Wilhelm Tell
Page 9
Without impediment. The corn grows there
In broad and lovely fields, and all the land
Is like a garden fair to look upon.
WALT.
But, father, tell me, wherefore haste we not
Away to this delightful land, instead
Of toiling here, and struggling as we do?
TELL.
The land is fair and bountiful as Heaven;
But they who till it never may enjoy
The fruits of what they sow.
WALT.
Live they not free,
As you do, on the land their fathers left them?
TELL.
The fields are all the bishop's or the king's.
WALT.
But they may freely hunt among the woods?
TELL.
The game is all the monarch's-bird and beast.
WALT.
But they, at least, may surely fish the streams?
TELL.
Stream, lake, and sea, all to the king belong.
WALT.
Who is this king, of whom they're so afraid?
TELL.
He is the man who fosters and protects them.
WALT.
Have they not courage to protect themselves?
TELL.
The neighbour there dare not his neighbour trust.
WALT.
I should want breathing room in such a land.
I'd rather dwell beneath the avalanches.
TELL.
'Tis better, child, to have these glacier peaks
Behind one's back, than evil-minded men!
[They are about to pass on.]
WALT.
See, father, see the cap on yonder pole!
TELL.
What is the cap to us? Come, let's begone.
[As he is going, Friesshardt, presenting his pike, stops him.]
FRIESS.
Stand, I command you, in the Emperor's name!
TELL. (seizing the pike).
What would ye? Wherefore do ye stop me thus?
FRIESS.
You've broke the mandate, and with us must go.
LEUTH.
You have not done obeisance to the cap.
TELL.
Friend, let me go.
FRIESS.
Away, away to prison!
WALT.
Father to prison. Help!
[Calling to the side scene.]
This way, you men!
Good people, help! They're dragging him to prison!
[Rosselmann the priest and the Sacristan, with three other men,
enter.]
SACRIS.
What's here amiss?
ROSSEL.
Why do you seize this man?
FRIESS.
He is an enemy of the King-a traitor.
TELL. (seizing him with violence).
A traitor, I!
ROSSEL.
Friend, thou art wrong. 'Tis Tell,
An honest man, and worthy citizen.
WALT. (descries Furst, and runs up to him).
Grandfather, help; they want to seize my father!
FRIESS.
Away to prison!
FURST (running in).
Stay, I offer bail.
For God's sake, Tell, what is the matter here?
[Melchthal and Stauffacher enter.]
LEUTH.
He has contemn'd the Viceroy's sovereign power,
Refusing flatly to acknowledge it.
STAUFF.
Has Tell done this?
MELCH.
Villain, you know 'tis false!
LEUTH.
He has not made obeisance to the cap.
FURST.
And shall for this to prison? Come, my friend,
Take my security, and let him go.
FRIESS.
Keep your security for yourself-you'll need it.
We only do our duty. Hence with him.
MELCH. (to the country people).
This is too bad-shall we stand by and see
Him dragged away before our very eyes?
SACRIS.
We are the strongest. Friends, endure it not,
Our countrymen will back us to a man.
FRIESS.
Who dares resist the governor's commands?
OTHER THREE PEASANTS (running in).
We'll help you.
What's the matter? Down with them!
[Hildegard, Mechthild and Elsbeth return.]
TELL.
Go, go, good people, I can help myself.
Think you, had I a mind to use my strength,
These pikes of theirs should daunt me?
MELCH. (to Friesshardt).
Only try-
Try from our midst to force him, if you dare.
FURST and STAUFF.
Peace, peace, friends!
FRIESS. (loudly).
Riot! Insurrection, ho!
[Hunting horns without.]
WOMEN.
The Governor!
FRIESS. (raising his voice).
Rebellion! Mutiny!
STAUFF.
Roar till you burst, knave!
ROSSEL. and MELCH.
Will you hold your tongue?
FRIESS. (calling still louder).
Help, help, I say, the servants of the law!
FURST.
The Viceroy here! Then we shall smart for this!
[Enter Gessler on horseback, with a falcon on his wrist; Rudolph der
Harras, Bertha, and Rudenz, and a numerous train of armed attendants,
who form a circle of lances round the whole stage.]
