  A meadow near Altdorf. Trees in the foreground. At the back of the stage a cap upon a pole. The prospect is bounded by the Bannberg, which is surmounted by a snow-capped mountain. FRIESSHARDT and LEUTHOLD on guard. FRIESSHARDT. We keep our watch in vain. There's not a soul Will pass and do obeisance to the cap. But yesterday the place swarmed like a fair; Now the whole green looks like a very desert, Since yonder scarecrow hung upon the pole. LEUTHHOLD. Only the vilest rabble show themselves, And wave their tattered caps in mockery at us. All honest citizens would sooner make A tedious circuit over half the town Than bend their backs before our master's cap. FRIESSHARDT. They were obliged to pass this way at noon, As they were coming from the council house. I counted then upon a famous catch, For no one thought of bowing to the cap. But Rosselmann, the priest, was even with me: Coming just then from some sick penitent, He stands before the pole—raises the Host— The Sacrist, too, must tinkle with his bell— When down they dropped on knee—myself and all In reverence to the Host, but not the cap. LEUTHOLD. Hark ye, companion, I've a shrewd suspicion, Our post's no better than the pillory. It is a burning shame, a trooper should Stand sentinel before an empty cap, And every honest fellow must despise us, To do obeisance to a cap, too! Faith, I never heard an order so absurd! FRIESSHARDT. Why not, an't please thee, to an empty cap. Thou'st ducked, I'm sure, to many an empty sconce. [HILDEGARD, MECHTHILD, and ELSBETH enter with their children and station themselves around the pole. LEUTHOLD. And thou art an officious sneaking knave, That's fond of bringing honest folks to trouble. For my part, he that likes may pass the cap I'll shut my eyes and take no note of him. MECHTHILD. There hangs the viceroy! Your obeisance, children! ELSBETH. I would to God he'd go, and leave his cap! The country would be none the worse for it. FRIESSHARDT (driving them away). Out of the way! Confounded pack of gossips! Who sent for you? Go, send your husbands here, If they have courage to defy the order. [TELL enters with his crossbow, leading his son WALTER by the hand. They pass the hat without noticing it, and advance to the front of the stage. WALTER (pointing to the Bannberg). Father, is't true, that on the mountain there, The trees, if wounded with a hatchet, bleed? TELL. Who says so, boy? WALTER. The master herdsman, father! He tells us there's a charm upon the trees, And if a man shall injure them, the hand That struck the blow will grow from out the grave. TELL. There is a charm about them, that's the truth. Dost see those glaciers yonder, those white horns, That seem to melt away into the sky? WALTER. They are the peaks that thunder so at night, And send the avalanches down upon us. TELL. They are; and Altdorf long ago had been Submerged beneath these avalanches' weight, Did not the forest there above the town Stand like a bulwark to arrest their fall. WALTER (after musing a little). And are there countries with no mountains, father? TELL. Yes, if we travel downwards from our heights, And keep descending in the rivers' courses, We reach a wide and level country, where Our mountain torrents brawl and foam no more, And fair, large rivers glide serenely on. All quarters of the heaven may there be scanned Without impediment. The corn grows there In broad and lovely fields, and all the land Is fair as any garden to the view. WALTER. 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. WALTER. 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. WALTER. But they may freely hunt among the woods? TELL. The game is all the monarch's—bird and beast. WALTER. But they, at least, may surely fish the streams? TELL. Stream, lake, and sea, all to the king belong. WALTER. Who is this king, of whom they're so afraid? TELL. He is the man who fosters and protects them. WALTER. Have they not courage to protect themselves? TELL. The neighbor there dare not his neighbor trust. WALTER. 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. WALTER. See, father, see the cap on yonder pole! TELL. What is the cap to us? Come, let's be gone. [As he is going, FRIESSHARDT, presenting his pike, stops him. FRIESSHARDT. Stand, I command you, in the emperor's name. TELL (seizing the pike). What would ye? Wherefore do ye stop my path? FRIESSHARDT. You've broke the mandate, and must go with us. LEUTHOLD. You have not done obeisance to the cap. TELL. Friend, let me go. FRIESSHARDT. Away, away to prison! WALTER. 