Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller (best books for students to read .txt) 📕

Some outrage fresh, more grievous than the last. Then it were well that some of you - true men - Men sound at heart, should secretly devise How best to shake this hateful thraldom off. Well do I know that God would not desert you, But lend his favor to the righteous cause. Hast thou no friend in Uri, say, to whom Thou frankly may'st unbosom all thy thoughts?

STAUFFACHER. I know full many a gallant fellow there, And nobles, too, - great men, of high repute, In whom I can repose unbounded trust.

[Rising.

Wife! What a storm of wild and perilous thoughts Hast thou stirred up within my tranquil breast? The darkest musings of my bosom thou Hast dragged to light, and placed them full before me, And what I scarce dared harbor e'en in thought, Thou speakest plainly out, with fearless tongue. But hast thou weighed well what thou urgest thus? Discord will come, and the fierce clang of arms, To scare this valley's long unbroken peace, If we, a feeble shepherd race, shall dare Him to the fight that lords it o'er the world. Even now they only wait some fair pretext For setting loose their savage warrior hordes, To scourge and ravage this devoted land, To lord it o'er us with the victor's rights, And 'neath the show of lawful chastisement, Despoil us of our chartered liberties.

GERTRUDE. You, too, are men; can wield a battle-axe As well as they. God ne'er deserts the brave.

STAUFFACHER. Oh wife! a horrid, ruthless fiend is war, That strikes at once the shepherd and his flock.

GERTRUDE. Whate'er great heaven inflicts we must endure; No heart of noble temper brooks injustice.

STAUFFACHER. This house - thy pride - war, unrelenting war, Will burn it down.

GERTRUDE.
And did I think this heart Enslaved and fettered to the things of earth, With my own hand I'd hurl the kindling torch.

STAUFFACHER. Thou hast faith in human kindness, wife; but war Spares not the tender infant in its cradle.

GERTRUDE. There is a friend to innocence in heaven Look forward, Werner - not behind you, now!

STAUFFACHER. We men may perish bravely, sword in hand; But oh, what fate, my Gertrude, may be thine?

GERTRUDE. None are so weak, but one last choice is left. A spring from yonder bridge, and I am free!

STAUFFACHER (embracing her). Well may he fight for hearth and home that clasps A heart so rare as thine against his own! What are the hosts of emperors to him! Gertrude, farewell! I will to Uri straight. There lives my worthy comrade, Walter Furst, His thoughts and mine upon these times are one. There, too, resides the noble Banneret Of Attinghaus. High though of blood he be, He loves the people, honors their old customs. With both of these I will take counsel how To rid us bravely of our country's foe. Farewell! and while I am away, bear thou A watchful eye in management at home. The pilgrim journeying to the house of God, And pious monk, collecting for his cloister, To these give liberally from purse and garner. Stauffacher's house would not be hid. Right out Upon the public way it stands, and offers To all that pass an hospitable roof.

[While they are retiring, TELL enters with BAUMGARTEN.

TELL. Now, then, you have no further need of me. Enter yon house. 'Tis Werner Stauffacher's, A man that is a father to distress. See, there he is himself! Come, follow me.

[They retire up. Scene changes.


SCENE III.

A common near Altdorf. On an eminence in the background a castle
in progress of erection, and so far advanced that the outline of the
whole may be distinguished. The back part is finished; men are
working at the front. Scaffolding, on which the workmen are going
up and down. A slater is seen upon the highest part of the roof. -
All is bustle and activity.

TASKMASTER, MASON, WORKMEN, and LABORERS.

TASKMASTER (with a stick, urging on the workmen). Up, up! You've rested long enough. To work! The stones here, now the mortar, and the lime! And let his lordship see the work advanced When next he comes. These fellows crawl like snails!

[To two laborers with loads.

What! call ye that a load? Go, double it. Is this the way ye earn your wages, laggards?

FIRST WORKMAN. 'Tis very hard that we must bear the stones, To make a keep and dungeon for ourselves!

TASKMASTER. What's that you mutter? 'Tis a worthless race, And fit for nothing but to milk their cows, And saunter idly up and down the mountains.

OLD MAN (sinks down exhausted). I can no more.

TASKMASTER (shaking him).
Up, up, old man, to work!

FIRST WORKMAN. Have you no bowels of compassion, thus To press so hard upon a poor old man, That scarce can drag his feeble limbs along?

MASTER MASON and WORKMEN. Shame, shame upon you - shame! It cries to heaven!

TASKMASTER. Mind your own business. I but do my duty.

FIRST WORKMAN. Pray, master, what's to be the name of this Same castle when 'tis built?

TASKMASTER.
The keep of Uri; For by it we shall keep you in subjection.

WORKMEN. The keep of Uri.

