STAUFFACHER.
For the most free have still some feudal lord.
There must be still a chief, a judge supreme, To whom appeal may lie in case of strife.
And therefore was it that our sires allowed For what they had recovered from the waste, This honor to the emperor, the lord Of all the German and Italian soil; And, like the other freemen of his realm, Engaged to aid him with their swords in war; And this alone should be the freeman"s duty, To guard the empire that keeps guard for him.
MELCHTHAL.
He"s but a slave that would acknowledge more.
STAUFFACHER.
They followed, when the Heribann [17] went forth, The imperial standard, and they fought its battles!
To Italy they marched in arms, to place The Caesars" crown upon the emperor"s head.
But still at home they ruled themselves in peace, By their own laws and ancient usages.
The emperor"s only right was to adjudge The penalty of death; he therefore named Some mighty n.o.ble as his delegate, That had no stake or interest in the land.
He was called in, when doom was to be pa.s.sed, And, in the face of day, p.r.o.nounced decree, Clear and distinctly, fearing no man"s hate.
What traces here, that we are bondsmen? Speak, If there be any can gainsay my words!
HOFE.
No! You have spoken but the simple truth; We never stooped beneath a tyrant"s yoke.
STAUFFACHER.
Even to the emperor we refused obedience, When he gave judgment in the church"s favor; For when the Abbey of Einsiedlen claimed The Alp our fathers and ourselves had grazed, And showed an ancient charter, which bestowed The land on them as being ownerless-- For our existence there had been concealed-- What was our answer? This: "The grant is void, No emperor can bestow what is our own: And if the empire shall deny us justice, We can, within our mountains, right ourselves!"
Thus spake our fathers! And shall we endure The shame and infamy of this new yoke, And from the va.s.sal brook what never king Dared in the fulness of his power attempt?
This soil we have created for ourselves, By the hard labor of our hands; we"ve changed The giant forest, that was erst the haunt Of savage bears, into a home for man; Extirpated the dragon"s brood, that wont To rise, distent with venom, from the swamps; Rent the thick misty canopy that hung Its blighting vapors on the dreary waste; Blasted the solid rock; o"er the abyss Thrown the firm bridge for the wayfaring man By the possession of a thousand years The soil is ours. And shall an alien lord, Himself a va.s.sal, dare to venture here, On our own hearths insult us,--and attempt To forge the chains of bondage for our hands, And do us shame on our own proper soil?
Is there no help against such wrong as this?
[Great sensation among the people.
Yes! there"s a limit to the despot"s power!
When the oppressed looks round in vain for justice, When his sore burden may no more be borne, With fearless heart he makes appeal to Heaven, And thence brings down his everlasting rights, Which there abide, inalienably his, And indestructible as are the stars.
Nature"s primeval state returns again, Where man stands hostile to his fellow-man; And if all other means shall fail his need, One last resource remains--his own good sword.
Our dearest treasures call to us for aid Against the oppressor"s violence; we stand For country, home, for wives, for children here!
ALL (clashing their swords).
Here stand we for our homes, our wives, and children.
ROSSELMANN (stepping into the circle).
Bethink ye well before ye draw the sword.
Some peaceful compromise may yet be made; Speak but one word, and at your feet you"ll see The men who now oppress you. Take the terms That have been often tendered you; renounce The empire, and to Austria swear allegiance!
MAUER.
What says the priest? To Austria allegiance?
BUHEL.
Hearken not to him!
WINKELRLED.
"Tis a traitor"s counsel, His country"s foe!
REDING.
Peace, peace, confederates!
SEWA.
Homage to Austria, after wrongs like these!
FLUE.
Shall Austria exert from us by force What we denied to kindness and entreaty?
MEYER.
Then should we all be slaves, deservedly.
MAUER.
Yes! Let him forfeit all a Switzer"s rights Who talks of yielding to the yoke of Austria!
I stand on this, Landamman. Let this be The foremost of our laws!
MELCHTHAL.
Even so! Whoever Shall talk of tamely bearing Austria"s yoke, Let him be stripped of all his rights and honors; And no man hence receive him at his hearth!
ALL (raising their right hands).
Agreed! Be this the law!
REDING (after a pause).
The law it is.
ROSSELMANN.
Now you are free--by this law you are free.
Never shall Austria obtain by force What she has failed to gain by friendly suit.
WEILER.
On with the order of the day! Proceed!
REDING.
Confederates! Have all gentler means been tried?
Perchance the emperor knows not of our wrongs, It may not be his will that thus we suffer: Were it not well to make one last attempt, And lay our grievances before the throne, Ere we unsheath the sword? Force is at best A fearful thing even in a righteous cause; G.o.d only helps when man can help no more.
STAUFFACHER (to CONRAD HUNN).
Here you can give us information. Speak!
HUNN.
I was at Rheinfeld, at the emperor"s palace, Deputed by the Cantons to complain Of the oppression of these governors, And claim the charter of our ancient freedom, Which each new king till now has ratified.
I found the envoys there of many a town, From Suabia and the valley of the Rhine, Who all received their parchments as they wished And straight went home again with merry heart.
They sent for me, your envoy, to the council, Where I was soon dismissed with empty comfort; "The emperor at present was engaged; Some other time he would attend to us!"
I turned away, and pa.s.sing through the hall, With heavy heart in a recess I saw The Grand Duke John [18] in tears, and by his side The n.o.ble lords of Wart and Tegerfeld, Who beckoned me, and said, "Redress yourselves.
Expect not justice from the emperor.
Does he not plunder his own brother"s child, And keep from him his just inheritance?"
The duke claims his maternal property, Urging he"s now of age, and "tis full time That he should rule his people and dominions; What is the answer made to him? The king Places a chaplet on his head: "Behold, The fitting ornament," he cries, "of youth!"
MAUER.
You hear. Expect not from the emperor Or right, or justice. Then redress yourselves!
REDING.