Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

“ The service of the great is dangerous, and does not repay the trouble, the restraint, the humiliation which it costs. Minna is not amongst those vain people who love nothing in their husbands beyond their titles and positions. She will love me for myself; and for her sake I will forget the whole world. I became a soldier from party feeling—I do not myself know on what political principles—and from the whim that it is good for every honourable man to try the profession of arms for a time, to make himself familiar with danger, and to learn coolness and determination. ”

“ I will set all that right again. (Exit the Landlord.) Franziska, run after him, and tell him not to mention my name! (Exit Franziska.) SCENE VII. Minna, and afterwards Franziska MIN. I have found him again!—Am I alone?—I will not be alone to no purpose.— (Clasping her hands.) Yet I am not alone! (Looking upwards.) One single grateful thought towards heaven, is the most perfect prayer! I have found him! I have found him! (With outstretched arms.) I am joyful and happy! What can please the Creator more than a joyful creature! (Franziska returns.) Have you returned, Franziska? You pity him! ”

“ Many a time I have thought to myself—"Werner, what will become of you in your old age? when you are crippled? when you will have nothing in the world? when you will be obliged to go and beg!" And then I thought again— "No, you will not be obliged to beg: you will go to Major Tellheim; he will share his last penny with you; he will feed you till you die; and with him you can die like an honest fellow." ”

“ It is cruel of you, Tellheim, to paint such happiness to me, when I am forced to renounce it. My loss!!!!! MAJ. T. Your loss! Why name your loss? All that Minna could lose is not Minna. You are still the sweetest, dearest, loveliest, best creature under the sun; all goodness and generosity, innocence and bliss! Now and then a little petulant; at times somewhat wilful—so much the better! So much the better! Minna would otherwise be an angel, whom I should honour with trepidation, but not dare to love. ”

“ FRAN. No, my lady; but I would willingly be more so. People seldom talk of the virtue they possess, and all the more often of that which they do not possess. MIN. Franziska, you made a very just remark there. FRAN. Made! Does one make it, if it occurs to one? MIN. And do you know why I consider it so good? It applies to my Tellheim. FRAN. What would not, in your opinion, apply to him? MIN. Friend and foe say he is the bravest man in the world. But who ever heard him talk of bravery? He has the most upright mind; but uprightness and nobleness of mind are words never on his tongue. ”

“ Well, well, dear Tellheim, I hope you will not drive me to that. MAJ. T. You laugh, Madam. I only lament that I cannot laugh with you. MIN. Why not? What have you to say against laughing? Cannot one be very serious even whilst laughing? Dear Major, laughter keeps us more rational than vexation. The proof is before us. Your laughing friend judges of your circumstances more correctly than you do yourself. Because you are discharged, you say your honour is sullied; because you are wounded in the arm, you call yourself a cripple. ”

“ Equality is always the strongest tie of love. Permit me, dearest Minna! (Seizes her hand to put on the ring.) MIN. What! by force, Major! No, there is no power in the world which shall compel me to take back that ring! Do you think that I am in want of a ring? Oh! you may see (pointing to her ring) that I have another here which is in no way inferior to yours. FRAN. (aside) . Well, if he does not see it now! MAJ. T. (letting fall her hand) . What is this? I see Fraulein von Barnhelm, but I do not hear her.—You are pretending.—Pardon me, that I use your own words. ”

“ LAND. Has not our ladyship told you? When I left you, my pretty maid, below in the kitchen, I returned accidentally into this room!!!!! FRAN. Accidentally—with a view to listen a little. LAND. What, girl! how can you suspect me of that? There is nothing so bad in a landlord as curiosity. I had not been here long, when suddenly her ladyship's door burst open: the Major dashed out; the lady after him; both in such a state of excitement; with looks—in attitudes—that must be seen to be understood. She seized hold of him; he tore himself away; she seized him again—"Tellheim." ”

“ FRAN. But the officer whom we have dislodged, and to whom we have apologized, cannot be the best bred man in the world, or he might at least have begged the honour of being allowed to wait upon you. MIN. All officers are not Tellheims. To tell you the truth, I only sent him the message in order to have an opportunity of inquiring from him about Tellheim. Franziska, my heart tells me my journey will be a successful one and that I shall find him. FRAN. The heart, my lady! One must not trust to that too much. The heart echoes to us the words of our tongues. ”

