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• Götz Von Berlichingen With the Iron Hand. a Drama.
• Dramatis PersonÆ
• Act I.
• Scene I.—: An Inn At Schwarzenberg In Franconia.
• Scene II.—: A Cottage In a Thick Forest.
• Scene III.—: An Apartment In Jaxthausen, the Castle of Goetz Von Berlichingen.
• Scene IV.—: The Bishop of Bamberg’s Palace.
• Scene V.—: Jaxthausen.
• Act II.
• Scene I.—: Bamberg. a Hall.
• Scene II.—: Jaxthausen. a Hall In Goetz’s Castle.
• Scene III.—: The Bishop’s Palace At Bamberg.
• Scene IV.—: The Spessart.
• Scene V.—: The Bishop’s Palace. His Cabinet.
• Scene VI.—: Adelaide’s Apartment.
• Scene VII.—: An Ante-room.
• Scene VIII.—: The Spessart.
• Scene IX.—: Hall In the Bishop’s Palace At Bamberg.
• Scene X—: an Inn.
• Act III.
• Scene I.—: A Garden At Augsburg.
• Scene II.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene III.—: The Camp of the Party Sent to Execute the Imperial Mandate.
• Scene IV.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene V.—: Bamberg. Adelaide’s Chamber.
• Scene VI.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene VII.—: A Wood On the Borders of a Morass.
• Scene VIII.—: Camp of the Imperialists.
• Scene IX.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene X.—: The Imperial Camp.
• Scene XI.—: Mountains and a Wood.
• Scene XII.—: A Heath—on One Side an Eminence, With a Ruined Tower, On the Other the Forest.
• Scene XIII.—: The Camp.
• Scene XIV.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene XV.—: Camp.
• Scene XVI.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene XVII.—: The Kitchen.
• Scene XVIII.—: A Hall.
• Scene XIX.—: The Court of the Castle.
• Scene XX.: The Armory.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.—: An Inn In the City of Heilbronn
• Scene II.—: The Council-house At Heilbronn.
• Scene III.—: A Large Hall In the Council-house, Beset By Sickingen’s Troops.
• Scene IV.—: The Castle of Adelaide. Augsburg.
• Scene V.—: Jaxthausen.
• Act V.
• Scene I.—: A Village Plundered By the Insurgent Peasantry. Shrieks and Tumult.
• Scene II.—: Open Country. In the Distance Two Villages and an Abbey Are Burning.
• Scene III.—: A Hill and Prospect of the Country. In the Flat Scene a Mill. a Body of Horsemen.
• Scene IV.—: Jaxthausen.
• Scene V.—: A Village.
• Scene VI.—: The Front of a Gypsy-hut In a Wild Forest.—night.—a Fire Before the Hut, At Which Are Seated the Mother of the Gypsies and a Girl.
• Scene VII.—: Inside the Hut.
• Scene VIII.—: Adelaide’s Bedchamber.
• Scene IX.—: Street Before the Prison At Heilbronn.
• Scene X.—: An Apartment In Weislingen’s Castle.
• Scene XI.—: A Narrow Vault Dimly Illuminated. the Judges of the Secret Tribunal Discovered Seated, All Muffled In Black Cloaks.
• Scene XII.—: The Court of an Inn.
• Scene XIII.—: The Prison At Heilbronn.
• Scene the Last. —: the Prison Garden.
• Iphigenia In Tauris a Drama
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Scene I.—: A Grove Before the Temple of Diana.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act II.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act III.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act V.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Torquato Tasso
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Scene I.: A Garden Adorned With Busts of the Epic Poets. to the Right a Bust of Virgil: to the Left, One of Ariosto.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act II.
• Scene I.—: A Room.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act III.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.—: A Chamber.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act V.
• Scene I.—: A Garden.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Clavigo
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Scene I.—: Clavigo’s Dwelling.
• Scene II.—: Guilbert’s Dwelling.
• Act II.
• Scene I.—: Clavigo’s House.
• Act III.
• Scene I.—: Guilbert’s Abode.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.—: Clavigo’s Abode. Carlos, Alone.
• Scene II.—: Guilbert’s Abode.
• Act V.
• Scene I.—: The Street Before the House of Guilbert. Night.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Stella. a Tragedy.
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• The Brother and Sister
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• A Tale.
• The Good Women.
• Reynard the Fox.
• Chapter I.: The Accusation.
• Chapter II.: The First Summons.
• Chapter III.: The Second Summons.
• Chapter IV.: The Trial.
• Chapter V.: The Pardon.
• Chapter VI.: The Relapse.
• Chapter VII.: The Outlawry.
• Chapter VIII.: The Journey.
• Chapter IX.: The Advocacy.
• Chapter X.: The Second Pardon.
• Chapter XI.: The Defiance.
• Chapter XII.: The Battle.

SCENE II.

Princess, Leonora, Alphonso.

Alphonso.

Tasso I seek, whom nowhere I can find;

And even here, with you, I meet him not.

Can you inform me where he hides himself?

Princess.

I have scarce seen him for the last two days.

Alphonso.

’Tis his habitual failing that he seeks

Seclusion rather than society.

I can forgive him when the motley crowd

Thus studiously he shuns, and loves to hold

Free converse with himself in solitude;

Yet can I not approve that he should thus

Also the circle of his friends avoid.

Leonora.

