The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 03

HARRAS.

Heavens! this grows serious—down, boy, on your knees,

And beg the governor to spare your life.

FÜRST (aside to MELCHTHAL, who can scarcely restrain his indignation).

Command yourself—be calm, I beg of you!

BERTHA (to the governor).

Let this suffice you, sir! It is inhuman

To trifle with a father's anguish thus.

Although this wretched man had forfeited

Both life and limb for such a slight offence,

Already has he suffer'd tenfold death.

Send him away uninjured to his home;

He'll know thee well in future; and this hour

He and his children's children will remember.

GESSLER.

Open a way there—quick! Why this delay?

Thy life is forfeited; I might dispatch thee,

And see, I graciously repose thy fate

Upon the skill of thine own practised hand.

No cause has he to say his doom is harsh

Who's made the master of his destiny.

Thou boastest thine unerring aim. 'Tis well!

Now is the fitting time to show thy skill;

The mark is worthy and the prize is great.

To hit the bull's eye in the target;—that

Can many another do as well as thou;

But he, methinks, is master of his craft,

Who can at all times on his skill rely,

Nor lets his heart disturb or eye or hand.

FÜRST.

My lord, we bow to your authority;

But oh, let justice yield to mercy here.

Take half my property, nay, take it all,

But spare a father this unnatural doom!

WALTER.

Grandfather, do not kneel to that bad man!

Say, where am I to stand? I do not fear;

My father strikes the bird upon the wing,

And will not miss now when 'twould harm his boy!

STAUFF.

Does the child's innocence not touch your heart?

RÖSSEL.

Bethink you, sir, there is a God in heaven,

To whom you must account for all your deeds.

GESSLER (pointing to the boy).

Bind him to yonder lime tree!

WALTER.

 
                        What! Bind me?
 

No, I will not be bound! I will be still,

Still as a lamb—nor even draw my breath!

But if you bind me, I cannot be still.

Then I shall writhe and struggle with my bonds.

HARRAS.

But let your eyes at least be bandaged, boy!

WALTER.

And why my eyes? No! Do you think I fear

An arrow from my father's hand? Not I!

I'll wait it firmly, nor so much as wink!

Quick, father, show them what thy bow can do.

He doubts thy skill—he thinks to ruin us.

Shoot then and hit, though but to spite the tyrant!

[He goes to the lime tree, and an apple is placed on his head.]

MELCHTHAL (to the country people).

What! Is this outrage to be perpetrated

Before our very eyes? Where is our oath?

STAUFF.

Resist we cannot! Weapons we have none,

And see the wood of lances round us! See!

MELCH.

Oh! would to heaven that we had struck at once!

God pardon those who counsell'd the delay!

GESSLER (to TELL).

Now to your task! Men bear not arms for naught.

To carry deadly tools is dangerous,

And on the archer oft his shaft recoils.

This right these haughty peasant churls assume

Trenches upon their master's privileges:

None should be armed but those who bear command.

It pleases you to carry bow and bolt;—

Well—be it so. I will prescribe the mark.

TELL (bends the bow, and fixes the arrow).

A lane there! Room!

STAUFFACHER.

 
               What, Tell? You would—no, no!
 

You shake—your hand's unsteady—your knees tremble.

TELL (letting the bow sink down).

There's something swims before mine eyes!

WOMEN.

Great Heaven!

TELL. Release me from this shot! Here is my heart!

[Tears open his breast.]

Summon your troopers—let them strike me down!

GESSLER.

'Tis not thy life I want—I want the shot.

Thy talent's universal! Nothing daunts thee!

The rudder thou canst handle like the bow!

No storms affright thee, when a life's at stake.

Now, savior, help thyself—thou savest all!

[TELL stands fearfully agitated by contending emotions, his hands moving convulsively, and his eyes turning alternately to the governor and Heaven. Suddenly he takes a second arrow from his quiver, and sticks it in his belt. The governor notes all he does.]

WALTER (beneath the lime tree).

Shoot, father, shoot! fear not!

TELL.

It must be!

[Collects himself and levels the bow.]

RUDENZ (who all the while has been standing in a state of violent excitement, and has with difficulty restrained himself, advances).