“ No, we cannot, we will not, misunderstand you, Tellheim. And if our government has the least sentiment of honour, I know what it must do. But I am foolish; what would that matter? Imagine, Tellheim, that you have lost the two thousand pistoles on some gay evening. The king was an unfortunate card for you: the queen (pointing to herself) will be so much the more favourable. Providence, believe me, always indemnifies a man of honour—often even beforehand. The action which was to cost you two thousand pistoles, gained you me. ”

“ WER. Who can also be angry. MAJ. T. Anger is the best thing we possess. WER. I beg you, Major. MAJ. T. How often must I tell you? I do not want your money! WER. (in a rage) . Then take it, who will! (Throws the purse on the ground, and goes to the side) . MIN. (to Franziska) . Ah! Franziska, I ought to have followed your advice. I have carried the jest too far.—Still, when he hears me... (going to him) . FRAN. (without answering Minna, goes up to Werner) . Mr. Sergeant!!!!! WER. (pettishly) . Go along! FRAN. Ah! what men these are. MIN. Tellheim! Tellheim! ”

“ I believe, Landlord, you are mocking us into the bargain! LAND. Come, come; Herr Just, Herr Just!!!!! JUST. Don't make Herr Just's head hot!!!!! LAND. I make his head hot? It is the Dantzig does that. JUST. An officer, like my master! Or do you think that a discharged officer, is not an officer who may break your neck for you? Why were you all, you Landlords, so civil during the war? Why was every officer an honourable man then and every soldier a worthy, brave fellow? ”

“ Now she will catch it! SCENE XI. Werner (with a purse full of gold) , Just, Major von Tellheim, Minna, Franziska WER. Here I am already, Major! MAJ. T. (without looking at him) . Who wants you? WER. I have brought more money! A thousand pistoles! MAJ. T. I do not want them! WER. And to-morrow, Major, you can have as many more. MAJ. T. Keep your money! WER. It is your money, Major... I do not think you see whom you are speaking to! MAJ. T. Take it away! I say. WER. What is the matter with you?—I am Werner. MAJ. T. All goodness is dissimulation; all kindness deceit. ”

“ Ten pistoles! You heard, my lady, that he was a beggar! (Minna pours out the coffee herself.) Who would give such a sum to a beggar? And to endeavour, into the bargain, to save him the humiliation of having begged for it! The charitable woman who, out of generosity, mistakes the beggar, is in return mistaken by the beggar. It serves you right, my lady, if he considers your gift as—I know not what. (Minna hands a cup of coffee to Franziska.) Do you wish to make my blood boil still more? I do not want any. (Minna puts it down again.) ”

“ I believe the lady took me for you. "Franziska," she cried, with her eyes fixed upon me, "am I happy now?" Then she looked straight up to the ceiling, and said again —"Am I happy now?" Then she wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled, and asked me again—"Franziska, am I happy now?" I really felt, I know not how. Then she ran to the door of her room, and turned round again towards me, saying—"Come, Franziska, whom do you pity now?" and with that she went in. FRAN. Oh! Mr. Landlord, you dreamt that. LAND. Dreamt! No, my pretty maid; one does not dream so minutely. ”

“ Now, my dear unfortunate, you love me still, and have your Minna still, and are unhappy? Hear what a conceited, foolish thing your Minna was—is. She allowed—allows herself, to imagine that she makes your whole happiness. Declare all your misery at once. She would like to try how far she can outweigh it.—Well? MAJ. T. Madam, I am not accustomed to complain. MIN. Very well. I know nothing in a soldier, after boasting, that pleases me less than complaining. But there is a certain cold, careless way of speaking of bravery and misfortune!!!!! ”

“ WER. To become something more than a sergeant! I do not think of that. I am a good sergeant; I might easily make a bad captain, and certainly a worse general. MAJ. T. Do not force me to think ill of you, Werner! I was very sorry to hear what Just has told me. You have sold your farm, and wish to rove about again. Do not let me suppose that you do not love the profession of arms so much as the wild dissolute way of living which is unfortunately connected with it. A man should be a soldier for his own country, or from love of the cause for which he fights. ”

“ I am indispensable to you; and I am—without boasting, Major,—I am a servant who, if the worst comes to the worst, can beg and steal for his master. MAJ. T. Just, we will part. JUST. All right, Sir! SCENE IX. Servant, Major von Tellheim, Just SER. I say, comrade! JUST. What is the matter? SER. Can you direct me to the officer who lodged yesterday in that room? (Pointing to the one out of which he is coming) . JUST. That I could easily do. What have you got for him? SER. What we always have, when we have nothing—compliments. My mistress hears that he has been turned out on her account. ”

