The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• 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.

Alphonso, Tasso.

Tasso.

(With embarrassment.) The favor thou so oft has shown me, prince,

Is manifest, in clearest light, to-day.

The deed which, in the precincts of thy palace,

I lawlessly committed, thou hast pardon’d;

Thou hast appeas’d and reconcil’d my foe;

Thou dost permit me for a time to leave

The shelter of thy side, and rich in bounty.

Wilt not withdraw from me thy generous aid.

Inspir’d with confidence, I now depart,

And trust that this brief absence will dispel

The heavy gloom that now oppresses me.

My renovated soul shall plume her wing.

And pressing forward on the bright career,

Which, glad and bold, encourag’d by thy glance,

I enter’d first, deserve thy grace anew.

Alphonso.

Prosperity attend thee on thy way!

With joyous spirit, and to health restor’d,

Return again amongst us. Thus thou shalt

To us, in double measure, for each hour

Thou now depriv’st us of, requital bring.

Letters I give thee to my friends at Rome,

And also to my kinsmen, and desire

That to my people everywhere thou should’st

Confidingly attach thyself;—though absent,

Thee I shall certainly regard as mine.

Tasso.

Thou dost, O prince, o’erwhelm with favors one

Who feels himself unworthy, who e’en wants

Ability to render fitting thanks.

Instead of thanks I proffer a request!

My poem now lies nearest to my heart.

My labors have been strenuous, yet I feel

That I am far from having reach’d my aim.

Fain would I there resort, where hovers yet

The inspiring genius of the mighty dead,

Still raining influence; there would I become

Once more a learner, then more worthily

My poem might rejoice in thine applause.

Oh, give me back the manuscript, which now

I feel asham’d to know within thy hand.

Alphonso.

Thou wilt not surely take from me to-day

What but to-day to me thou hast consign’d.

Between thy poem, Tasso, and thyself

Let me now stand as arbiter. Beware—

Nor, through assiduous diligence, impair

The genial nature that pervades thy rhymes:

And give not ear to every critic’s word!

With nicest tact the poet reconciles

The judgments thousandfold of different men,

In thoughts and life at variance with each other;

And fears not numbers to displease, that he

Still greater numbers may enchant the more.

And yet I say not but that here and there

Thou may’st, with modest care, employ the file.

I promise thee at once, that in brief space,

Thou shalt receive a copy of thy poem.

Meanwhile I will retain it in my hands,

That I may first enjoy it with my sisters.

Then, if thou bring’st it back more perfect still,

Our joy will be enhanc’d, and here and there,

We’ll hint corrections, only as thy friends.

Tasso.

I can but modestly repeat my prayer;

Let me receive the copy with all speed.

My spirit resteth solely on this work,

Its full completion it must now attain.

Alphonso.

I praise the ardor that inspires thee, Tasso!

Yet, were it possible, thou for awhile

Should’st rest thy mind, seek pleasure in the world,

And find some means to cool thy heated blood.

Then would thy mental powers restor’d to health,

Through their sweet harmony, spontaneous yield,

What now, with anxious toil, in vain thou seekest.

Tasso.

My prince, it seems so, but I am in health

When I can yield myself to strenuous toil,

And this my toil again restores my health.

Long hast thou known me, thou must long have seen

I thrive not in luxurious indolence.

Rest brings no rest to me. Alas, I feel it;

My mind, by nature, never was ordain’d,

Borne on the yielding billows of the hour,

To float in pleasure o’er time’s ample sea.

Alphonso.

Thine aims, thy dreams, all whelm thee in thyself.

Around us there doth yawn full many a gulf,

Scoop’d by the hand of destiny; but here,

In our own bosoms, lies the deepest;—ay!

And tempting ’tis to hurl one’s self therein!

I charge thee, Tasso, snatch thee from thyself!

The man will profit, though the bard may lose.

Tasso.

To quell the impulse I should vainly strive,

Which ceaseless in my bosom, day and night

Alternates ever. Life were life no more

Were I to cease to poetize, to dream.

Would’st thou forbid the cunning worm to spin,

For that to nearer death he spins himself?

From his own being he unfoldeth still

The costly texture, nor suspends his toil,

Till in his shroud he hath immur’d himself.

Oh, to us mortals may some gracious power

Accord the insect’s enviable doom,

In some new sunny vale, with sudden joy,

To spread our eager pinions!

Alphonso.

List to me!

Thou givest still to others to enjoy

Life with a twofold relish. Learn thyself

To know the worth of life, whose richest boon

In tenfold measure is bestow’d on thee.

Now fare thee well! The sooner thou returnest

All the more cordial will thy welcome be.