My lord, you will not urge this matter further;

You will not. It was surely but a test.

You've gained your object. Rigor push'd too far

Is sure to miss its aim, however good,

As snaps the bow that's all too straitly bent.

GESSLER.

Peace, till your counsel's ask'd for!

RUDENZ.

 
                     I will speak!
 

Ay, and I dare! I reverence my king;

But acts like these must make his name abhorr'd.

He sanctions not this cruelty. I dare

Avouch the fact. And you outstep your powers

In handling thus my harmless countrymen.

GESSLER.

Ha! thou grow'st, bold, methinks!

RUDENZ.

 
                       I have been dumb
 

To all the oppressions I was doomed to see.

I've closed mine eyes to shut them from my view,

Bade my rebellious, swelling heart be still,

And pent its struggles down within my breast.

But to be silent longer, were to be

A traitor to my king and country both.

BERTHA (casting herself between him and the governor).

Oh Heavens! you but exasperate his rage!

RUDENZ.

My people I forsook—renounced my kindred—

Broke all the ties of nature, that I might

Attach myself to you. I madly thought

That I should best advance the general weal

By adding sinews to the Emperor's power.

The scales have fallen from mine eyes—I see

The fearful precipice on which I stand.

You've led my youthful judgment far astray—

Deceived my honest heart. With best intent,

I had well-nigh achiev'd my country's ruin.

GESSLER.

Audacious boy, this language to thy lord?

RUDENZ.

The Emperor is my lord, not you! I'm free

As you by birth, and I can cope with you

In every virtue that beseems a knight.

And if you stood not here in that King's name,

Which I respect e'en where 'tis most abused,

I'd throw my gauntlet down, and you should give

An answer to my gage in knightly sort.

Ay, beckon to your troopers! Here I stand;

But not like these

[Pointing to the people.]

 
                —unarmed. I have a sword,
 

And he that stirs one step—

STAUFFACHER (exclaims).

 
                            The apple's down!
 

[While the attention of the crowd has been directed to the spot where BERTHA had cast herself between RUDENZ and GESSLER, TELL has shot.]

RÖSSEL.

The boy's alive!

MANY VOICES.

The apple has been struck!

[WALTER FÜRST staggers and is about to fall. BERTHA supports him.]

GESSLER (astonished).

How? Has he shot? The madman!

BERTHA.

 
                  Worthy father!
 

Pray you, compose yourself. The boy's alive.

WALTER (runs in with the apple).

Here is the apple, father! Well I knew

You would not harm your boy.

[TELL stands with his body bent forward, as if still following the arrow. His bow drops from his hand. When he sees the boy advancing, he hastens to meet him with open arms, and embracing him passionately sinks down with him quite exhausted. All crowd round them deeply affected.]

BERTHA.

Oh, ye kind Heavens!

FÜRST (to father and son).

My children, my dear children!

STAUFFACHER.

God be praised!

LEUTH.

Almighty powers! That was a shot indeed!

It will be talked of to the end of time.

HARRAS.

This feat of Tell, the archer, will be told

Long as these mountains stand upon their base.

[Hands the apple to GESSLER.]

GESSLER.

By Heaven! the apple's cleft right through the core.

It was a master shot, I must allow.

RÖSSEL.

The shot was good. But woe to him who drove

The man to tempt his God by such a feat!

STAUFF.

Cheer up, Tell, rise! You've nobly freed yourself,

And now may go in quiet to your home.

RÖSSEL.

Come, to the mother let us bear her son!

[They are about to lead him off.]

GESSLER.

A word, Tell.

TELL. Sir, your pleasure?

GESSLER.

 
                             Thou didst place
 

A second arrow in thy belt—nay, nay!

I saw it well. Thy purpose with it? Speak!

TELL (confused).

It is a custom with all archers, sir.

GESSLER.

No, Tell, I cannot let that answer pass.

There was some other motive, well I know.

Frankly and cheerfully confess the truth;—

Whate'er it be, I promise thee thy life.

Wherefore the second arrow?

TELL.

 
                    Well, my lord,
 

Since you have promised not to take my life,

I will, without reserve, declare the truth.

[He draws the arrow from his belt, and fixes his eyes sternly upon the governor.]