HAR.
Room for the Viceroy!
GESSL.
Drive the clowns apart.
Why throng the people thus? Who calls for help?
[General silence.]
Who was it? I will know.
[Friesshardt steps forward.]
And who art thou?
And why hast thou this man in custody?
[Gives his falcon to an attendant.]
FRIESS.
Dread sir, I am a soldier of your guard.
And station'd sentinel beside the cap;
This man I apprehended in the act
Of passing it without obeisance due,
So as you ordered, I arrested him,
Whereon to rescue him the people tried.
GESSL. (after a pause).
And do you, Tell, so lightly hold your King,
And me, who act as his viceregent here,
That you refuse obeisance to the cap,
I hung aloft to test your loyalty?
I read in this a disaffected spirit.
TELL.
Pardon me, good my lord! The action sprung
From inadvertence,-not from disrespect.
Were I discreet, I were not Wilhelm Tell.
Forgive me now-I'll not offend again.
GESSL. (after a pause).
I hear, Tell, you're a master with the bow,
From every rival bear the palm away.
WALT.
That's very truth, sir! At a hundred yards
He'll shoot an apple for you off the tree.
GESSL.
Is that boy thine, Tell?
TELL.
Yes, my gracious lord.
GESSL.
Hast any more of them?
TELL.
Two boys, my lord.
GESSL.
And, of the two, which dost thou love the most?
TELL.
Sir, both the boys are dear to me alike.
GESSL.
Then, Tell, since at a hundred yards thou canst
Bring down the apple from the tree, thou shalt
Approve thy skill before me. Take thy bow-
Thou hast it there at hand-make ready, then,
To shoot an apple from the stripling's head!
But take this counsel,-look well to thine aim,<
br />
See, that thou hit'st the apple at the first,
For, shouldst thou miss, thy head shall pay the forfeit.
[All give signs of horror.]
TELL.
What monstrous thing, my lord, is this you ask?
What! from the head of mine own child!-No, no!
It cannot be, kind sir, you meant not that-
God, in His grace, forbid! You could not ask
A father seriously to do that thing!
GESSL.
Thou art to shoot an apple from his head!
I do desire-command it so.
TELL.
What, I!
Level my crossbow at the darling head
Of mine own child? No-rather let me die!
GESSL.
Or thou must shoot, or with thee dies the boy.
TELL.
Shall I become the murderer of my child!
You have no children, sir-you do not know
The tender throbbings of a father's heart.
GESSL.
How now, Tell, on a sudden so discreet?
I had been told thou wert a visionary,-
A wanderer from the paths of common men.
Thou lov'st the marvellous. So have I now
Cull'd out for thee a task of special daring.
Another man might pause and hesitate;-
Thou dashest at it, heart and soul, at once.
BERTH.
Oh, do not jest, my lord, with these poor souls!
See, how they tremble, and how pale they look,
So little used are they to hear thee jest.
GESSL.
Who tells thee that I jest?
[Grasping a branch above his head.]
Here is the apple.
Room there, I say! And let him take his distance-
Just eighty paces,-as the custom is,-
Not an inch more or less! It was his boast,
That at a hundred he could hit his man.
Now, archer, to your task, and look you miss not!
HAR.
Heavens! this grows serious-down, boy, on your knees,
And beg the governor to spare your life.
FURST (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.
GESSL.
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.
FURST.
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!
WALT.
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?
ROSSEL.
Bethink you, sir, there is a God in heaven,
To whom you must account for all your deeds.
GESSL. (pointing to the boy).
Bind him to yonder lime tree!
WALT.
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 can not be still.
Then I shall writhe and struggle with my bonds.
HAR.
But let your eyes at least be bandaged, boy!
WALT.
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.]
MELCH. (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!
GESSL. (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!
STAUFF.
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!
GESSL.
'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, saviour, 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.]
WALT. (beneath the lime tree).
Shoot, father, shoot! fear not!
TELL.
It must be!
[Collects himself and levels the bow.]
RUD. (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.