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. SACRISTAN. What's here amiss? ROSSELMANN. Why do you seize this man? FRIESSHARDT. He is an enemy of the king—a traitor! TELL (seizing him with violence). A traitor, I! ROSSELMANN. Friend, thou art wrong. 'Tis Tell, An honest man, and worthy citizen. WALTER (descries FURST, and runs up to him). Grandfather, help! they want to seize my father! FRIESSHARDT. Away to prison! FURST (running in). Stay! I offer bail. For God's sake, Tell, what is the matter here? [MELCHTHAL and STAUFFACHER enter. LEUTHOLD. He has contemned the viceroy's sovereign power, Refusing flatly to acknowledge it. STAUFFACHER. Has Tell done this? MELCHTHAL. Villain, thou knowest 'tis false! LEUTHOLD. 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. FRIESSHARDT. Keep your security for yourself—you'll need it. We only do our duty. Hence with him. MELCHTHAL (to the country people). This is too bad—shall we stand by, and see them. Drag him away before our very eyes? SACRISTAN. We are the strongest. Don't endure it, friends. Our countrymen will back us to a man. FRIESSHARDT. 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? MELCHTHAL (to FRIESSHARDT). Only try— Try, if you dare, to force him from amongst us. FURST and STAUFFACHER. Peace, peace, friends! FRIESSHARDT (loudly). Riot! Insurrection, ho! [Hunting horns without. WOMEN. The governor! FRIESSHARDT (raising his voice). Rebellion! Mutiny! STAUFFACHER. Roar, till you burst, knave! ROSSELMANN and MELCHTHAL. Will you hold your tongue? FRIESSHARDT (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 around the whole stage. HARRAS. Room for the viceroy! GESSLER. Drive the clowns apart. Why throng the people thus?
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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 pushed too far Is sure to miss its aim, however good, As snaps the bow that's all too straightly bent. GESSLER. Peace, till your counsel's asked for! RUDENZ. I will speak! Ay, and I dare! I reverence my king; But acts like these must make his name abhorred. He sanctions not this cruelty. I dare Avouch the fact. And you outstep your powers In handling thus an unoffending people. GESSLER. Ha! thou growest bold methinks! RUDENZ. I have been dumb To all the oppressions I was doomed to see. I've closed mine eyes that they might not behold them, 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 achieved 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 fashion. 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. ROSSELMANN. The boy's alive! MANY VOICES. The apple has been struck! [WALTER FURST 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 forwards, as though he would follow 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! FURST (to father and son). My children, my dear children! STAUFFACHER. God be praised! LEUTHOLD. 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 While yonder 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. ROSSELMANN. The shot was good. But woe to him who drove The man to tempt his God by such a feat! STAUFFACHER. Cheer up, Tell, rise! You've nobly freed yourself, And now may go in quiet to your home. ROSSELMANN. Come, to the mother let us bear her son! GESSLER. A word, Tell. [They are about to lead him off. TELL. Sir, your pleasure? GESSLER. Thou didst place A second arrow in thy belt—nay, nay! I saw it well—what was thy purpose with it? TELL (confused). It is the 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 missed. 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 will remove thee hence to sure confinement, 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 revealed? GESSLER. Well, let us see if it will save him twice! Remove him to my ship; I'll follow straight. In person I will see him lodged at Kuessnacht. ROSSELMANN. You dare not do it. Nor durst the emperor's self, So violate our dearest chartered rights. GESSLER. Where are they? Has the emperor confirmed them? He never has. And only by obedience Need you expect to win that favor from him. You are all rebels 'gainst the emperor'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. The wise will study silence and obedience. [Exit, followed by BERTHA, RUDENZ, HARRAS, and attendants. FRIESSHARDT and LEUTHOLD remain. FURST (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. STAUFFACHER. Alas! alas! Our every hope is gone. With you we all are fettered and enchained. 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 (clinging to him in great agony). Oh, father, father, father dear! TELL (pointing to Heaven). Thy father is on high—appeal to Him! STAUFFACHER. Hast thou 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. |
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