_The_ Master of the Cellar _advancing with NEUMANN_, Servants _passing
backwards and forwards._
_Master of the Cellar._ The best wine! O! if my old mistress,
his lady mother, could but see these wild goings on, she
would turn herself round in her grave. Yes, yes, sir officer!
'tis all down the hill with this noble house! no end, no
moderation! And this marriage with the Duke's sister, a 5
splendid connection, a very splendid connection! but I tell you,
sir officer, it bodes no good.
_Neumann._ Heaven forbid! Why, at this very moment the
whole prospect is in bud and blossom!
_Master of the Cellar._ You think so?--Well, well! much 10
may be said on that head.
_First Servant (comes)._ Burgundy for the fourth table.
_Master of the Cellar._ Now, sir lieutenant, if this isn't the
seventieth flask----
_First Servant._ Why, the reason is, that German lord, 15
Tiefenbach, sits at that table.
_Master of the Cellar (continuing his discourse to Neumann)._
They are soaring too high. They would rival kings and
electors in their pomp and splendour; and wherever the
Duke leaps, not a minute does my gracious master, the
Count, loiter on the brink----(_To the_ Servants)--What do 20
you stand there listening for? I will let you know you have
legs presently. Off! see to the tables, see to the flasks!
Look there! Count Palfi has an empty glass before him!
_Runner (comes)._ The great service-cup is wanted, sir; that
rich gold cup with the Bohemian arms on it. The Count 25
says you know which it is.
_Master of the Cellar._ Ay! that was made for Frederick's
coronation by the artist William--there was not such
another prize in the whole booty at Prague.
_Runner._ The same!--a health is to go round in him. 30
_Master of the Cellar._ This will be something for the
tale-bearers--this goes to Vienna.
_Neumann._ Permit me to look at it.--Well, this is a cup
indeed! How heavy! as well it may be, being all
gold.--And what neat things are embossed on it! how natural 35
and elegant they look! There, on that first quarter, let me
see. That proud Amazon there on horseback, she that is
taking a leap over the crosier and mitres, and carries on a
wand a hat together with a banner, on which there's
a goblet represented. Can you tell me what all this signifies? 40
_Master of the Cellar._ The woman whom you see there on
horseback, is the Free Election of the Bohemian Crown.
That is signified by the round hat, and by that fiery steed
on which she is riding. The hat is the pride of man; for
he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors 45
is no free man.
_Neumann._ But what is the cup there on the banner?
_Master of the Cellar._ The cup signifies the freedom of the
Bohemian Church, as it was in our forefathers' times. Our
forefathers in the wars of the Hussites forced from the Pope 50
this noble privilege: for the Pope, you know, will not grant
the cup to any layman. Your true Moravian values nothing
beyond the cup; it is his costly jewel, and has cost the
Bohemians their precious blood in many and many a battle.
_Neumann._ And what says that chart that hangs in the air 55
there, over it all?
_Master of the Cellar._ That signifies the Bohemian letter
royal, which we forced from the Emperor Rudolph--a
precious, never to be enough valued parchment that secures
to the new Church the old privileges of free ringing and 60
open psalmody. But since he of Steiermärk has ruled over
us, that is at an end; and after the battle of Prague, in
which Count Palatine Frederick lost crown and empire, our
faith hangs upon the pulpit and the altar--and our brethren
look at their homes over their shoulders; but the letter 65
royal the Emperor himself cut to pieces with his scissors.
_Neumann._ Why, my good Master of the Cellar! you are
deep read in the chronicles of your country!
_Master of the Cellar._ So were my forefathers, and for that
reason were they minstrels, and served under Procopius and 70
Ziska. Peace be with their ashes! Well, well! they fought
for a good cause though--There! carry it up!
_Neumann._ Stay! let me but look at this second quarter.
Look there! That is, when at Prague Castle the Imperial
Counsellors, Martinitz and Stawata were hurled down head 75
over heels. 'Tis even so! there stands Count Thur who
commands it.