“ So dark and ugly you are not; nor will you be so jealous. But, Tellheim, Tellheim, you are yet very like him! Oh! the unmanageable, stubborn man, who always keeps his eye fixed upon the phantom of honour, and becomes hardened against every other sentiment! Your eyes this way! Upon me,—me, Tellheim! ”

“ Sergeant! WER. No, little woman; that is just what I wished to say to you. I only rattled on a little. There is nothing in it. One ring is quite enough for a man. Hundreds and hundreds of times I have heard the Major say— "He must be a rascally soldier, who can mislead a young girl." So think I too, little woman. You may trust to that! I must be quick and follow him. A good appetite to you. (Exit.) FRAN. The same to you! I really believe, I like that man! (Going in, she meets Minna coming out.) SCENE XII. Minna, Franziska MIN. Has the Major gone already, Franziska? ”

“ Am I to pardon you because I am still your Minna? Heaven pardon you, that I am still Fraulein von Barnhelm! MAJ. T. Fraulein... (Looks fixedly at the Landlord, and shrugs his shoulders.) MIN. (sees the Landlord, and makes a sign to Franziska) . Sir!!!!! MAJ. T. If we are not both mistaken!!!!! FRAN. Why, Landlord, whom have you brought us here? Come, quick! let us go and look for the right man. LAND. Is he not the right one? Surely! FRAN. Surely not! Come, quick! I have not yet wished your daughter good morning. LAND. Oh! you are very good (still does not stir) . ”

“ You love me no longer; neither do you love another? Wretched man indeed, if you love nothing! MAJ. T. Right; the wretched must love nothing. He merits his misfortunes, if he cannot achieve this victory over himself—if he can allow the woman he loves to take part in his misfortune... Oh! how difficult is this victory!... Since reason and necessity have commanded me to forget Minna von Barnhelm, what pains have I taken! ”

“ Will not that do, my pretty maid? SCENE IV. Paul Werner, Landlord, Franziska WER. There he is! FRAN. A hundred pistoles? I thought it was only eighty. LAND. True, only ninety, only ninety. I will do so, my pretty maid, I will do so. FRAN. All that will come right, Mr. Landlord. WER. (coming from behind, and tapping Franziska on the shoulder) . Little woman—Little woman. FRAN. (frightened) . Oh! dear! WER. Don't be alarmed! I see you are pretty, and a stranger, too. And strangers who are pretty must be warned. Little woman! little woman! I advise you to beware of that fellow! ”

“ Now your name, my lady. MIN. Fraulein von Barnhelm. LAND. (writes) . "Von Barnhelm." Coming from.... where, your ladyship? MIN. From my estate in Saxony. LAND. (writes) . "Estate in Saxony." Saxony! Indeed, indeed! In Saxony, your ladyship? Saxony? FRAN. Well, why not? I hope it is no sin in this country to come from Saxony! LAND. A sin? Heaven forbid! That would be quite a new sin! From Saxony then? Yes, yes, from Saxony, a delightful country, Saxony! But if I am right, your ladyship, Saxony is not small, and has several—how shall I call them? ”

“ That I am rich, they cannot deny; but they do not wish to acknowledge that I am also a tolerably good girl, who would prove herself worthy of her husband. Is that not so, Tellheim? MAJ. T. Yes, yes, Madam, that is like your countrywomen. They will envy you exceedingly a discharged officer, with sullied honour, a cripple, and a beggar. ”

“ LAND. I don't want to hear anything about Just. As I said, this pretty maid here can speak. (Whispering to her.) You know, my dear; the ring! Tell Herr Werner about it. Then he will learn better what I am. And that it may not appear as if she only said what I wish, I will not even be present. I will go; but you shall tell me after, Herr Werner, you shall tell me, whether Just is not a foul slanderer. (Exit.) SCENE V. Werner, Franziska WER. Little woman, do you know my Major? FRAN. Major von Tellheim? Yes, indeed, I do know that good man. WER. Is he not a good man? Do you like him? ”

“ Through mere vanity he gives himself out as a false player; he does not wish to appear under an obligation to one; he wishes to save himself the thanks. Perhaps he may now go, pay his small debts, live quietly and frugally on the rest as far as it will go, and think no more of play. If that be so, Franziska, let him come for recruits whenever he pleases. (Gives her cup to Franziska.) There, put it down! But, tell me, should not Tellheim be here by this time? FRAN. No, my lady, I can neither find out the bad side in a good man, nor the good side in a bad man. ”