tree,

  Under heaven's wide hollow-

  Hurrah! for the Friedlander's banner I'll follow!

  SECOND YAGER.

  Foregad! a jolly companion, though.

  [They salute him.

  CITIZEN.

  He comes of good kin; now pray let him go.

  FIRST YAGER.

  And we wern't found in the streets you must know.

  CITIZEN.

  I tell you his wealth is a plentiful stock;

  Just feel the fine stuff that he wears for a frock.

  TRUMPETER.

  The emperor's coat is the best he can wear.

  CITIZEN.

  To a cap manufactory he is the heir.

  SECOND YAGER.

  The will of a man is his fortune alone.

  CITIZEN.

  His grandmother's shop will soon be his own.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Pish! traffic in matches! who would do't?

  CITIZEN.

  A wine-shop his grandfather leaves, to boot,

  A cellar with twenty casks of wine.

  TRUMPETER.

  These with his comrades he'll surely share.

  SECOND YAGER.

  Hark ye, lad-be a camp-brother of mine.

  CITIZEN.

  A bride he leaves sitting, in tears, apart.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Good-that now's a proof of an iron heart.

  CITIZEN.

  His grandmother's sure to die with sorrow.

  SECOND YAGER.

  The better-for then he'll inherit to-morrow.

  SERGEANT (advances gravely, and lays his hand on the

  Recruit's tin cap).

  The matter no doubt you have duly weighed,

  And here a new man of yourself have made;

  With hanger and helm, sir, you now belong

  To a nobler and more distinguished throng.

  Thus, a loftier spirit 'twere well to uphold-

  FIRST YAGER.

  And, specially, never be sparing of gold.

  SERGEANT.

  In Fortune's ship, with an onward gale,

  My, friend, you have made up your mind to sail.

  The earth-ball is open before you-yet there

  Naught's to be gained, but by those who dare.

  Stupid and sluggish your citizen's found,

  Like a dyer's dull jade, in his ceaseless round,

  While the soldier can be whatever he will,

  For war o'er the earth is the watchword still.

  Just look now at me, and the coat I wear,

  You see that the emperor's baton I bear-

  And all good government, over the earth,

  You must know from the baton alone has birth;

  For the sceptre that's swayed by the kingly hand

  Is naught but a baton, we understand.

  And he who has corporal's rank obtained,

  Stands on the ladder where all's to be gained,

  And you, like another, may mount to that height-

  FIRST YAGER.

  Provided you can but read and write.

  SERGEANT.

  Now, hark to an instance of this from me,

  And one, which I've lived myself to see

  There's Butler, the chief of dragoons, why he,

  Whose rank was not higher a whit than mine,

  Some thirty years since, at Cologne on Rhine,

  Is a major-general now-because

  He put himself forward and gained applause;

  Filling the world with his martial fame,

  While slept my merits without a name.

  And even the Friedlander's self-I've heard-

  Our general and all-commanding lord,

  Who now can do what he will at a word,

  Had at first but a private squire's degree;

  In the goddess of war yet trusting free,

  He reared the greatness which now you see,

  And, after the emperor, next is he.

  Who knows what more he may mean or get?

  (Slyly.)

  For all-day's evening isn't come yet.

  FIRST YAGER.

  He was little at first, though now so great-

  For at Altorf, in student's gown he played

  By your leave, the part of a roaring blade,

  And rattled away at a queerish rate.

  His fag he had well nigh killed by a blow,

  And their Nur'mburg worships swore he should go

  To jail for his pains-if he liked it or no.

  'Twas a new-built nest to be christened by him

  Who first should be lodged. Well, what was his whim?

  Why, he sent his dog forward to lead the way,

  And they call the
jail from the dog to this day.

  That was the game a brave fellow should play,

  And of all the great deeds of the general, none

  E'er tickled my fancy, like this one.

  [During this speech, the second Yager has begun toying

  with the girl who has been in waiting.]

  DRAGOON (stepping between them).

  Comrade-give over this sport, I pray.

  SECOND YAGER.

  Why, who the devil shall say me nay!

  DRAGOON.

  I've only to tell you the girl's my own.

  FIRST YAGER.

  Such a morsel as this, for himself alone!-

  Dragoon, why say, art thou crazy grown?

  SECOND YAGER.

  In the camp to be keeping a wench for one!

  No! the light of a pretty girl's face must fall,

  Like the beams of the sun, to gladden us all.

  (Kisses her.)

  DRAGOON (tears her away).

  I tell you again, that it shan't be done.

  FIRST YAGER.

  The pipers are coming, lads! now for fun!

  SECOND YAGER (to Dragoon).

  I shan't be far off, should you look for me.