Sar. My lord, the boy.(Gesler signs to Sarnem to keep silence, and, whispering, sends him off.)

Tell. The boy!— what boy?

Is 't mine?—and have they netted my young fledgling?
Now heaven support me, if they have! He'll own me,
And share his father's ruin! But a look

Would put him on his guard — yet how to give it!
Now, heart, thy nerve; forget thou art flesh, be rock.
They come
-they come !

That step-that step-that little step, so light
Upon the ground, how heavy does it fall

Upon my heart! I feel my child !- (Enter Sarnem with Albert, whose eyes are riveted on Tell's bow, which Sarnem carries.) "T is he! We can but perish.

Sar. See!

Alb. What?

Sar. Look there!

Alb. I do, what would you have me see?

I am sure it is his father. Look at them.

It may be

A preconcerted thing 'gainst such a chance,
That they survey each other coldly thus.
Ges. We shall try. Lead forth the caitiff.
Sar. To a dungeon?

Ges. No into the court.

Sar. The court, my lord?
Ges. And send

To tell the headsman to make ready. Quick!

The slave shall die! - You marked the boy?

Sar. I did. He started 't is his father.

Ges. We shall see. Away with him!

Tell. Stop! Stop!

Ges. What would you ?

(Aside.)

Tell. Time!

a little time to call my thoughts together.

Ges. Thou shalt not have a minate.

Tell. Some one, then, to speak with.

Ges. Hence with him!

He were, art thou so lost to nature, as

To send me forth to die before his face?

Ges. Well! speak with him.

Now, Sarnem, mark them well.

Tell. Thou dost not know me, boy — and well for thee Thou dost not. I'm the father of a son

About thy age. Thou,

I see, wast born like him

upon the hills;

If thou shouldst 'scape thy present thralldom, he
May chance to cross thee; if he should, I pray thee
Relate to him what has been passing here,

And say

I laid my hand upon thy head,

And said to thee — If he were here, as thou art,
Thus would I bless him. Mayest thou live, my boy!
To see thy country free, or die for her,

As I do!

Sar. Mark! he weeps.

Tell. Were he my son,

He would not shed a tear!

(Albert weeps.)

He would remember

The cliff where he was bred, and learned to scan
A thousand fathoms' depth of nether air;
Where he was trained to hear the thunder talk,
And meet the lightning eye to eye.

where last

We spoke together-when I told him death.
Bestowed the brightest gem that graces life -
Embraced for virtue's sake-He shed a tear!
Now were he by, I'd talk to him, and his check
Should never blanch, nor moisture dim his eye-
I'd talk to him

Sar. He falters!

Tell. 'T is too much!

And yet it must be done! I'd talk to him

Ges. Of what?

Tell. The mother, tyrant, thou dost make

A widow of!-I'd talk to him of her.

I'd bid him tell her; next to liberty,

Her name was the last word my lips pronounced.

And I would charge him never to forget
To love and cherish her, as he would have
His father's dying blessing rest upon him!

Sar. You see, as he doth prompt the other acts.
Tell. So well he bears it, he doth vanquish me.
My boy my boy!-O for the hills, the hills,
To see him bound along their tops again,
With liberty.

Sar. Was there not all the father in that look?
Ges. Yet 't is 'gainst nature.

Sar. Not if he believes

To own the son would be to make him share

The father's death.

Ges. I did not think of that! — (To Tell.) 'Tis well The boy is not thy son - I've destined him

To die along with thee.

Tell. To die? For what?

Ges. For having braved my power, as thou hast. Lead Them forth.

Tell. He's but a child.

Ges. Away with them!

Tell. Perhaps an only child.

Ges. No matter.

Tell. He may have a mother.

Gres. So the viper hath;

And yet, who spares it for the mother's sake?
Tell. I talk to stone! I talk to it as though

'T were flesh; and know 't is none. I'll talk to it
No more. Come, my boy

I taught thee how to live-I'll show thee how to die.
Ges. He is thy child?

Tell. He is my child.

Ges. I've wrung a tear from him! Thy name?
Tell. My name?

It matters not to keep it from thee now :

My name is Tell.

Ges. Tell! - William Tell?

Tell. The same.

Ges. What! he, so famed 'bove all his countrymen

For guiding o'er the stormy lake the boat?

And such a master of his bow, t is said

His arrows never miss! - Indeed - I'll take

Exquisite vengeance!— Mark! I'll spare thy life —
Thy boy's too- both of you are free on one
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 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 the arrow through the core !

Ges. It is to rest upon his head.

Tell. Great heaven, you hear him!

Ges. Thou dost hear the choice I give –

Such trial of the skill thou art master of,

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

Tell. Oh, monster!

Ges. Wilt thou do it?

Alb. He will! he will!

Tell. Ferocious monster!- Make

A father murder his own child.

Ges. Take off

His chains, if he consent.

Tell. With his own hand!

Ges. Does he consent!

Alb. He does.

(Gesler signs to his officers, who proceed to take

off Tell's chains; Tell all the time unconscious what 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.

[to me?

Amazement! (His chains fall off.) What's that you've done

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 nơ
Murder my boy for Gesler.

The arrow through thy brainor, missing that,
Shoot out an eye or, if thine eye escape,

Mangle the cheek I've seen thy mother's lips
Cover with kisses! Hit thee hit a hair

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

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 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,

And heaven-unless its thunders muttered at

The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it! - Give me

My bow and quiver !—

Ges. When all 's ready.

Tell. Well!-lead on!

SCENA 4.- (Enter slowly, People in evident distress
Sarnem, Gesler, Tell, Albert, and Soldiers

Officers,

one 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?