Kuoni. (To the fisherman.) Trust in God. We must help our neighbour. The like may chance to all of us.

Ruodi.

You see

How the sea swells;-no-no-I cannot steer
'Gainst storm and waves !

Baumgarten. (Embracing his knees.) May God have mercy on you

As you now pity me!

'Tis for his life;

Werni.

Have mercy, ferryman!

Ruodi.

(Repeated peals of thunder.)

I, too, have a life

To lose a wife and children--even as he-
Lo! yonder-how the raging waves rush upward
Then down in whirlpools, delving up the deep;
Most gladly would I save the honest man,
But 'tis impossible-you see, yourself.

Baumgarten. Then must I fall into my enemy's hands,
The shore of safety in my very sight?

Yonder it lies! Mine eyes can reach it-aye,
The sound of my voice! And there, too, is the boat
To bear me thither-yet I here must lie,
Helpless despairing!

Ha! who is it comes?

'Tis Tell, from Burgli.

Kuoni.
Werni.

Tell. (With his bow.)

Kuoni.

Ruodi.

Tell.

Ruodi.

Tell.

Who is the man

Who asks for help?

It is a man of Alzel,

He has slain Wolfenschiess, the castellain,
Defending his own honour; and the soldiers
Are in pursuit. He begs a passage hence,
The ferryman fears the storm and will not go.
That is Tell-he hath much skill at the helm;
He'll bear me witness, if 'tis possible.

[Loud thunder, the waves dash furiously.
Shall I plunge headlong in the jaws of the abyss?
None would do that who had his reason with him!
The brave man thinketh last upon himself;
Trust in God-save the oppressed!

The sea may pity,

The Governor will not. Try it, ferryman!

Herdsmen and Huntsman. Save him! O, save him-save him!

Ruodi.

Tell.

Ruodi.

Tell.

Kuoni.

Tell.

Baumgarten. You are my saviour and my angel, Tell!

I can but save you from the Governor's power;
From the storm's fury must another save;

Yet it is better in God's hand to fall

Than man's!

(To the herdsmen.)

My countrymen, I trust to you

My wife--if aught befal me. I have done
But what I could not help!

Werni. (From the rock.)

[leaps into the boat.

His strokes are brave; God help thee, gallant oarsman!

See how the skiff rocks on the billows' top.

Kuoni. (On the shore.) The flood goes over-I can see 't no more!
Yet hold-'tis there again! Right skilfully

The gallant Tell labours against the tempest!"

Act I. Scene 1.

Tell takes no active part in the meeting and conspiracy that occupies the first two acts of the piece; yet a constant and growing interest is kept up in the other personages, who are all indi. vidualized and delineated with masterly care. Rosselmann, Melctthal, Stauffacher, Furst, and the men of Unterwalden are admirable, each in his way, and command sympathy, for they are made kin to us by the universal tie. The numerous actors do not pass over the scene in monotonous procession; each has a peculiar, though a limited part to play. The scene between the aged Attinghausen and Rudenz is fine in itself, and well contrasted with the succeeding one, where the rustic patriots meet among the rocks beneath the open sky, to resolve upon the liberation of their country. Each is bound to the great cause by the remembrance of injury to himself, his kindred, or his friends. There is deep pathos in the emotion of Melctthal when he learns his father had been deprived of sight by order of the tyrant.

'O, a noble gift of Heaven is sight!
All nature lives on light-cach happy creature!
The very plants turn joyful to the light!
And he-yet feeling-he must walk in darkness,
In everlasting gloom; refreshed no more
By the warm green, or the enamelled flowers!
He can no more behold the glowing skies!
To die is nothing-but to live and see not,

O, that is misery! Wherefore look you on me
So piteously? I have two unhurt eyes,
Yet can I give none to my blind old father,
Not e'en a glimmer from the sea of light
That lustrous, dazzling, presses on mine eyes!

Stauffacher. Alas! and I must add unto your grief

Instead of healing it! He needs yet more!
The governor hath despoiled him of all!

