登陆注册
5152000000014

第14章

Disguised in pilgrim's weeds I entered it;I saw the Viceroy feasting at his board--Judge if I'm master of myself or no!

I saw the tyrant, and I slew him not!

STAUFF.

Fortune, indeed, upon your boldness smiled.

[Meanwhile the others have arrived and join Melchthal and Stauffacher.]

Yet tell me now, I pray, who are the friends, The worthy men, who came along with you?

Make me acquainted with them, that we may Speak frankly, man to man, and heart to heart.

MEYER.

In the three Cantons, who, sir, knows not you?

Meyer of Sarnen is my name; and this Is Struth of Winkelried, my sister's son.

STAUFF.

No unknown name.A Winkelried it was, Who slew the dragon in the fen at Weiler, And lost his life in the encounter, too.

WINK.

That, Master Stauffacher, was my grandfather.

MELCH.(pointing to two peasants).

These two are men who till the cloister lands Of Engelberg, and live behind the forest.

You'll not think ill of them, because they're serfs, And sit not free upon the soil, like us.

They love the land, and bear a good repute.

STAUFF.(to them).

Give me your hands.He has good cause for thanks, That to no man his body's service owes.

But worth is worth, no matter where 'tis found.

HUNN.

That is Herr Reding, sir, our old Landamman.

MEYER.

I know him well.I am at law with him About a piece of ancient heritage.

Herr Reding, we are enemies in court, Here we are one.

[Shakes his hand.]

STAUFF.

That's well and bravely said.

WINK.

Listen! They come.The horn of Uri! Hark!

[On the right and left armed men are seen descending the rocks with torches.]

MAUER.

Look, is not that the holy man of God?

A worthy priest! The terrors of the night, And the way's pains and perils scare not him, A faithful shepherd caring for his flock.

BAUM.

The Sacrist follows him, and Walter Furst.

But where is Tell? I do not see him there.

[Walter Furst, Rosselmann the Pastor, Petermann the Sacrist, Kuoni the Shepherd, Werni the Huntsman, Ruodi the Fisherman, and five other countrymen, thirty-three in all, advance and take their places round the fire.]

FURST.

Thus must we, on the soil our fathers left us, Creep forth by stealth to meet like murderers, And in the night, that should her mantle lend Only to crime and black conspiracy, Assert our own good rights, which yet are clear As is the radiance of the noonday sun.

MELCH.

So be it.What is hatch'd in gloom of night Shall free and boldly meet the morning light.

ROSSEL.

Confederates! Listen to the words which God Inspires my heart withal.Here we are met, To represent the general weal.In us Are all the people of the land convened.

Then let us hold the Diet, as of old, And as we're wont in peaceful times to do.

The time's necessity be our excuse, If there be aught informal in this meeting.

Still, wheresoe'er men strike for justice, there Is God, and now beneath His heav'n we stand.

STAUFF.

'Tis well advised.--Let us, then, hold the Diet, According to our ancient usages.--Though it be night, there's sunshine in our cause.

MELCH.

Few though our numbers be, the hearts are here Of the whole people; here the BEST are met.

HUNN.

The ancient books may not be near at hand, Yet are they graven in our inmost hearts.

ROSSEL.

'Tis well.And now, then, let a ring be formed, And plant the swords of power within the ground.[*]

[*] It was the custom at the Meetings of the Landes Gemeinde, or Diet, to set swords upright in the ground as emblems of authority.

MAUER.

Let the Landamman step into his place, And by his side his secretaries stand.

SACRIST.

There are three Cantons here.Which hath the right To give the head to the united Council?

Schwytz may contest that dignity with Uri, We Unterwald'ners enter not the field.

MELCH.

We stand aside.We are but suppliants here, Invoking aid from our more potent friends.

STAUFF.

Let Uri have the sword.Her banner takes, In battle, the precedence of our own.

FURST.

Schwytz, then, must share the honour of the sword;For she's the honoured ancestor of all.

ROSSEL.

Let me arrange this generous controversy.

Uri shall lead in battle--Schwytz in Council.

FURST.(gives Stauffacher his hand).

Then take your place.

STAUFF.

Not I.Some older man.

HOFE.

Ulrich, the smith, is the most aged here.

MAUER.

A worthy man, but not a freeman; no!--

No bondman can be judge in Switzerland.

STAUFF.

Is not Herr Reding here, our old Landamman?

Where can we find a worthier man than he?

FURST.

Let him be Amman and the Diet's chief!

You that agree with me, hold up your hands!