If that my hand had struck my darling child,

This second arrow I had aimed at you,

And, be assured, I should not then have miss'd.

GESSLER.

Well, Tell, I promised thou shouldst have thy life;

I gave my knightly word, and I will keep it.

Yet, as I know the malice of thy thoughts,

I'll have thee carried hence, and safely penn'd,

Where neither sun nor moon shall reach thine eyes.

Thus from thy arrows I shall be secure.

Seize on him, guards, and bind him!

[They bind him.]

STAUFFACHER.

 
                        How, my lord—
 

How can you treat in such a way a man

On whom God's hand has plainly been reveal'd?

GESSLER.

Well, let us see if it will save him twice!

Remove him to my ship; I'll follow straight;

At Küssnacht I will see him safely lodged.

RÖSSEL.

You dare not do't. Nor durst the Emperor's self

So violate our dearest chartered rights.

GESSLER.

Where are they? Has the Emp'ror confirm'd them?

He never has. And only by obedience

May you that favor hope to win from him.

You are all rebels 'gainst the Emp'ror's power—

And bear a desperate and rebellious spirit.

I know you all—I see you through and through.

Him do I single from amongst you now,

But in his guilt you all participate.

If you are wise, be silent and obey!

[Exit, followed by BERTHA, RUDENZ, HARRAS, and attendants. FRIESSHARDT and LEUTHOLD remain.]

FÜRST (in violent anguish).

All's over now! He is resolved to bring

Destruction on myself and all my house.

STAUFFACHER (to TELL).

Oh, why did you provoke the tyrant's rage?

TELL.

Let him be calm who feels the pangs I felt.

STAUFF.

Alas! alas! Our every hope is gone.

With you we all are fettered and enchain'd.

COUNTRY PEOPLE (surrounding TELL).

Our last remaining comfort goes with you!

LEUTHOLD (approaching him).

I'm sorry for you, Tell, but must obey.

TELL.

Farewell!

WALTER TELL (clinging to him in great agony).

Oh, father, father, father dear!

TELL (pointing to Heaven).

Thy father is on high—appeal to Him!

STAUFF.

Have you no message, Tell, to send your wife?

TELL (clasping the boy passionately to his breast).

The boy's uninjured; God will succor me!

[Tears himself suddenly away, and follows the soldiers of the guard.]

ACT IV

SCENE I

Eastern shore of the Lake of Lucerne; rugged and singularly shaped rocks close the prospect to the west. The lake is agitated, violent roaring and rushing of wind, with thunder and lightning at intervals.

KUNZ OF GERSAU, FISHERMAN and BOY

KUNZ.

I saw it with these eyes! Believe me, friend,

It happen'd all precisely as I've said.

FISHER.

How! Tell a prisoner, and to Küssnacht borne?

The best man in the land, the bravest arm,

Had we for liberty to strike a blow!

KUNZ.

The Viceroy takes him up the lake in person:

They were about to go on board, as I

Started from Flüelen; but the gathering storm,

That drove me here to land so suddenly,

May well have hindered them from setting out.

FISHER.

Our Tell in chains, and in the Viceroy's power!

O, trust me, Gessler will entomb him where

He never more shall see the light of day;

For, Tell once free, the tyrant well might dread

The just revenge of one so deeply wrong'd.

KUNZ.

The old Landamman, too—von Attinghaus—

They say, is lying at the point of death.

FISHER.

Then the last anchor of our hopes gives way!

He was the only man that dared to raise

His voice in favor of the people's rights.

KUNZ.

The storm grows worse and worse. So, fare ye well!

I'll go and seek out quarters in the village.

There's not a chance of getting off today.

[Exit.]

FISHER.

Tell dragg'd to prison, and the Baron dead!

Now, tyranny, exalt thy brazen front—

Throw every shame aside! Truth's voice is dumb!

The eye that watch'd for us, in darkness closed,

The arm that should have struck thee down, in chains!

BOY.

'Tis hailing hard—come, let us to the hut!

This is no weather to be out in, father!

FISHER.

Rage on, ye winds! Ye lightnings, flash your fires!

Burst, ye swollen clouds! Ye cataracts of Heaven,

Descend, and drown the country! In the germ

Destroy the generations yet unborn!

