Exquisite vengeance! - Mark! [To Tell.] I'll spare thy life, Both of you are free,

Thy boy's too.
Condition.

Tell. Name it.

Ges. I would see you make

A trial of your skill with that same bow

You shoot so well with.

Tell. Name the trial you

Would have me make.

Ges. You look upon your boy

As though instinctively you guessed it.

Tell. Look

- on one

[Tell looks on Albert.

Upon my boy! What mean you? Look upon
My boy, as though I guessed it! Guessed the trial
You'd have me make! Guessed it

Instinctively! You do not mean No-no

You would not have me make a trial of

My skill upon my child! Impossible!
I do not guess your meaning.

Ges. I would see

Tell. No! I'll send an arrow through the core !
Ges. It is to rest upon his head.

Tell. Great heaven,

Thou hearest him!

Ges. Thou dost hear the choice I give,
Such trial of the skill thou 'rt master of,

Or death to both of you, not otherwise
To be escaped.

Tell. O monster!

[Gesler signs to his officers, who proceed to take off Tell

chains,

Tell all the while unconscious of what they do.]

Tell. With his own hand!·

Murder his child with his own hand!

The hand I've led him, when an infant, by!
[His chains fall off.] What's that you
Have done to me? [To the guard.]

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 ! — I'll not
Murder my boy for Gesler.

Dost thou consent?

Give me my bow and quiver!

Ges. For what?

Tell. To shoot my boy!

Alb. No, father! no,

To save me! You'll be sure to hit the apple.
Will you not save me, father?

Tell. Lead me forth,

I'll make the trial.

Alb.

Thank you!

Tell.

Thank me!

Do

You know for what?-I will not make the trial,

To take him to his mother in my arms,

And lay him down a corse before her!

Ges.

Then

He dies this moment; and you certainly

Do murder him, whose life you

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,

have a chance

thou must dumb;

And so should all things be:-earth shald be dumb!
And heaven, - unless its thunders muttered at
The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it! Give me
My bow and quiver!

THE SAME SUBJECT, CONCLUDED.

Ges. That is your ground. Now shall they measure

A

Tell. What is 't to me? A little thing, very little thing:- a yard or two

Is nothing here or there

I shot at !

Ges. Be thankful, slave,

were it a wolf

Our grace accords thee life on any terms.

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?

--

[To the attendant.

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 about to shoot at.

Ges. Show me

The basket. ·There!

[Gives a very small apple.

Tell. You've picked the smallest one.

Ges. I know I have.

Tell. Oh! do you?

-But you see

The color of '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 hitt'st it.
Tell. True true, - I did n't think of that:

To save my boy! [Throws away the apple.] I will not

murder him,

If I can help it, for the honor of

The form thou wear'st, if all the heart is gone.
Well! choose thyself.

Ges.

-

[Hands a basket of apples. Tell takes one.

Tell. Have I a friend among

The lookers on?

Verner. Here, Tell!

Tell. I thank thee, Verner! Take the boy
And set him, Verner, with his back to me.—
Set him upon his knees; and place this apple
Upon his head, so that the stem may front me-
Thus, Verner; charge him to keep steady, - tell him
I'll hit the apple.
- Verner, do all this

More briefly than I tell it thee.

Ver. Come, Albert!

[Leading him out.

Alb. May I not speak with him, before I go?
Ver. No

Alb. I would only kiss his hand

Ver.

Alb.

You must not.

-

I must! I cannot go from him without! Ver. It is his will you should.

Alb. His will, is it?

I am content, then, come.

Tell. My boy!

Alb. My father!

[Holding out his arms to him. [Running into Tell's arms.

Tell. If thou canst bear it, should not I?—Go now,
- and keep in mind that I can shoot.
- be thou but steady, I will hit

My son

Go, boy

The apple. Go:
:- God bless thee!-go. My bow!

[Sarnem gives the bow

Thou wilt not fail thy master, wilt thou!
Hast never failed him yet; old servant. ·
I'm sure of thee - I know thy honesty,

Thou

No,

Thou'rt stanch stanch: -I'd deserve to find thee treach

Could I suspect thee so. Come, I will stake

My all upon thee! Let me see my quiver.

Is 't so you pick an arrow, friend? The point, you see, is bent, the feather jagged; That's all the use 't is fit for.

Ges.

Let him have another.

Tell. Why, 't is better than the first,
But yet not good enough for such an aim
As I'm to take. 'Tis heavy in the shaft:

I'll not shoot with it. [Throws it away.] Let me see my quiver.
Bring it! 'Tis not one arrow in a dozen
I'd take to shoot with at a dove, much less

A dove like that! What is 't you fear? I'm but

A naked man, a wretched naked man!

Your helpless thrall, alone in the midst of you,

With every one of you a weapon in

His hand. What can I do in such a strait
With all the arrows in that quiver? Come,

Will you give it me or not?

Ges. It matters not.

Show him the quiver.

[Tell kneels, and picks out an arrow.

Tell. See if the boy is ready.

Ver. He is.

Tell. I'm ready too! Keep silence, for [To the people. Heaven's sake! and do not stir, and let me have

Your prayers--your prayers:—and be my witnesses,
That if his life's in peril from my hand,

'Tis only for the chance of saving it.

Now friends, for mercy's sake, keep motionless

And silent!

[Tell shoots, and a shout of exultation bursts from the crowd.] Ver. [Rushing in with Albert.] Thy boy is safe; no hair of him is touched!

Alb. Father, I'm safe! - your Albert's safe! Dear father, Speak to me! speak to me!

Ver. He cannot, boy!

Open his vest,

And give him air.

[Albert opens his father's vest, and an arrow drops; Tell starts, fixes his eyes on Albert, and clasps him to his breast.] Tell. My boy! my boy!

Ges. For what

Hid you that arrow in your breast? Speak, slave!

Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, had I slain my boy!
Liberty

Would at thy downfall shout from every peak!
My country then were free!