5 10 GES. No. TELL NO! I'll send the arrow through the core ! TELL. Great Heaven, you hear him! GES. Thou dost hear the choice I give – Or death to both of you; not otherwise TELL. O monster! GES. Wilt thou do it? ALBERT. He will! he will ! TELL. Ferocious monster! A father murder his own child. GES. Take off. 15 His chains, if he consent. TELL. With his own hand! GES. Does he consent? Make ALB. He does. [Gesler signs to his officers, who proceed to take off Tell's chains. Tell all the time unconscious what 20 they do.] TELL. With his own hand! Murder his child with his own hand This hand! The hand I've led him, when an infant, by! 'Tis beyond horror - 't is most horrible. 25 Amazement! [His chains fall off] What's that you've 30 done to me. Villains! put on my chains again. My hands Are free from blood, and have no gust for it, That they should drink my child's! Here! here! I'll not Murder my boy for Gesler. ALB. Father father! You will not hit me, father! TELL. Hit thee! - Send The arrow through thy brain—or, missing that, Shoot out an eye-or, if thine eye escape, Mangle the cheek I've seen thy mother's lips 5 10 Cover with isses! Hit thee-hit a hair GES. Dost thou consent? TELL. Give me my bow and quiver. You know for what?—I will not make the trial, 15 To take him to his mother in my arms, 20 And lay him down a corpse before her! GES. Then he dies this moment— and you certainly Do murder him whose life you have a chance To save, and will not use it. TELL. Well I'll do it: I'll make the trial. ALB. Father TELL. Speak not to me: Let me not hear thy voice And so should all things be Thou must be dumb; Earth should be dumb. 25 And Heaven - unless its thunders muttered at The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it! Give me XCIX. - SAME SUBJECT, CONCLUDED. PERSONS. - Enter, slowly, People in evident distress — Officers, Sarnem, Gesler, Tell, Albert, and Soldiersone bearing Tell's bow and quiver, another with a basket of apples. GES. That is your ground. Now shall they measure thence A hundred paces. Take the distance. TELL. Is the line a true one? GES. True or not, what is 't to thee? 5 TELL. What is 't to me? A little thing, A very little thing—a yard or two Is nothing here or there I shot at Never mind. GES. Be thankful, slave, were it a wolf 10 Our grace accords thee life on any terms. 15 20 25 TELL. I will be thankful, Gesler! Villain, stop! You measure to the sun. GES. And what of that? What matter whether to or from the sun? TELL. I'd have it at my back - the sun should shine Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots. I cannot see to shoot against the sun I will not shoot against the sun! GES. Give him his way! Thou hast cause to bless my mercy. TELL. I shall remember it. I'd like to see The apple I'm to shoot at. GES. Stay! show me the basket! — there The color on 't is dark — I'd have it light, To see it better. GES. Take it as it is: Thy skill will be the greater if thou hit'st it. 5 To save my boy! [Throws away the apple with all his force.] 10 I will not murder him, If I can help it—for the honor of The form thou wearest, if all the heart is gone. TELL. Have I a friend among the lookers on? He is a friend runs out into a storm To shake a hand with us. I must be brief: 15 When once the bow is bent, we cannot take The shot too soon. Verner, whatever be The issue of this hour, the common cause Must not stand still. Let not to-morrow's sun Set on the tyrant's banner! Verner! Verner! 20 The boy! To stand it? VER. Yes. the boy! Thinkest thou he hath the courage VER. He bears himself so much above his years— TELL. I know! - I know. VER. With constancy so modest! TELL. I was sure he would VER. And looks with such relying love And reverence upon you— TELL. Man! Man! Man! No more! Already I'm too much the father 5 To act the man!— Verner, no more, my friend! I would be flint — flint - flint. I'm not do not mind me! Don't make me feel Take the boy And set him, Verner, with his back to me. Set him upon his knees and place this apple 10 Upon his head, so that the stem may front me, 15 20 Thus, Verner; charge him to keep steady — tell him More briefly than I tell it thec. VER. Come, Albert! [Leading him out.] ALB. May I not speak with him before I go? ALB. I would only kiss his hand. VER. You must not. ALB. I must! I cannot go from him without. VER. It is his will you should. ALB. His will, is it? I am content then TELL. My boy! come. [Holding out his arms to him.] [Rushing into Tell's arms.] ALB. My father! 25 TELL. If thou canst bear it, should not I?. Go, now, My son Go, boy - and keep in mind that I can shoot be thou but steady, I will hit The apple-Go! — God bless thee-go. My bow! [The bow is handed to him.] Thou wilt not fail thy master, wilt thou? — Thou 80 Hast never failed him yet, old servant — No, I'm sure of thee - I know thy honesty. Thou art stanch - stanch. Let me see my quiver. |