Ye savage elements, be lords of all!

Return, ye bears: ye ancient wolves, return

To this wide howling waste! The land is yours.

Who would live here, when liberty is gone!

BOY.

Hark! How the wind whistles, and the whirlpool roars,

I never saw a storm so fierce as this!

FISHER.

To level at the head of his own child!

Never had father such command before.

And shall not nature, rising in wild wrath,

Revolt against the deed? I should not marvel,

Though to the lake these rocks should bow their heads,

Though yonder pinnacles, yon towers of ice,

That, since creation's dawn, have known no thaw,

Should, from their lofty summits, melt away

Though yonder mountains, yon primeval cliffs,

Should topple down, and a new deluge whelm

Beneath its waves all living men's abodes!

[Bells heard.]

BOY.

Hark, they are ringing on the mountain, yonder!

They surely see some vessel in distress.

And toll the bell that we may pray for it.

[Ascends a rock.]

FISHER.

Woe to the bark that now pursues its course,

Rock'd in the cradle of these storm-tost waves!

Nor helm nor steersman here can aught avail;

The storm is master. Man is like a ball,

Toss'd 'twixt the winds and billows. Far or near,

No haven offers him its friendly shelter!

Without one ledge to grasp, the sheer smooth rocks

Look down inhospitably on his despair,

And only tender him their flinty breasts.

BOY (calling from above).

Father, a ship: from Flüelen bearing down.

FISHER.

Heaven pity the poor wretches! When the storm

Is once entangled in this strait of ours,

It rages like some savage beast of prey,

Struggling against its cage's iron bars!

Howling, it seeks an outlet—all in vain;

For the rocks hedge it round on every side,

Walling the narrow gorge as high as Heaven.

[He ascends a cliff.]

BOY.

It is the Governor of Uri's ship;

By its red poop I know it, and the flag.

FISHER.

Judgments of Heaven! Yes, it is he himself,

It is the Governor! Yonder he sails,

And with him bears the burden of his crimes.

The avenger's arm has not been slow to strike!

Now over him he knows a mightier lord.

These waves yield no obedience to his voice.

These rocks bow not their heads before his cap.

Boy, do not pray; stay not the Judge's arm!

BOY.

I pray not for the Governor, I pray

For Tell who's with him there on board the ship.

FISHER.

Alas, ye blind, unreasoning elements!

Must ye, in punishing one guilty head,

Destroy the vessel and the pilot too?

BOY.

See, see, they've clear'd the Buggisgrat;[56] but now

The blast, rebounding from the Devil's Minster,[56]

Has driven them back on the Great Axenberg.[56]

I cannot see them now.

FISHERMAN.

 
                     The Hakmesser[56]
 

Is there, that's founder'd many a gallant ship.

If they should fail to double that with skill,

Their bark will go to pieces on the rocks

That hide their jagged peaks below the lake.

The best of pilots, boy, they have on board.

If man could save them, Tell is just the man,

But he is manacled both hand and foot.

[Enter WILLIAM TELL, with his cross-bow. He enters precipitately, looks wildly round, and testifies the most violent agitation. When he reaches the centre of the stage, he throws himself upon his knees, and stretches out his hands, first toward the earth, then toward Heaven.]

BOY (observing him).

See, father! A man on's knees, who can it be?

FISHER.

He clutches at the earth with both his hands,

And looks as though he were beside himself.

BOY (advancing).

What do I see? Come father, come and look!

FISHERMAN (approaches).

Who is it? God in Heaven! What! William Tell!

How came you hither? Speak, Tell!

BOY.

 
                        Were you not
 

In yonder ship, a prisoner, and in chains?

FISHER.

Were they not carrying you to Küssnacht, Tell?

TELL (rising).

I am released.

FISHERMAN and BOY.

Released, oh miracle!

BOY.

Whence came you here

TELL.

From yonder vessel!

FISHERMAN.

What?

BOY.

Where is the Viceroy?

TELL.

Drifting on the waves.

FISHER.

Is't possible? But you! How are you here? How 'scaped you from your fetters and the storm?

TELL.

By God's most gracious providence. Attend.

FISHERMAN and BOY.

Say on, say on!

TELL.

