Disguised in pilgrim's weeds I entered it;I saw the Viceroy feasting at his board--Judge if I'm master of myself or no!
I saw the tyrant, and I slew him not!
STAUFF.
Fortune, indeed, upon your boldness smiled.
[Meanwhile the others have arrived and join Melchthal and Stauffacher.]
Yet tell me now, I pray, who are the friends, The worthy men, who came along with you?
Make me acquainted with them, that we may Speak frankly, man to man, and heart to heart.
MEYER.
In the three Cantons, who, sir, knows not you?
Meyer of Sarnen is my name; and this Is Struth of Winkelried, my sister's son.
STAUFF.
No unknown name.A Winkelried it was, Who slew the dragon in the fen at Weiler, And lost his life in the encounter, too.
WINK.
That, Master Stauffacher, was my grandfather.
MELCH.(pointing to two peasants).
These two are men who till the cloister lands Of Engelberg, and live behind the forest.
You'll not think ill of them, because they're serfs, And sit not free upon the soil, like us.
They love the land, and bear a good repute.
STAUFF.(to them).
Give me your hands.He has good cause for thanks, That to no man his body's service owes.
But worth is worth, no matter where 'tis found.
HUNN.
That is Herr Reding, sir, our old Landamman.
MEYER.
I know him well.I am at law with him About a piece of ancient heritage.
Herr Reding, we are enemies in court, Here we are one.
[Shakes his hand.]
STAUFF.
That's well and bravely said.
WINK.
Listen! They come.The horn of Uri! Hark!
[On the right and left armed men are seen descending the rocks with torches.]
MAUER.
Look, is not that the holy man of God?
A worthy priest! The terrors of the night, And the way's pains and perils scare not him, A faithful shepherd caring for his flock.
BAUM.
The Sacrist follows him, and Walter Furst.
But where is Tell? I do not see him there.
[Walter Furst, Rosselmann the Pastor, Petermann the Sacrist, Kuoni the Shepherd, Werni the Huntsman, Ruodi the Fisherman, and five other countrymen, thirty-three in all, advance and take their places round the fire.]
FURST.
Thus must we, on the soil our fathers left us, Creep forth by stealth to meet like murderers, And in the night, that should her mantle lend Only to crime and black conspiracy, Assert our own good rights, which yet are clear As is the radiance of the noonday sun.
MELCH.
So be it.What is hatch'd in gloom of night Shall free and boldly meet the morning light.
ROSSEL.
Confederates! Listen to the words which God Inspires my heart withal.Here we are met, To represent the general weal.In us Are all the people of the land convened.
Then let us hold the Diet, as of old, And as we're wont in peaceful times to do.
The time's necessity be our excuse, If there be aught informal in this meeting.
Still, wheresoe'er men strike for justice, there Is God, and now beneath His heav'n we stand.
STAUFF.
'Tis well advised.--Let us, then, hold the Diet, According to our ancient usages.--Though it be night, there's sunshine in our cause.
MELCH.
Few though our numbers be, the hearts are here Of the whole people; here the BEST are met.
HUNN.
The ancient books may not be near at hand, Yet are they graven in our inmost hearts.
ROSSEL.
'Tis well.And now, then, let a ring be formed, And plant the swords of power within the ground.[*]
[*] It was the custom at the Meetings of the Landes Gemeinde, or Diet, to set swords upright in the ground as emblems of authority.
MAUER.
Let the Landamman step into his place, And by his side his secretaries stand.
SACRIST.
There are three Cantons here.Which hath the right To give the head to the united Council?
Schwytz may contest that dignity with Uri, We Unterwald'ners enter not the field.
MELCH.
We stand aside.We are but suppliants here, Invoking aid from our more potent friends.
STAUFF.
Let Uri have the sword.Her banner takes, In battle, the precedence of our own.
FURST.
Schwytz, then, must share the honour of the sword;For she's the honoured ancestor of all.
ROSSEL.
Let me arrange this generous controversy.
Uri shall lead in battle--Schwytz in Council.
FURST.(gives Stauffacher his hand).
Then take your place.
STAUFF.
Not I.Some older man.
HOFE.
Ulrich, the smith, is the most aged here.
MAUER.
A worthy man, but not a freeman; no!--
No bondman can be judge in Switzerland.
STAUFF.
Is not Herr Reding here, our old Landamman?
Where can we find a worthier man than he?
FURST.
Let him be Amman and the Diet's chief!
You that agree with me, hold up your hands!
[All hold up their right hands.]
REDING.(stepping into the center).
I cannot lay my hands upon the books;
But by yon everlasting stars I swear, Never to swerve from justice and the right.
[The two swords are placed before him, and a circle formed; Schwytz in the centre, Uri on his right, Unterwald on his left.]
REDING.(resting on his battle sword).
Why, at the hour when spirits walks the earth, Meet the three Cantons of the mountains here, Upon the lake's inhospitable shore?
What may the purport be of this new league We here contract beneath the starry heaven?
STAUFF.(entering the circle).
'Tis no new league that here we now contract, But one fathers framed, in ancient times, We purpose to renew! For know, confederates, Though mountain ridge and lake divide our bounds, And each Canton by its own laws is ruled, Yet are we but one race, born of one blood, And all are children of one common home.
WINK.
Is then the burden of our legends true, That we came hither from a distant land?
Oh, tell us what you know, that our new league May reap fresh vigour from the leagues of old.
STAUFF.
Hear, then, what aged herdsmen tell.There dwelt A mighty people in the land that lies Back to the north.The scourge of famine came;And in this strait 'twas publicly resolved, That each tenth man, on whom the lot might fall, Should leave the country.They obey'd--and forth, With loud lamentings, men and women went, A mighty host; and to the south moved on.
