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Front Page Titles (by Subject) SCENE XVII.—: The kitchen. - Goethe's Works, vol. 3 (Goetz von Berlichingen, Iphigenia in Tauris, Tarquato Tasso, etc)
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SCENE XVII.—: The kitchen. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe’s Works, vol. 3 (Goetz von Berlichingen, Iphigenia in Tauris, Tarquato Tasso, etc) [1885]Edition used:Goethe’s Works, illustrated by the best German artists, 5 vols. (Philadelphia: G. Barrie, 1885). Vol. 3.
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SCENE XVII.—The kitchen.Elizabethpreparing food. EnterGoetz. Goetz.You have hard work, my poor wife! Elizabeth.Would it might last! But you can hardly hold out long. Goetz.We have not had time to provide ourselves. Elizabeth.And so many people as you have been wont to entertain. The wine is well-nigh finished. Goetz.If we can but hold out a certain time, they must propose a capitulation. We are doing them some damage, I promise you. They shoot the whole day, and only wound our walls and break our windows. Lerse is a gallant fellow. He slips about with his gun: if a rogue comes too nigh—Pop! there he lies! [Firing.
EnterTrooper. Trooper.We want live coals, gracious lady! Goetz.For what? Trooper.Our bullets are spent; we must cast some new ones. Goetz.How goes it with the powder? Trooper.There is as yet no want: we save our fire. [Firing at intervals. ExeuntGoetzandElizabeth. EnterLersewith a bullet-mould. Servants with coals. Lerse.Set them down, and then go and see for lead about the house; meanwhile I will make shift with this. (Goes to the window, and takes out the leaden frames.) Everything must be turned to account. So it is in this world—no one knows what a thing may come to: the glazier who made these frames little thought that the lead here was to give one of his grandsons his last headache; and the father that begot me little knew whether the fowls of heaven or the worms of the earth would pick my bones. EnterGeorgewith a leaden spout. George.Here’s lead for thee! If you hit with only half of it, not one will return to tell his majesty. “Thy servants have sped ill!” Lerse.(Cutting it down.) A famous piece! George.The rain must seek some other way. I’m not afraid of it—a brave trooper and a smart shower will always find their road. [They cast balls. Lerse.Hold the ladle. (Goes to the window.) Yonder is a fellow creeping about with his rifle; he thinks our fire is spent. He shall have a bullet warm from the pan. [He loads his rifle. George.(Puts down the mould.) Let me see. Lerse.(Fires.) There lies the game! George.He fired at me as I stepped out on the roof to get the lead. He killed a pigeon that sat near me; it fell into the spout. I thanked him for my dinner, and went back with the double booty. [They cast balls. Lerse.Now let us load, and go through the castle to earn our dinner.
EnterGoetz. Goetz.Stay, Lerse, I must speak with thee. I will not keep thee, George, from the sport. [ExitGeorge. Goetz.They offer terms. Lerse.I will go and hear what they have to say. Goetz.They will require me to enter myself into ward in some town on my knightly parole. Lerse.That won’t do. Suppose they allow us free liberty of departure? for we can expect no relief from Sickingen. We will bury all the valuables where no divining-rod shall find them; leave them the bare walls, and come out with flying colors. Goetz.They will not permit us. Lerse.It is worth the asking. We will demand a safe-conduct, and I will sally out. |

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