Now I can’t resist translating another famous scene for you. This one is from the third act. Context: the play’s main villain, our hero’s father, Präsident von Walter, shows up in our heroine’s home. („Präsident“ in 18th century German had a different meaning than today – he’s the chancellor of his principality, basically, second man in importance after the Duke but depending on him for his power entirely. Hence his wanting to please the Duke – who never appears in the play – by arranging the Ferdinand/Lady Milford marriage. Providing one’s mistress with a respectable husband if she didn’t have one already is what most ancient regime princes did – it basically also secured her future financial safety once the prince got tired of her, so the mistresses were all for it. Lady Milford, in the play, has her own interest in that she wants to get out of her relationship with the Duke, but the Präsident von Walter doesn’t know that.) His showing up in the bourgois Millers‘ home is something that in normal social life of pre- French Revolution Europe does not happen with a noble of his rank and position, which is why everyone other than Ferdinand is stunned. Also, re: the mode of address – I was debating whether or not to change it all into „you“, but that’s missing an important point. The Präsident is addressing everyone other than Ferdinand in the third person, which is what someone of higher rank does to someone of lower rank in Schiller’s contemporary Germany – note that Ferdinand, in the one line he speaks to Luise’s father, does it as well. (Another example from another play is Faust’s first line to Gretchen, where he addresses her using the third person as well.) When he switches from third person to second person after Miller’s defiance, it’s a sign of just how enraged he is, and also of Miller’s rethorical win.

Präsident: *to Miller* He’s the father?
Miller: Town musician Miller.
Präsident: *to Mrs. Miller* She’s the mother?
Wife: Oh yes, the mother!
Ferdinand *to Miller*: Father, he should take his daughter away to safety – she’s unwell.
Präsident: Superfluos coddling! I’ll get colour in her cheeks again. *to Luise* How long has she been familiar with the Präsident’s son?
Luise: I never was interested in the Präsident’s son. Ferdinand von Walter has been visiting me since November.
Ferdinand: He adores her.
Präsident *to Luise*: Did she receive promises?
Ferdinand: Just moments ago, the most holy in the eyes of God.
Präsident *angrily to his son* You’ll get to confess your follies soon enough. *to Luise* I’m waiting for a reply.
Luise: He swore his love to me.
Ferdinand: And will keep his oath.
Präsident: Do I have to order you to shut up? – Did she accept his vow?
Luise *tenderly*: I returned it.
Ferdinand *with firm voice*: Our union has been made.
Präsident: I’ll have the echo thrown out. *Maliciously to Luise* He’s paying her in cash, though, is he?
Luise *attentively*: I do not understand this question.
Präsident *with biting amusement*: She doesn‘t? Well! I’m simply referring to the fact that any craft has its golden rewards – I do hope she hasn’t given her favours without recompense – or was she content with written cheques? Well?
Ferdinand *rises*: What the hell? (note from the translator – yes, he really says the modern sounding „Hölle! Was war das?“)
Luise *dignified to Ferdinand*: Major von Walter, you are free now.
Ferdinand: Father! Virtue must be respected even when wearing a beggar’s clothing!
Präsident *laughs* A droll imposition. The father’s supposed to respect his son’s whore.
Luise *falls* Heavens and earth!
Ferdinand *drawing his sword against the Präsident and letting it fall again* Father! I once owed a life to you – it’s been paid. My childish duty is no more –
Miller:: *has stood aside intimidated at first, but has shown rising rage along with fear* Your excellency – a child is a father’s work – if it pleases your grace – he who calls a child a bitch slaps the father, and an eye for an eye – that’s custom with us – if it pleases your grace.
Wife: God help us! Now the old man loses his temper! We’ll be undone.
Präsident *paying only half attention to them* Is the pimp getting upset? We’ll be talking in a moment, pimp.
Miller: If it pleases your grace, my name is Miller. If you want to listen to an Adagio, I’m there – but I don’t deal in whores and whoresons. As long as the court has ample supply, they don’t need us burghers for that. If it pleases your grace.
Präsident: *white of anger* What? What was that? *steps closer*
Miller: Simply my opinion, Sir. If it pleases your grace.
Präsident: *on fire* Ha, villain! Your impertinent opinion qualifies you for prison – away! Summon guards. *several of his servants depart; the Präsident starts to pace through the room* The father’s to be jailed, the mother pilloried, and that slut of a daughter with her! Let justice borrow her arms to my outrage. Such scum should wreck havoc on my plans and set son against father without punishment?
Ferdinand: *steps between the Millers and his father, standing tall* Be without fear. I am here. *to the Präsident, respectfully* Do not be hasty, Father! If you love yourself, do not use force! There is a region in my heart where the word „father“ has never been spoken! – Do not push towards it.
Präsident: Worthless fool, be silent! Don’t enrage me any further!
Miller: *emerges from his shock* Look after your child, wife. I’m going to the Duke – that bellyache over there – that’s what God is telling me! – I’ll teach that bellyache how to play. The Duke won’t fail to help me if I petition him. *he wants to leave*
Präsident: The Duke, you say? Have you forgotten that I’m the threshold anyone must cross or break their neck? The Duke, you fool? Try it, when you’re a living corpse buried in prison, where night is ogling hell and sound and light back away. Make music with your chains and whine: I have been mistreated.
(I’m now skipping some dialogue, the guards arrive, take Miller and are about to take Luise and her mother when Ferdinand finally hits on a good idea re: dealing with his father)
Ferdinand: Almighty, you are my witness! I’ve tread every human method – now I have to use a fiendish one – go on, drag her away to be pilloried, while I *he steps to his father and whispers in his ear* will inform the entire court how one advances to become Präsident. *leaves*
Präsident *as if struck by lightning*: What? Ferdinand – *to the guards* Let her go. *runs after the Major*

Sadly, this stroke of intelligence is Ferdinand’s last. (Also, the fact that he knows about some of his father’s unsavoury schemes to the top of the principality is interesting in that he’s otherwise a very naive Sturm und Drang hero.) His dad’s next move, together with his secretary Wurm, the other villain of the play, is to cook up a scheme to make Ferdinand believe Luise is cheating on him. Since Miller is still arrested, Wurm blackmails Luise into writing a love letter to social butterfly Hofmarschall von Kalb in order to save her father’s life, and arranges for Ferdinand to find the letter. Ferdinand goes all Othello on Luise (who also had to swear to Wurm to confirm she wrote the letter and meant it in order to save her father’s life), and the play ends in the obvious tragedy. (For everyone but Lady Milford, who called it quits earlier and let the Duke and the Dukedom behind in order to start a new life back home in England.) The play is young Schiller with all the advantages and flaws, and a great contemporary look at Europe just before the French Revolution. (Well, a German look – for a far more cynical French look, see Les Liasons Dangereuses.)