[Runner _takes the service-cup and goes off with it._
_Master of the Cellar._ O let me never more hear of that day.
It was the three and twentieth of May, in the year of our
Lord one thousand, six hundred, and eighteen. It seems to me 80
as it were but yesterday--from that unlucky day it all began,
all the heart-aches of the country. Since that day it is now
sixteen years, and there has never once been peace on the earth.
[_Health drunk aloud at the second table._
The Prince of Weimar! Hurra!
[_At the third and fourth table._
Long live Prince William! Long live Duke Bernard! 85
Hurra! [_Music strikes up._
_First Servant._ Hear 'em! Hear 'em! What an uproar!
_Second Servant (comes in running)._ Did you hear? They have
drunk the Prince of Weimar's health.
_Third Servant._ The Swedish Chief Commander! 90
_First Servant (speaking at the same time)._ The Lutheran!
_Second Servant._ Just before, when Count Deodate gave out
the Emperor's health, they were all as mum as a nibbling
mouse.
_Master of the Cellar._ Po, po! When the wine goes in, 95
strange things come out. A good servant hears, and hears
not!--You should be nothing but eyes and feet, except when
you are called.
_Second Servant (to the Runner, to whom he gives secretly a flask
of wine, keeping his eye on the Master of the Cellar, standing
between him and the Runner)._ Quick, Thomas! before the
Master of the Cellar runs this way--'tis a flask of 100
Frontignac!--Snapped it up at the third table.--Canst go off
with it?
_Runner (hides it in his pocket)._ All right!
[_Exit the_ Second Servant.
_Third Servant (aside to the First)._ Be on the hark, Jack! that
we may have right plenty to tell to father Quivoga--He will 105
give us right plenty of absolution in return for it.
_First Servant._ For that very purpose I am always having
something to do behind Illo's chair.--He is the man for speeches
to make you stare with!
_Master of the Cellar (to Neumann)._ Who, pray, may that 110
swarthy man be, he with the cross, that is chatting so
confidentially with Esterhats?
_Neumann._ Ay! he too is one of those to whom they confide
too much. He calls himself Maradas, a Spaniard is he.
_Master of the Cellar (impatiently)._ Spaniard! Spaniard!--I 115
tell you, friend; nothing good comes of those Spaniards. All
these out-landish[665:1] fellows are little better than rogues.
_Neumann._ Fy, fy! you should not say so, friend. There are
among them our very best generals, and those on whom the
Duke at this moment relies the most. 120
_Master of the Cellar (taking the flask out of the Runner's
pocket)._
My son, it will be broken to pieces in your pocket.
[_TERTSKY hurries in, fetches away the paper, and calls
to a_ Servant _for pen and ink, and goes to the
back of the stage._
_Master of the Cellar (to the Servants)._ The Lieutenant-General
stands up.--Be on the watch.--Now! They break up.--Off,
and move back the forms.
[_They rise at all the tables, the_ Servants _hurry off
the front of the stage to the tables; part of the
guests come forward._
FOOTNOTES:
[665:1] There is a humour in the original which cannot be given in the
translation. 'Die _welschen_ alle,' &c., which word in classical German
means the _Italians_ alone; but in its first sense, and at present in
the _vulgar_ use of the word, signifies foreigners in general. Our word
wall-nuts, I suppose, means _outlandish_ nuts--Wallae nuces, in German
'Welschnüsse'.--_T._
LINENOTES:
[13] isn't] a'nt 1800, 1828, 1829.
[31] _Master of the Cellar (shaking his head while he fetches and rinses
the cups)._ 1800, 1828, 1829.
[74] _there_ 1800, 1828, 1829.
[After 83] _drunk_] _drank_ 1800, 1828, 1829.
[89] drunk] drank 1800, 1828, 1829.
[98] called] called to 1800, 1828, 1829.