Page images
PDF
EPUB

but, kind or not, I have no power to choose. When he comes he shall not find me mad.

Eliz. Let me entreat!.

[Attempting to restore her disguise.]

Cath. No, Elizabeth; I will appear as my royal father's daughter should appear. I will have no protection but innocence and truth.

[Enter Simon, in haste.]

Sim. This land is free! the tyrant has just now, in his haste, fallen, with his horse, off the westland crag, and a mangled corse is all that remains of our sons' murderer, and this lady's foe.

[Catharine shrieks, and, fainting, is supported by Simon and Rachel.]

Rach. So much for joy!

Eliz. It was not joy. She loved him once, But soon far other thoughts be hers I ween;

For know you now, your daughter is your queen!

WILLIAM TELL.

TELL, a Swiss patriot.

EMMA, his wife.

ALBERT, their son.

J. S. KNOWLES.

GESLER, a tyrannical governor.
SARNEM, an attendant.

VERNER, a friend of Tell.

SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS.

SCENE 1. Cottage—mountains and lake.

Emma. [Entering.] O, the fresh morning!
That never empty handed comes to those
Who know to use its gifts.
Who lends it still, and bids
The errand of his bounty!

Albert. My mother!

Praise be to him it constant run Praise be to him!

[Enter Albert.]

Em. Albert! Bless thee! How early were you up?

Alb. Before the sun.

Em. Ay, strive with him. He never lies abed

When it is time to rise. Be like the sun.

Alb. What you would have me like, I'll be like,

As far as wiil to labor joined can make me.

Em. Well said, my boy! Knelt you when you got up,

To-day?

Alb. I did; and do every day.

Em. I know you do! And think you, when

To whom you kneel?

you kneel,

Alb. To him who made me, mother.
Em. And in whose name ?

Alb. In the name of him, who died
For me and all men, that all men and I
Should live.

Em. That's right! Remember that, my son:
Forget all things but that-remember that!
'Tis more than friends or fortune; clothing, food;
All things of earth; yea, life itself. It is

To live, when these art gone, where they are nought—
With God! My son, remember that!

Alb. I will!

Em. I'm glad you husband what you're taught.
That is the lesson of content, my son;

He who finds which, has all-who misses, nothing.
Alb. [Tell enters, Albert runs to embrace him.]

Ah! my father.

Em. [Advancing towards her husband.]

William! Welcome, William! welcome!
I did not look for you till noon, and thought

How long 't would be ere noon would come. You're come
Now this is happiness! Joy's double joy,

That comes before the time.

Tell. [To Albert.] Dear child, I well may love thee.
[To Emma.] And this cottage! How dear is it to me,
Made happy by thy presence—and where I
Was born! How many acres would I give
That little vineyard for, which I have watched
And tended since I was a child? Those crags
And peaks what spired city would I take
To live in exchange for them? Yet what
Are these to me? What is this boy to me?
What art thou, Emma, to me - when a breath
Of Gesler's can take all?

Em. O, William! think

How little is that all to him- too little

For Gesler, sure, to take! Bethink thee, William,

[ocr errors]

We have no treasure.

Tell. Have we not?

No treasure? How!

Have we

No treasure? What!

Have we not liberty? that precious ore,
That pearl, that gem, the tyrant covets most,
Yea, makes a pawn of his soul—to strip
The wearer of it! Emma, we have that,
And that's enough for Gesler!

[blocks in formation]

And best it is we know how much. Then, Emma,
Make up thy mind, wife! make it up! remember
What wives and mothers, on these very hills,
Once breathed the air you breathe;

But go now and tell our people to guard
Well the boy in whom is bound up our hope,
While his father and thy husband strive, as best
He can, to foil that tyrant of tyrants,

Gesler, that he throw not around these free limbs
His chains. [Both go out, one to the right, the other to the left.]

SCENE II. Before a castle.

[Enter Gesler, Albert, Verner, Sarnem, Officers, Soldiers, with Tell chained, and people.] Sar. Down, slave!

Behold the governor. Down! down! and beg

For mercy!