You know what passed at Altdorf.

FISHER.

I do—say on!

TELL.

 
             How I was seized and bound,
 

And order'd by the governor to Küssnacht.

FISHER.

And how at Flüelen he embarked with you.

All this we know. Say, how have you escaped?

TELL.

I lay on deck, fast bound with cords, disarm'd,

In utter hopelessness. I did not think

Again to see the gladsome light of day,

Nor the dear faces of my wife and boys,

And eyed disconsolate the waste of waters.—

FISHER.

Oh, wretched man!

TELL.

Then we put forth; the Viceroy,

Rudolph der Harras, and their suite. My bow

And quiver lay astern beside the helm;

And just as we had reached the corner, near

The little Axen,[57] Heaven ordain'd it so,

That from the Gotthardt's gorge, a hurricane

Swept down upon us with such headlong force

That every oarsman's heart within him sank,

And all on board look'd for a watery grave.

Then heard I one of the attendant train,

Turning to Gessler, in this wise accost him:

"You see our danger, and your own, my lord,

And that we hover on the verge of death.

The boatmen there are powerless from fear,

Nor are they confident what course to take;—

Now, here is Tell, a stout and fearless man,

And knows to steer with more than common skill;

How if we should avail ourselves of him

In this emergency?" The Viceroy then

Address'd me thus: "If thou wilt undertake

To bring us through this tempest safely, Tell,

I might consent to free thee from thy bonds."

I answer'd, "Yes, my lord; so help me God,

I'll see what can be done." On this they loosed

The cords that bound me, and I took my place

Beside the helm, and steered as best I could,

Yet ever eyed my shooting gear askance,

And kept a watchful eye upon the shore,

To find some point where I might leap to land:

And when I had descried a shelving crag,

That jutted, smooth atop into the lake—

FISHER.

I know it. At the foot of the Great Axen;

So steep it looks, I never could have dreamt

That from a boat a man could leap to it.

TELL.

I bade the men to row with all their force

Until we came before the shelving ledge.

For there, I said, the danger will be past!

Stoutly they pull'd, and soon we near'd the point;

One prayer to God for His assisting grace,

And, straining every muscle, I brought round

The vessel's stern close to the rocky wall;

Then snatching up my weapons, with a bound

I swung myself upon the flattened shelf,

And with my feet thrust off, with all my might,

The puny bark into the watery hell.

There let it drift about, as Heaven ordains!

Thus am I here, deliver'd from the might

Of the dread storm, and man's more dreadful still.

FISHER.

Tell, Tell, the Lord has manifestly wrought

A miracle in thy behalf! I scarce

Can credit my own eyes. But tell me, now,

Whither you propose to betake yourself?

For you will be in peril, should perchance

The Viceroy 'scape this tempest with his life.

TELL.

I heard him say, as I lay bound on board,

At Brunnen he proposed to disembark,

And, crossing Schwytz, convey me to his castle.

FISHER.

Means he to go by land?

TELL.

So he intends.

FISHER.

Oh, then conceal yourself without delay!

Not twice will Heaven release you from his grasp.

TELL.

Which is the nearest way to Arth and Küssnacht?

FISHER.

The public road leads by the way of Steinen,

But there's a nearer road, and more retired,

That goes by Lowerz, which my boy can show you.

TELL (gives his hand).

May Heaven reward your kindness! Fare ye well.

[As he is going, he comes back.]

Did not you also take the oath at Rootli?

I heard your name, methinks.

FISHERMAN.

 
                 Yes, I was there,
 

And took the oath of the confederacy.

TELL.

Then do me this one favor: speed to Bürglen—

My wife is anxious at my absence—tell her

That I am, free, and in secure concealment.

FISHER.

But whither shall I tell her you have fled?

TELL.

You'll find her father with her, and some more,

Who took the oath with you upon the Rootli;

Bid them resolute and strong of heart—

For Tell is free and master of his arm;

They shall hear further news of me ere long.

FISHER.

What have you, then, in view? Come, tell me frankly!

TELL.

When once 'tis done, 'twill be in every mouth.

[Exit.]

FISHER.

Show him the way, boy. Heaven be his support!

Whate'er he has resolved, he'll execute.

[Exit.]