Where can my men be ? Up and down I have to walk , lest sleep should overcome me . Five days and nights already in ambush . But when I get thee , Weislingen , I shall make up for it ! You priests may send round your obliging Weislingen to decry me — I am awake . You escaped me , bishop ! So your dear Weislingen may pay the piper . George ! George !Tell Hans to get ready . My scouts may be back any moment . And give me some more wine ! My horse , quick ! Tell Hans to arm ! Why ? Pray , be cheerful . You are in my power , and I shall not abuse it . You know my knight 's duty is sacred to me . And now I must go to see my wife . Let us drink , until the meal is ready . Come , you are at home . It is a long time since we last shared a bottle . A gay heart ! Heaven forbid ! Though merrier days we may not find . If you had only followed me to Brabant , instead of taking to that miserable life at court ! Are you not as free and nobly born as anyone in Germany ? Independent , subject only to the emperor ? And you submit to vassals , who poison the emperor 's ear against me ! They want to get rid of me . And you , Weislingen , are their tool ! No more of it ! I hate explanations . They only lead to deceiving one or the other , or both .MARIEI come to greet and to invite you in my sister 's name . What is it ? Why are you silent both ? You are host and guest . Be guided by a woman 's voice . You remind me of my duty . Your page is back . Whatever his news , Adelbert , you are free ! All I ask is your word that you will not aid and abet my enemies . May I say “ yes ” for you , Marie ? You need not blush — your eyes have answered clearly . Well , then , Weislingen , take her hand , and I say Amen , friend and brother ! I must call my wife . Elizabeth !Join your hand in theirs and say “ God bless you ! ” They are a pair . Adelbert is going back to Bamberg to detach himself openly from the bishop , and then to his estates to settle his affairs . And now we 'll leave him undisturbed to hear his boy 's report . Search the forest ! Let none escape ! GEORGEI 've done some preparatory work . Here they are . Welcome , good lad ! Keep them well guarded !And now , what news of Weislingen ? Enough ! I shall not forget this infamous treachery . Whoever gets into my power shall feel it .I 'll revel in their agony , deride their fear . And how , Goetz , are you thus changed ? Should other people 's faults and vices make you renounce your chivalry , and abandon yourself to vulgar cruelty ? I 'll drag him back in chains , if I can n't get him any other way . And there 's an end of it , Goetz ; think of your duty ! So you want to marry a jilted woman ? Sickingen , you hear . Take back your offer , and leave me ! On one condition . You must publicly detach yourself from me . The emperor loves and esteems you , and your intercession may save me in the hour of need . That offer I accept . To George and Lerse I owe my life ; I was off my horse when they came to the rescue . I have their flag and a few prisoners . Good luck , Lerse ! And God bless my George 's first brave deed ! Now back to the castle , and let us gather our scattered men . ACT IV Now quickly to the chapel ! I 've thought it all out , and time presses . How now , Lerse ? The men had better be distributed over the walls . Let them take any breastplates , helmets , and arms they may want . Are the gates well manned ? Sickingen will leave us at once . You will lead him through the lower gate , along the water , and across the ford . Then look around you , and come back . May God bless you and send you merry , happy days ! A pleasant journey ! Lerse will show you the way . You must , sister ! You understand ? Talk to Marie ; she is your wife . Take her to safety , and then think of me . Have the gate barricaded with beams and stones . Look round for lead ! Meanwhile , we must make the crossbows do . LERSEThis lead has rested long enough ; now it may fly for a change . They have ceased firing , and offer a truce with all sorts of signs and white rags . They will probably ask me to surrender on knightly parole . Come , take the best arms with you , and leave the others here ! Come , Elizabeth ! Through this very gate I led you as a young bride . Who knows when we shall return ? What will you give me to forget it ? Well , here I am , and await it ! I am his majesty 's faithful servant . But , before you proceed , where are my men ; what is their fate ? ‘ Tis false ! I am no rebel ! I refuse to listen any further ! To prison ? Me ? That cannot be the emperor 's order ! To promise me permission to ward myself on parole , and then again to break your treaty . If you were not the representative of my respected sovereign , you should swallow that word , or choke upon it ! Come on ! I should like to become acquainted with the bravest among you . Brave friend ! That was help from heaven . I asked nothing but knightly ward upon my parole . No further ! Another step and I should have broken my oath . What is that dust beyond ? And that wild mob moving towards us ? LERSEThe rebel peasants . Back to the castle ! They have dealt horribly with the noblest men ! On my own soil I shall not try to evade the rabble . What ! Me ? To break my oath ? Stumpf , I thought you were a friend ! Even if I were free , and you wanted to carry on as you did at Weinsberg , raving and burning , and murdering , I 'd rather be killed than be your captain ! Why consider ? I can decide now as well as later . Will you desist from your misdeeds , and act like decent folk who know what they want ? Then I shall help you with your claims , and be your captain for four weeks . Now , come ! We have done some good and saved many a convent , many a life . That is Miltenberg . Quick , George ! Prevent the burning of the castle . I 'll have nothing further to do with the scoundrels . Everybody blames me for the mischief , and nobody gives me credit for having prevented so much evil . Would I were thousands of miles away ! Who burnt Miltenberg ? You threaten ? Scoundrel ! Almighty God ! How lovely is it beneath Thy heaven ! Farewell , my children ! My roots are cut away , my strength totters to the grave . Let me see George once more , and sun myself in his look . You turn away and weep ? He is dead ! Then die , Goetz ! How did he die ? Alas ! they took him among the incendiaries , and he has been executed ? God be praised ! Now release my soul ! My poor wife ! I leave you in a wicked world . Lerse , forsake her not ! Blessings upon Marie and her husband . Selbitz is dead , and the good emperor , and my George . Give me some water ! Heavenly air ! Freedom !