Nought has he left him save his staff; and blind
And naked, wanders he from door to door."

The third act opens with a beautiful picture of the rustic cottage of the hero; but he soon departs to more stirring scenes, carrying with him the boy who preferred sharing his toil to remaining with

his mother. The scene of his far-famed exploit with the arrow is characteristic, and managed with great skill.

Gessler. "Is that thy boy, Tell?

Tell.

Gessler.

Tell.

Gessler.
Tell.

Gessler.

Tell.

Gessler.

Tell.

Gessler.
Tell.

Gessler.

Bertha.

Gessler,

Rudolph.

Ay, my noble lord.

Hast thou more children?

But two boys, my lord,
Which is he whom thou lovest best?
My lord,

Both children are alike endeared to me.
Now if thou hitt'st the apple on the tree
At a hundred paces, so shalt thou approve
Thy skill before me: Take thy cross-bow, Tell;
Thou hast it in thy hand-now make thee ready
To shoot an apple, Tell, from the boy's head.
Yet I will counsel thee, aim well; that thou
Dost hit it at the first shot; if thou failest,
Thy head is forfeit.

What a monster think you me!

[All give signs of dismay.

Aim at my own child's head!-no, no, my lord!
That was not in your thought. The gracious God
Forbid!-in earnest you could never ask
That of a father!

Thou shalt shoot the apple
From the boy's head! I do require-command it!
I-send the arrow towards his darling head,
My own child's head? no-I will rather die!
Thou shalt shoot-or thou diest with the boy.
Become the murderer of my son! My lord,
You have no children-know not what's the feeling
Within a father's heart!

Ha! Tell-so sudden
Art thoughtful? I was told thou wast a dreamer,
And ever shunned the ways of other men.
Thou lov'st the strange--so have I chosen for thee
A venture strange. Another well would ponder;
Thou ever pressest to the enterprise

And boldly grasp'st it.

Jest not, noble sir,

With these poor people. See them, pale and trembling.
So strange to them is pastime from your lips.

Who says I jest?

[Breaks an apple from a branch of the tree above him.
Here is the apple-lo!

Make room--give him the necessary distance;
I give him eighty steps-not more nor less;
'Tis said he'll hit his man at a full hundred.

Now, archer, shoot-and fail not of the mark!

God! he's in earnest! Boy, down on thy knees,

And pray the governor for thy life.

Furst. (Apart to Melctthal, who can hardly restrain his impatience.) Keep back!
I pray you!-hold you quiet!

Bertha.

This suffice,

Sir! 'tis inhuman with a father's pain

To sport. If this poor man has forfeited

His life through his small fault-God knoweth, he
Hath suffered-ay, tenfold the pangs of death.
Dismiss him to his home unhurt; he has learned

To know you; this hour, with his children's children,
He will remember.

Gessler.

Open quick the way!
Wherefore delay? Thy life is forfeit, Tell.
I could command thy death-but graciously
I lay thy fate in thy own skilful hand;
Sure he can ne'er complain of a hard sentence
Who's made the master of his destiny.

Thou boastest of thy sure eye-well, 'tis now

The time to prove thy skill;-the mark is worthy-
The prize is great!

*

*

Furst. (Falls at his feet.) Lord governor! we all do own your greatness,
Let favour go for right! take half my goods,
Take all-but spare a father this dread penalty.

Walter Tell. Grandfather, kneel not unto that false man!
Tell me, where shall I stand? I'm not afraid;
My father hits the bird upon the wing-
He shall not fail-nor harm me!

Stauffacher.

O, sir governor,

Are you not moved to hear the innocent child? Rosselmann. O think, there is a God in Heaven, to whom You must account this deed!

Walter Tell. Bind me? No-I'll not

Rudolph.
Walter Tell.

Be bound! I will be quiet as a lamb,

And scarce draw breath :-but if you bind me-nay-
I cannot-I would struggle 'gainst the bonds.

Let me but bind your eyes.

Wherefore mine eyes?