TASKMASTER.
Well, why laugh at that?

SECOND WORKMAN. So you'll keep Uri with this paltry place!

FIRST WORKMAN. How many molehills such as that must first Be piled above each other ere you make A mountain equal to the least in Uri?

[TASKMASTER retires up the stage.

MASTER MASON. I'll drown the mallet in the deepest lake, That served my hand on this accursed pile.

[Enter TELL and STAUFFACHER.

STAUFFACHER. Oh, that I had not lived to see this sight!

TELL. Here 'tis not good to be. Let us proceed.

STAUFFACHER. Am I in Uri, in the land of freedom?

MASTER MASON. Oh, sir, if you could only see the vaults Beneath these towers. The man that tenants them Will never hear the cock crow more.

STAUFFACHER.
O God!

MASTER MASON. Look at these ramparts and these buttresses, That seem as they were built to last forever.

TELL. Hands can destroy whatever hands have reared.

[Pointing to the mountains.

That house of freedom God hath built for us.

[A drum is heard. People enter bearing a cap upon a
pole, followed by a crier. Women and children thronging
tumultuously after them.

FIRST WORKMAN. What means the drum? Give heed!

MASTER MASON.
Why here's a mumming! And look, the cap, - what can they mean by that?

CRIER. In the emperor's name, give ear!

WORKMEN.
Hush! silence! hush!

CRIER. Ye men of Uri, ye do see this cap! It will be set upon a lofty pole In Altdorf, in the market-place: and this Is the lord governor's good will and pleasure, The cap shall have like honor as himself, And all shall reverence it with bended knee, And head uncovered; thus the king will know Who are his true and loyal subjects here: His life and goods are forfeit to the crown, That shall refuse obedience to the order.

[The people burst out into laughter. The drum beats,
and the procession passes on.

FIRST WORKMAN. A strange device to fall upon, indeed! Do reverence to a cap! a pretty farce! Heard ever mortal anything like this?

MASTER MASON. Down to a cap on bended knee, forsooth! Rare jesting this with men of sober sense!

FIRST WORKMAN. Nay, were it but the imperial crown, indeed! But 'tis the cap of Austria! I've seen it Hanging above the throne in Gessler's hall.

MASTER MASON. The cap of Austria! Mark that! A snare To get us into Austria's power, by heaven!

WORKMEN. No freeborn man will stoop to such disgrace.

MASTER MASON. Come - to our comrades, and advise with them!

[They retire up.

TELL (to STAUFFACHER). You see how matters stand: Farewell, my friend!

STAUFFACHER. Whither away? Oh, leave us not so soon.

TELL. They look for me at home. So fare ye well.

STAUFFACHER. My heart's so full, and has so much to tell you.

TELL. Words will not make a heart that's heavy light.

STAUFFACHER. Yet words may possibly conduct to deeds.

TELL. All we can do is to endure in silence.

STAUFFACHER. But shall we bear what is not to be borne?

TELL. Impetuous rulers have the shortest reigns. When the fierce south wind rises from his chasms, Men cover up their fires, the ships in haste Make for the harbor, and the mighty spirit Sweeps o'er the earth, and leaves no trace behind. Let every man live quietly at home; Peace to the peaceful rarely is denied.

STAUFFACHER. And is it thus you view our grievances?

TELL. The serpent stings not till it is provoked. Let them alone; they'll weary of themselves, Whene'er they see we are not to be roused.

STAUFFACHER. Much might be done - did we stand fast together.

TELL. When the ship founders, he will best escape Who seeks no other's safety but his own.

STAUFFACHER. And you desert the common cause so coldly?

TELL. A man can safely count but on himself!

STAUFFACHER. Nay, even the weak grow strong by union.

TELL. But the strong man is the strongest when alone.

STAUFFACHER. Your country, then, cannot rely on you If in despair she rise against her foes.

TELL. Tell rescues the lost sheep from yawning gulfs: Is he a man, then, to desert his friends? Yet, whatsoe'er you do, spare me from council! I was not born to ponder and select; But when your course of action is resolved, Then call on Tell; you shall not find him fail.

[Exeunt severally. A sudden tumult is heard around the scaffolding.

MASTER MASON (running in). What's wrong?

FIRST WORKMAN (running forward).
The slater's fallen from the roof.

BERTHA (rushing in). Is he dashed to pieces? Run - save him, help! If help be possible, save him! Here is gold.

[Throws her trinkets among the people.

MASTER MASON. Hence with your gold, - your universal charm, And remedy for ill! When you have torn Fathers from children, husbands from their wives, And scattered woe and wail throughout the land, You think with gold to compensate for all. Hence! Till we saw you we were happy men; With you came misery and dark despair.

BERTHA (to the TASKMASTER, who