Wallenstein/The Piccolomini/A4S1

by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

ACT IV.

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Scene a Room fitted up for astrological Labours, and provided with celestial Charts, with Globes, Telescopes, Quadrants, and other mathematical Instruments.—Seven Colossal Figures, representing the Planets, each with a transparent Star of a different Colour on its Head, stand in a Semi-circle in the Back-ground, so that Mars and Saturn are nearest the Eye.—The Remainder of the Scene, and its Disposition, is given in the Fourth Scene of the Second Act.— There must be a Curtain over the Figures, which may be dropped, and conceal them on Occasions.

[In the Fifth Scene of this Act it must be dropped; but, in the Seventh Scene, it must be again drawn up wholly or in part.]

SCENE I.

Wallenstein at a black Table, on which a Speculum Astrologicum is described with Chalk. Seni is taking Observations through a Window.

WALLENSTEIN.

All well—and now let it be ended, Seni.—Come,

The dawn commences, and Mars rules the hour.

We must give o'er the operation. Come,
We know enough.

SENI.

Your Highness must permit me

Just to contemplate Venus. She's now rising:
Like as a sun, so shines she in the east.

WALLENSTEIN.

She is at present in her perigee,

And (hoots down now her strongest influences.

(Contemplating the figure on the table.)

Auspicious aspect! fateful in conjunction,

At length the mighty three corradiate;
And the two stars of blessing, Jupiter
And Venus, take between them the malignant
Slily-malicious Mars, and thus compel
Into my service that old mischief-founder:
For long he view'd me hostilely, and ever
With beam oblique, or perpendicular,
Now in the Quartile, now in the Secundan,
Shot his red lightnings at my stars, disturbing
Their blessed influences and sweet aspects.
Now they have conquer'd 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 veh'ment—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 heavens journey still, and sojourn not.

(There are knocks at the door)

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

TERTSKY. (from without)

Open, and let me in.

WALLENSTEIN.

Aye—'tis Tertsky.

What is there of such urgence? We are busy.

TERTSKY. (from without)

Lay all aside at present, I entreat you.

It suffers no delaying.

WALLENSTEIN.

Open, Seni!

(While Seni opens the door for Tertsky,
Wallenstein draws the curtain over the figures.

TERTSKY. (enters)

Hast thou already heard it? He is taken.

Galas has giv'n him up to the Emperor.

[Seni draws off the black table, and exit.

 

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