Fear I the arrow from my father's hand?

I will stand quietly, nor move a twinkle.

Quick, father; show him you are skilled to shoot;

He does not credit it-he would destroy us!

To vex the tyrant-shoot-and hit the mark!

[He goes to the tree; the apple is placed on his head.

Melctthal. (To the peasants.) What! Shall this villany before our eyes
Be finished? whereto have we sworn?

Stauffacher.

Melctthai.

'Tis vain;

We have no weapons: see the forest of lances
Around us!

Had we but with ready deeds
Fulfilled the enterprise! God pardon those
Who craved delay!

*

*

Tell. (Bends his bow and places the arrow.) Open the way-place!
Stauffacher. What-Tell! you will do it?

No-your hand shakes-you tremble--your knees totter!

Tell. (lets the bow sink.) All swims before my sight!

Women.

Tell.

Gessler.

O God in heaven!

Spare me the shot-here is my heart:--call now
Your soldiers hither-strike me down!

I want not

Thy life-I'll have the shot! Thou canst do all!

Despair'st at nothing! skilful at the helm

As with the bow:-no tempest, Tell, affrights thee.
If thou canst save-now, saviour, help thyself!

[Tell remains in terrible agitation, rolling his eyes now on Gessler, now up-
ward to heaven. Suddenly he seizes his quiver, takes out a second arrow
and puts it in his bosom. The Landvogt observes his movements.]
Walter Tell. (From the tree.) Shoot, father; I fear not!

[While Bertha throws herself between Rudenz and the Landvogt, Tell has shot.] Rosselmann. The boy lives!

Many voices.

Gessler.

Bertha.

He has hit the apple!

[Furst totters, and is ready to fall.—Bertha holds him. How!

The madman! he has shot.

The boy doth live!

Come to yourself, good father!

Walter Tell. (Comes with the apple.) Father, here,

Here is the apple. I knew well, my father,

You would not harm your son!

[Tell stands with body bent forward-the bow drops from his hand-when he sees the boy coming he hastens to meet him with open arms, and clasps him with ardour to his breast, then sinks back as if overcome. All are moved.] O gracious heaven!

Bertha.

Furst.

Children-my children!

Stauffacher. God be praised!

Leuthold.

Randolph.

Gessler.

That was

A shot! It shall be told of to all time.
Men shall relate with wonder Tell's exploit,
So long as stand yon mountains on their base.

[Reaches the apple to the Landregt.
The apple pierced through the middle, as I live!
It was a master shot, and I must praise it.

Rosselmann. The shaft sped well, yet wo to him who urged it,
For he hath tempted God!

Stauffacher.

Collect yourself,

Tell, up! you've manfully acquitted you, And may depart in freedom to your home. Rosselmann. Come and restore the boy unto his mother! Tell, listen!

Gessler.

Tell. (Coming back.) What are your commands, my lord?
Gessler. You took a second arrow from your quiver;
Yes-yes-I saw it well-what did that mean?
Tell. (Embarrassed.) Sir-it was needed for the shot.

Gessler.

Tell.

Not so,

Tell-nor shall such an answer aught avail thee.
Speak the truth freely, Tell, and openly.

Whate'er it be, I do assure thy life.

What meant the second arrow?

Since my life

You have assured me, I will speak the truth.

[He draws the arrow from his bosom, and fixes a terrible look on the Landrogt.]

Gessler.

This second shaft had been aimed-at your breast

Had I destroyed my child; and surely this
Would not have failed to reach the mark.

'Tis well!

I promised thee thy life-my knightly word

Is pledged, and shall be kept; yet since I know
Thy evil thought, I'll have thee led, and guarded
Where neither moon nor sun shall shine upon thee;
So I may be securer from thy shafts.
Arrest him, soldiers-bind him!

Can you thus treat a man for whom God's hand
Hath wrought so visibly?

Stauffacher. How, my lord!

Gessler.

"Tis well-we'll see

If He a second time will save him. Ho!

[Tell is bound.