Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller (classic books for 11 year olds .txt) 📖

A courier brings this letter.

ALL (to WALTER FURST). Open and read it.

FURST (reading).
"To the worthy men Of Uri, Schwytz, and Unterwald, the Queen Elizabeth sends grace and all good wishes!"

MANY VOICES. What wants the queen with us? Her reign is done.

FURST (reads). "In the great grief and doleful widowhood, In which the bloody exit of her lord Has plunged her majesty, she still remembers The ancient faith and love of Switzerland."

MELCHTHAL. She ne'er did that in her prosperity.

ROSSELMANN. Hush, let us hear.

FURST (reads).
"And she is well assured, Her people will in due abhorrence hold The perpetrators of this damned deed. On the three Cantons, therefore, she relies, That they in nowise lend the murderers aid; But rather, that they loyally assist To give them up to the avenger's hand, Remembering the love and grace which they Of old received from Rudolph's princely house."

[Symptoms of dissatisfaction among the peasantry.

MANY VOICES. The love and grace!

STAUFFACHER. Grace from the father we, indeed, received, But what have we to boast of from the son? Did he confirm the charter of our freedom, As all preceding emperors had done? Did he judge righteous judgment, or afford Shelter or stay to innocence oppressed? Nay, did he e'en give audience to the envoys We sent to lay our grievances before him? Not one of all these things e'er did the king. And had we not ourselves achieved our rights By resolute valor our necessities Had never touched him. Gratitude to him! Within these vales he sowed not gratitude. He stood upon an eminence - he might Have been a very father to his people, But all his aim and pleasure was to raise Himself and his own house: and now may those Whom he has aggrandized lament for him!

FURST. We will not triumph in his fall, nor now Recall to mind the wrongs we have endured. Far be't from us! Yet, that we should avenge The sovereign's death, who never did us good, And hunt down those who ne'er molested us, Becomes us not, nor is our duty. Love Must bring its offerings free and unconstrained; From all enforced duties death absolves - And unto him we are no longer bound.

MELCHTHAL. And if the queen laments within her bower, Accusing heaven in sorrow's wild despair; Here see a people from its anguish freed. To that same heaven send up its thankful praise, For who would reap regrets must sow affection.

[Exit the imperial courier.

STAUFFACHER (to the people). But where is Tell? Shall he, our freedom's founder, Alone be absent from our festival? He did the most - endured the worst of all. Come - to his dwelling let us all repair, And bid the savior of our country hail!

[Exeunt omnes.


SCENE II.

Interior of TELL'S cottage. A fire burning on the hearth.
The open door shows the scene outside.

HEDWIG, WALTER, and WILHELM.

HEDWIG. Boys, dearest boys! your father comes to-day. He lives, is free, and we and all are free! The country owes its liberty to him!

WALTER. And I too, mother, bore my part in it; I shall be named with him. My father's shaft Went closely by my life, but yet I shook not!

HEDWIG (embracing him). Yes, yes, thou art restored to me again. Twice have I given thee birth, twice suffered all A mother's agonies for thee, my child! But this is past; I have you both, boys, both! And your dear father will be back to-day.

[A monk appears at the door.

WILHELM. See, mother, yonder stands a holy friar; He's asking alms, no doubt.

HEDWIG.
Go lead him in, That we may give him cheer, and make him feel That he has come into the house of joy.

[Exit, and returns immediately with a cup.

WILHELM (to the monk). Come in, good man. Mother will give you food.

WALTER. Come in, and rest, then go refreshed away!

MONK (glancing round in terror, with unquiet looks). Where am I? In what country?

WALTER.
Have you lost Your way, that you are ignorant of this? You are at Buerglen, in the land of Uri, Just at the entrance of the Sheckenthal.

MONK (to HEDWIG). Are you alone? Your husband, is he here?

HEDWIG. I momently expect him. But what ails you? You look as one whose soul is ill at ease. Whoe'er you be, you are in want; take that.

[Offers him the cup.

MONK. Howe'er my sinking heart may yearn for food, I will take nothing till you've promised me - -

HEDWIG. Touch not my dress, nor yet advance one step. Stand off, I say, if you would have me hear you.

MONK. Oh, by this hearth's bright, hospitable blaze, By your dear children's heads, which I embrace - -

[Grasps the boys.

