By Heaven! a sad and pitiable life!
I pray you set the wretched fellow free.
How great soever may be his offence, His horrid trade is punishment enough.
[_To_ ARMGART.]
You shall have justice. To the castle bring Your suit. This is no place to deal with it.
ARMGART.
No, no, I will not stir from where I stand, Until your grace gives me my husband back.
Six months already has he been shut up, And waits the sentence of a judge in vain.
GESSLER.
How! would you force me, woman? Hence! Begone!
ARMGART.
Justice, my lord! Ay, justice! Thou are judge, Vice-regent of the Emperor--of Heaven.
Then do thy duty--as thou hopest for justice From Him who rules above, show it to us!
GESSLER.
Hence! Drive this insolent rabble from my sight!
ARMGART (_seizing his horse"s reins_).
No, no, by Heaven, I"ve nothing more to lose.-- Thou stir"st not, Viceroy, from this spot, until Thou dost me fullest justice. Knit thy brows, And roll thine eyes--I fear not. Our distress Is so extreme, so boundless, that we care No longer for thine anger.
GESSLER.
Woman, hence!
Give way, or else my horse shall ride you down.
ARMGART.
Well, let it!--there--
[_Throws her children and herself upon the ground before him_.]
Here on the ground I lie, I and my children. Let the wretched orphans Be trodden by thy horse into the dust!
It will not be the worst that thou hast done.
HARRAS.
Are you mad, woman?
ARMGART (_continuing with vehemence_).
Many a day thou hast Trampled the Emperor"s lands beneath thy feet.
Oh, I am but a woman! Were I man, I"d find some better thing to do, than here Lie grovelling in the dust.
[_The music of the bridal party is again heard from the top of the pa.s.s, but more softly_.]
GESSLER.
Where are my knaves?
Drag her away, lest I forget myself, And do some deed I may repent me of.
HARRAS.
My lord, the servants cannot force their way; The pa.s.s is block"d up by a bridal train.
GESSLER.
Too mild a ruler am I to this people, Their tongues are all too bold--nor have they yet Been tamed to due submission, as they shall be.
I must take order for the remedy; I will subdue this stubborn mood of theirs, This braggart spirit of freedom I will crush, I will proclaim a new law through the land; I will--
[_An arrow pierces him--he puts his hand on his heart, and is about to sink--with a feeble voice_.]
Oh G.o.d, have mercy on my soul!
HARRAs.
My lord! my lord! Oh G.o.d! What"s this? Whence came it?
ARMGART (_starts up_).
Dead, dead! He reels, he falls! "Tis in his heart!
HARRAS (_springs from his horse_).
Horror of horrors! Heavenly powers! Sir knight, Address yourself for mercy to your G.o.d!
You are a dying man.
GESSLER.
That shot was Tell"s.
[_He slides from his horse into the arms of_ RUDOLPH DER HARRAS, _who lays him down upon the beach_. TELL _appears above upon the rocks_.]
TELL.
Thou know"st the marksman--I, and I alone.
Now are our homesteads free, and innocence From thee is safe: thou"lt be our curse no more.
[TELL _disappears. People rush in_.]
STUSSI.