# Wallenstein/The Piccolomini/A2S14

SCENE XIV.
To these enter Illo from the inner room. He has in his hand a golden service-cup, and is extremely distempered with drinking: Goetz
and Butler follow him, endeavoring to keep
him back.)
ILLO.
GOETZ and BUTLER.
no more.
ILLO. (goes up to Octavio, and shakes him
cordially by the hand, and then drinks.)
be drowned in this friendly bowl! I know
well enough, ye never loved me—Devil take me!—and I never loved you!—I am always
even with people in that way!—Let what's
past be past—that is, you understand—forgotten!
I esteem you infinitely. (embracing him
repeatedly.) You have not a dearer friend on earth
than I, but that you know. The fellow that cries rogue to you calls me villain—and I'll strangle
him!—my dear friend!
TERTSKY. (whispering to him.)
think where you are!
ILLO. (aloud.)
here, are there? (looks round the whole circle with a jolly and triumphant air.) Not a sneaker amongst us, thank heaven!
TERTSKY. (to Butler, eagerly.)
you, Butler!
BUTLER. (to Illo.)
ILLO. (cordially.)
up to the brim. To this gallant man's health!
ISOLANI. (to Max. who all the while has been staring on the paper with fixed but vacant eyes.)
Slow and sure, my noble brother!—Hast parsed it all yet?—Some words yet to go thro'?—Ha?—
MAX. (waking as from a dream)
TERTSKY, and at the same time ISOLANI. Sign your name. (Octavio directs his eyes on him with intense anxiety.)
MAX. (returns the paper.)
to-day I am not sufficiently collected. Send it to me to-morrow.
TERTSKY.
ISOLANI.
and have done with it! What? Thou art the
youngest in the whole company, and wouldest be
wiser than all of us together? Look there! thy
father has signed—we have all signed.
TERTSKY. (to Octavio.)
OCTAVIO.
ILLO. (leaves the service-cup on the sideboard.)
TERTSKY.
MAX.
ILLO.
and so must you.—You must subscribe.
MAX.
ILLO.
learn who are his friends. (all collect round Illo and Max.)
MAX.
Duke knows, every one knows—what need of
this wild stuff?
ILLO.
partiality to Italians and foreigners.—Us Bohemians
he holds for little better than dullards—nothing
pleases him but what's outlandish.
TERTSKY. (in extreme embarrassment, to the Commanders, who at Illo's words gave a sudden start, as preparing to resent them.
Attend not to him, I entreat you.
ISOLANI. (with a bitter laugh.)
ILLO.
tender consciences! Unless they can slip out by
a back-door, by a puny proviso———
TERTSKY. (interrupting him.)
ILLO. (raising his voice to the highest pitch.)
of the proviso? The devil take this proviso!
MAX.(has his attention roused, and looks again into the paper.)
import? You make me curious—I must look closer at it.
TERTSKY. (in a low voice to Illo.)
TIEFENBACH. (to Kolatto.)
to supper, it was read differently.
GOETZ.
ISOLANI.
other names mine can stand too.
TIEFENBACH.
or short clause, concerning our duties to the Emperor.
BUTLER. (to one of the Commanders.)
is the main business here? The question now is,
whether we shall keep our General, or let him
retire. One must not take these things too nicely,
and over-scrupulously.
ISOLANI. (to one of the Generals.)
when he gave you your regiment?
TERTSKY. (to Goetz.)
which brings you in yearly a thousand pistoles!
ILLO.
If there be any one that wants satisfaction, let
him say so,—I am his man.
TIEFENBACH.
MAX. (having read the paper gives it back.)
ILLO. (stammering with rage and fury, loses all command over himself, and presents the paper
to Max. with one hand, and his sword in the other.) Subscribe—Judas!
ISOLANI.
OCTAVIO, TERTSKY, BUTLER. (all together.)
MAX. (rushes on him suddenly and disarms him, then to Count Tertsky.)
(Max. leaves the stage. Illo cursing and raving
is held back by some of the officers, and amidst
a universal confusion the curtain drops.
END OF ACT II.