Macd. If it be mine, 40 Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it. 45 Rosse. Let not your ears despise my tongue forever, Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound That ever yet they heard. Macd. Ah! I guess at it. Rosse. Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes Were, on the quarry of these murdered deer, Mal. Merciful heaven! 50 What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows; 55 60 Rosse. Wife, children, servants, all that could be found. Macd. And I must be from thence! my wife killed too? Rosse. I have said. Mal. Be comforted: Let's make us medicines of our great revenge, Macd. I shall do so; But I must also feel it as a man. I cannot but remember such things were, That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on, And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff, 65 They were all struck for thee! naught that I am, Not for their own demerits, but for mine, Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now! Gesler, the tyrant, Sarnem, his officer, and William Tell, a Swiss peasant. Ges. Does he hear? Sar. He does, but braves thy power. [To Tell.] And ask for life. 5 10 Ges. [To Tell.] Why speakest thou not? Ges. Wonder? Tell. Yes, that thou shouldst seem a man. Tell. A monster. Ges. Ha! Beware!-think on thy chains. Tell. Though they were doubled, and did weigh me down Prostrate to earth, methinks I could rise up Erect, with nothing but the honest pride Ges. Darest thou question me? 20 Ges. Beware my vengeance. Tell. Can it more than kill? : It cannot take away the grace of life- Its fair report that's rife on good men's tongues 30 Than it can pluck his brightness from the sun, 35 40 Ges. But it can make thee writhe. Tell. It may, and I may say, Go on, though it should make me groan again. Tell. From the mountains. Ges. Canst tell me any news from them? Tell. Ay-they watch no more the avalanche. Tell. Because they look for thee. The hurricane The torrent breaks, and finds them in its track. 45 50 55 60 65 70 Tell. They thank kind Providence it is not thou. As something they must lose, and had far better Ges. 'Tis well. I'd have them as their hills Tell. But they do sometimes smile. Tell. When they do pray for vengeance. Tell. They dare, and expect it, too. Ges. From whence? Tell. From Heaven, and their true hearts. Ges. [To Sarnem,] Lead in his son. Now will I take Exquisite vengeance. [To Tell, as the boy enters.] I have destined him To die along with thee. Tell. To die! for what? he's but a child. Ges. He's thine, however. Tell. He is an only child. Ges. So much the easier to crush the race. Ges. So the viper hath 75 And yet who spares it for the mother's sake? 80 85 Tell. I talk to stone... I'll talk to it no more. Ges. But first, I'd see thee make A trial of thy skill with that same bow. Tell. What is the trial? Ges. Thou look'st upon thy boy as though thou guessest it. Tell. Look upon my boy! What mean you? Look upon my boy as though I guess'd it!— Guessed the trial thou'dst have me make !Guessed it instinctively! Thou dost not meanNo, no- -Thou wouldst not have me make 90 A trial of my skill upon my child! Impossible! I do not guess thy meaning. Ges. I'd see thee hit an apple on his head, Three hundred paces off. 95 100 105 Tell. Great heaven! Ges. On this condition only will I spare Tell. Ferocious monster! make a father Ges. Dost thou consent? Tell. With his own hand! The hand I've led him when an infant by! For it, that they should drink my child's. I'll not murder my boy for Gesler. Boy. You will not hit me, father. You'll be sure Tell. Speak not to me ;— 110 Let me not hear thy voice-Thou must be dumb, And so should all things be-Earth should be dumb, And Heaven, unless its thunder muttered at 115 The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it. Give me my bow and quiver. Ges. When all is ready. Sarnem, measure hence The distance three hundred paces. Tell. Will he do it fairly? Ges. What is't to thee, fairly or not? Tell. [sarcastically.] O, nothing, a little thing, 120 A very little thing; I only shoot At my child! [Sarnem prepares to measure.] Tell. Villain, stop! You measure against the sun. 125 What matter whether to or from the sun? 130 135 140 Tell. I'd have it at my back. The sun should shine Upon the mark, and not on him that shoots I will not shoot against the sun. Ges. Give him his way. [Sarnem paces and goes out.] Ges. [Picks out the smallest one.] There, take that. Ges. I know I have. Thy skill will be The greater if thou hittest it. Tell. [sarcastically.] True true! I did not think I wonder I did not think of that. A larger one Give me my bow. Let me see my quiver. Ges. Give him a single arrow. [To an attendant.] [Tell looks at it and breaks it.] Tell. Let me see my quiver. It is not One arrow in a dozen I would use To shoot with at a dove, much less a dove 145 Like that. 150 Ges. Show him the quiver. [Sarnem returns and takes the apple and the boy to Tell. Is the boy ready? Keep silence now 155 For mercy's sake keep motionless and silent. 160 [He aims and shoots in the direction of the boy. In a moment Sarnem enters with the apple on the arrow's point.] Sarnem. The boy is safe. Tell. [Raising his arms.] Thank Heaven! [As he raises his arms, the concealed arrow falls.] Ges. [Picking it up.] Unequalled archer! why was this concealed? Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, had I slain my boy. |