If I mistake not, thou wilt soon, O prince,

Convert this censure into joyful praise.

To-day I saw him from afar; he held

A book and scroll, in which at times he wrote,

And then resum’d his walk, then wrote again.

A passing word, which yesterday he spoke,

Seem’d to announce to me his work complete;

His sole anxiety is now to add

A finish’d beauty to minuter parts,

That to your grace, to whom he owes so much,

A worthy offering he at length may bring.

Alphonso.

A welcome, when he brings it, shall be his,

And long immunity from all restraint.

Great, in proportion to the lively joy

And interest which his noble work inspires,

Is my impatience at its long delay.

After each slow advance he leaves his task;

He ever changeth, and can ne’er conclude,

Till baffled hope is weary; for we see

Reluctantly postpon’d to times remote

A pleasure we had fondly deem’d so near.

Princess.

I rather praise the modesty, the care

With which thus, step by step, he nears the goal.

His aim is not to string amusing tales,

Or weave harmonious numbers, which at length,

Like words delusive, die upon the ear.

His numerous rhymes he labors to combine

Into one beautiful, poetic whole;

And he whose soul this lofty aim inspires,

Must pay devoted homage to the Muse.

Disturb him not, my brother, time alone

Is not the measure of a noble work;

And, is the coming age to share our joy,

We of the present must forget ourselves.

Alphonso.

Let us, dear sister, work together here!

As for our mutual good we oft have done.

Am I too eager—thou must then restrain;

Art thou too gentle—I will urge him on.

Then we perchance shall see him at the goal,

Where to behold him we have wish’d in vain.

His fatherland, the world, shall then admire

And view with wonder his completed work.

I shall receive my portion of the fame,

And Tasso will be usher’d into life.

In a contracted sphere, a noble man

Cannot develop all his mental powers.

On him his country and the world must work.

He must endure both censure and applause,

Must be compell’d to estimate aright

Himself and others. Solitude no more

Lulls him delusively with flattering dreams.

Opponents will not, friendship dare not, spare:

Then in the strife the youth puts forth his powers,

Knows what he is, and feels himself a man.

Leonora.

Thus will he, prince, owe everything to thee,

Who hast already done so much for him.

Talents are nurtur’d best in solitude,—

A character on life’s tempestuous sea.

Oh, that according to thy rules he would

Model his temper as he forms his taste,

Cease to avoid mankind, nor in his breast

Nurture suspicion into fear and hate!

Alphonso.

He only fears mankind who knows them not,

And he will soon misjudge them who avoids.

This is his case, and so by slow degrees

His noble mind is trammell’d and perplex’d.

Thus to secure my favor he betrays,

At times, unseemly ardor; against some

Who, I am well assur’d, are not his foes,

He cherishes suspicion; if by chance

A letter go astray, a hireling leave

His service, or a paper be mislaid,

He sees deception, treachery and fraud,

Working insidiously to sap his peace.

Princess.

Let us, beloved brother, not forget

That his own nature none can lay aside.

And should a friend, who with us journeyeth,

Injure by chance his foot, we would in sooth

Rather relax our speed, and lend our hand

Gently to aid the sufferer on his way.

Alphonso.

Better it were to remedy his pain,

With the physician’s aid attempt a cure,

Then with our heal’d and renovated friend

A new career of life with joy pursue.

And yet, dear friends, I hope that I may ne’er

The censure of the cruel leech incur.

I do my utmost to impress his mind

With feelings of security and trust.

Oft purposely in presence of the crowd,

With marks of favor I distinguish him.

Should he complain of aught, I sift it well,

As lately when his chamber he suppos’d

Had been invaded; then, should naught appear,

I calmly show him how I view the affair.

And, as we ought to practise every grace—

With Tasso, seeing he deserves it well,

I practise patience; you I’m sure will aid.

I now have brought, you to your rural haunts,

And must myself at eve return to town.

For a few moments you will see Antonio;

He calls here for me on his way from Rome.

We have important business to discuss,

Resolves to frame, and letters to indite,

All which compels me to return to town.

Princess.

Wilt thou permit that we return with thee?

Alphonso.

Nay, rather linger here in Belriguardo,

Or go together to Consandoli;

Enjoy these lovely days as fancy prompts.

Princess.

Thou canst not stay with us? Not here arrange

All these affairs as well as in the town?

Leonora.

So soon, thou takest hence Antonio, too,

Who hath so much to tell us touching Rome.

Alphonso.

It may not be, ye children; but with him

So soon as possible will I return:

Then shall he tell you all ye wish to hear,

And ye shall help me to reward the man

Who, in my cause, hath labor’d with such zeal.

And when we shall once more have talk’d our fill,

Hither the crowd may come, that mirth and joy

May in our gardens revel, that for me,

As is but meet, some fair one in the shade

May, if I seek her, gladly meet me there.

Leonora.

And we meanwhile will kindly shut our eyes.

Alphonso.

Ye know that I can be forbearing too.

Princess.

(Turned towards the scene.)

I long have notic’d Tasso: hitherward

Slowly he bends his footsteps; suddenly,

As if irresolute, he standeth still;

Anon, with greater speed he draweth near,

Then lingers once again.

Alphonso.

Disturb him not,

Nor when the poet dreams and versifies

Intrude upon his musings,—let him roam.

Leonora.

No, he has seen us, and he comes this way.