Ges. Does he hear? - Thy name?

Tell. My name?

It matters not to keep it from thee now:

My name is Tell.

Ges. Tell!-William Tell?

Tell. The same.

Ges. What! he so famed, 'bove all his countrymen, For guiding o'er the stormy lake the boat?

And such a master of his bow, 't is said

His arrows never miss! [Aside.] Indeed! - I'll take

[ocr errors]

Exquisite vengeance! - Mark! [To Tell.] I'll spare thy life, Thy boy's too. Both of you are free,

Condition.

Tell. Name it.

Ges. I would see you make

-on one

A trial of your skill with that same bow
You shoot so well with.

Tell. Name the trial you

Would have me make. [Tell looks on Albert.]
Ges. You look on your boy,

As though instinctively you guessed it.
Tell. Look

Upon my boy! What mean you? Look upon
My boy, as though I guessed it! Guessed the trial
You'd have me make! Guessed it

Instinctively! You do not mean-no-no

[ocr errors]

You would not have me make a trial of
My skill upon my child? Impossible!
I do not guess your meaning.

Ges. I would see

Thee hit an apple at the distance of

A hundred paces.

Tell. Is my boy to hold it?

Ges. It is to rest upon his head.
Tell. Great Heaven!

Ges. Thou dost hear the choice I give,-
Such trial of the skill thou 'rt master of,
Or death to both of you, not otherwise
To be escaped.

Tell. Ferocious monster! Make

A father murder his own child!

Ges. Dost thou consent?

Alb. He does.

[Gesler makes signs to his officers, who proceed to take off Tell's chains, Tell, the

meanwhile, unconscious of what they are doing.]

Tell. With his own hand!

Murder his child with his own hand!

The hand I've led him, when an infant, by! [His chains fall off.] What's that you

Have done to me? [To the guard.]

Villains! put on my chains again. My hands
Are free from blood, and have no gust for it,
That they should drink my child's! — I'll not
Murder my boy for Gesler.

Alb. Father-father!

You will not hit me, father!

Ges. Dost thou consent?

-

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Tell. Speak not to me:

Let me not hear thy voice, - -thou must be dumb;
And so should all things be:-earth should be dumb,

And heaven, — unless its thunders muttered at
The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it! Give me
My bow and quiver!

Ges. That is your ground. Now shall they measure thence A hundred paces. Take the distance.

Tell. Is

The line a true one?

Ges. True or not, what is 't

To thee?

A

Tell. What is 't to me? A little thing, very little thing:- a yard or two

Is nothing here or there

[ocr errors]

were it a wolf

I shot at ! [Sarnem begins to measure.]

Villain, stop!

You measure to the sun.

Ges. And what of that?

What matter, whether to or from the sun?

Tell. I'd have it at my back. The sun should shine Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots.

I cannot see to shoot against the sun!

I will not shoot against the sun!

[mercy.

Ges. Give him his way! - Thou hast cause to bless my

Tell. I shall remember it.

[Sarnem pacing goes out.]

I'd like to see

The apple I'm about to shoot at.

Ges. Show me

The basket. There! - [Gives a very small apple.]
Tell. You've picked the smallest one.
Ges. I know I have. Take it.

Thy skill will be the greater if thou hit'st it.
Tell. True- true, I did n't think of that:
I did not think of that. Give me some chance

[ocr errors][merged small]

To save my boy! [Throws away the apple,] I will not murder him, If I can help it,- for the honor of

The form thou wear'st, if all the heart is gone!

Ges. Well! choose thyself. [Hands a basket. Tell takes an apple.] Tell. Have I a friend among

The lookers on?

Verner. Here, Tell!

Tell. I thank thee, Verner!- Take the boy

And place this apple upon his head.

Then, Verner, charge him to keep steady, - tell him
I'll hit the apple. Verner, do all this

More briefly than I tell it thee.

Ver. Come, Albert! [Leading out the boy.]
Tell. My boy! [Holding out his arms to him.]

Alb. My father! [Running into Tell's arms.]

Tell. If thou canst bear it, should not I?-Go now,

« PreviousContinue »