HEDWIG. Stand back, I say! What is your purpose, man? Back from my boys! You are no monk, - no, no. Beneath that robe content and peace should dwell, But neither lives within that face of thine.

MONK. I am the veriest wretch that breathes on earth.

HEDWIG. The heart is never deaf to wretchedness; But thy look freezes up my inmost soul.

WALTER (springs up). Mother, my father!

HEDWIG.
Oh, my God!

[Is about to follow, trembles and stops.

WILHELM (running after his brother). My father!

WALTER (without). Thou'rt here once more!

WILHELM (without).
My father, my dear father!

TELL (without). Yes, here I am once more! Where is your mother?

[They enter.

WALTER. There at the door she stands, and can no further, She trembles so with terror and with joy.

TELL. Oh Hedwig, Hedwig, mother of my children! God has been kind and helpful in our woes. No tyrant's hand shall e'er divide us more.

HEDWIG (falling on his neck). Oh, Tell, what have I suffered for thy sake!

[Monk becomes attentive.

TELL. Forget it now, and live for joy alone! I'm here again with you! This is my cot I stand again on mine own hearth!

WILHELM.
But, father, Where is your crossbow left? I see it not.

TELL. Nor shalt thou ever see it more, my boy. It is suspended in a holy place, And in the chase shall ne'er be used again.

HEDWIG. Oh, Tell, Tell!

[Steps back, dropping his hand.

TELL.
What alarms thee, dearest wife?

HEDWIG. How - how dost thou return to me? This hand - Dare I take hold of it? This hand - Oh God!

TELL (with firmness and animation). Has shielded you and set my country free; Freely I raise it in the face of Heaven.

[MONK gives a sudden start - he looks at him.

Who is this friar here?

HEDWIG.
Ah, I forgot him. Speak thou with him; I shudder at his presence.

MONK (stepping nearer). Are you that Tell that slew the governor?

TELL. Yes, I am he. I hide the fact from no man.

MONK. You are that Tell! Ah! it is God's own hand That hath conducted me beneath your roof.

TELL (examining him closely). You are no monk. Who are you?

MONK.
You have slain The governor, who did you wrong. I too, Have slain a foe, who late denied me justice. He was no less your enemy than mine. I've rid the land of him.

TELL (drawing back).
Thou art - oh horror! In - children, children - in without a word. Go, my dear wife! Go! Go! Unhappy man, Thou shouldst be - -

HEIWIG. Heavens, who is it?

TELL.
Do not ask. Away! away! the children must not hear it. Out of the house - away! Thou must not rest 'Neath the same roof with this unhappy man!

HEDWIG. Alas! What is it? Come!

[Exit with the children.

TELL (to the MONK).
Thou art the Duke Of Austria - I know it. Thou hast slain The emperor, thy uncle, and liege lord.

DUKE JOHN. He robbed me of my patrimony.

TELL.
How! Slain him - thy king, thy uncle! And the earth Still bears thee! And the sun still shines on thee!

DUKE JOHN. Tell, hear me, ere you - -

TELL.
Reeking with the blood Of him that was thy emperor and kinsman, Durst thou set foot within my spotless house? Show thy fell visage to a virtuous man, And claim the rites of hospitality?

DUKE JOHN. I hoped to find compassion at your hands. You also took revenge upon your foe!

TELL. Unhappy man! And dar'st thou thus confound Ambition's bloody crime with the dread act To which a father's direful need impelled him? Hadst thou to shield thy children's darling heads? To guard thy fireside's sanctuary - ward off The last, worst doom from all that thou didst love? To heaven I raise my unpolluted hands, To curse thine act and thee! I have avenged That holy nature which thou hast profaned. I have no part with thee. Thou art a murderer; I've shielded all that was most dear to me.

DUKE JOHN. You cast me off to comfortless despair!

TELL. My blood runs cold even while I talk with thee. Away! Pursue thine awful course! Nor longer Pollute the cot where innocence abides!

[DUKE JOHN turns to depart.

DUKE JOHN. I cannot live, and will no longer thus!

TELL. And yet my soul bleeds for thee - gracious heaven! So young, of such a noble line, the grandson Of Rudolph, once my lord and emperor, An outcast - murderer - standing at my door, The poor man's door - a suppliant, in despair!

[Covers his face.

DUKE JOHN. If thou hast power to weep, oh let my fate Move your compassion - it is horrible. I am - say, rather was - a prince. I might Have been most happy had I only curbed The impatience of