[All hold up their right hands.]

REDING.(stepping into the center).

I cannot lay my hands upon the books;

But by yon everlasting stars I swear, Never to swerve from justice and the right.

[The two swords are placed before him, and a circle formed; Schwytz in the centre, Uri on his right, Unterwald on his left.]

REDING.(resting on his battle sword).

Why, at the hour when spirits walks the earth, Meet the three Cantons of the mountains here, Upon the lake's inhospitable shore?

What may the purport be of this new league We here contract beneath the starry heaven?

STAUFF.(entering the circle).

'Tis no new league that here we now contract, But one fathers framed, in ancient times, We purpose to renew! For know, confederates, Though mountain ridge and lake divide our bounds, And each Canton by its own laws is ruled, Yet are we but one race, born of one blood, And all are children of one common home.

WINK.

Is then the burden of our legends true, That we came hither from a distant land?

Oh, tell us what you know, that our new league May reap fresh vigour from the leagues of old.

STAUFF.

Hear, then, what aged herdsmen tell.There dwelt A mighty people in the land that lies Back to the north.The scourge of famine came;And in this strait 'twas publicly resolved, That each tenth man, on whom the lot might fall, Should leave the country.They obey'd--and forth, With loud lamentings, men and women went, A mighty host; and to the south moved on.

同类推荐
  • 天台林公辅先生文集

    天台林公辅先生文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三姓山川纪

    三姓山川纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 通幽诀

    通幽诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上玉清谢罪登真宝忏

    太上玉清谢罪登真宝忏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 拟太平策序

    拟太平策序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 皇明异典述

    皇明异典述

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易道天书

    易道天书

    买半打啤酒居然送了本修行的天书?这不叫运气,而叫命运!从买酒的那天起,毕业不久的青年杨林森,便从此踏上了追逐远方的道路。可是,远方有什么呢?事业?金钱?美女?权力?不!这些绝不会成为他的目标,因为它们只不过是迈向远方时,沿途连绵不绝的风景罢了……如果你在找一个幽默、感动、励志、热血,还充满了人生感悟的故事……没错,请点开它,让我们一同进入那真实而奇幻的世界吧!
  • Tartuffe

    Tartuffe

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高上神霄玉清真王紫书大法

    高上神霄玉清真王紫书大法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 不度天

    不度天

    顺天而行,逆天而亡,然,何谓天?天行何有道?冥冥之中是否真的存在无意识的定数?
  • 成神修炼记

    成神修炼记

    王朝朝夕间被人毁灭,享尽人间富贵的皇子落荒而逃,在四面楚歌的环境下,皇子战战兢兢,同时却又迅速的成为强者,最终报仇雪恨。
  • 抱歉,你真的惹不起

    抱歉,你真的惹不起

    直到22岁那年,公司成了隔壁老王的,高富帅成了土穷渣,兄弟被人踩在脚下。叶凡终于忍无可忍,我只想做个好人,为什么要逼我!书友群:559670020
  • 鬣狗告白

    鬣狗告白

    本书是“动物王国探险系列”丛书中的一册。在这本书里,你将继续跟随少儿科考队。这次他们将到达的地方是非洲之旅的第二站。在这里,少儿科考队主要向你介绍一种动物,那就是鬣狗。鬣狗是啥动物?相信多数小朋友还是第一次听说。想认识它,那就接下来听听它的故事吧。
  • 灵武

    灵武

    吞噬神鼎,可吞天下灵气,噬万物精华!山贼喽啰徐鸿偶得此鼎,从此告别了炮灰生涯,踏上逆天之路!任你高阶又如何?只要擦破点皮,吸你寿元让你立刻暴毙!以一对万又怎样?吞敌人灵气为己用,越战越勇无人可敌!小小山贼异军突起,且看徐鸿如何登临灵武巅峰!
  • 破冰

    破冰

    在金融改革的进程中,如何有效防控可能发生的金融风险,是深化改革成败的关键。作者在对我国金融业的实际情况进行分析的基础上,提出改革中应该特别注意的6个风险。其中包括:总体债务水平提高隐含的潜在风险;产能过剩加大的企业债务风险;房地产市场分化加剧形成的系统性风险;地方政府过度举债所造成的还本付利风险;网上银行与虚拟货币可能造成的风险;财政金融问题交织出现的综合风险。应该说,这6个风险的确是制约我国金融改革的主要障碍,也是金融改革需要解决的主要问题,作者据此所提的一些具体看法和建议,国家有关部门应高度关注。