網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

And I left them with their dearest- dearest charge had every oneLeft the maiden with her over, left the mother with her son.

I alone of all was mateless

far more wretched I than they,

For the snow would not discover where my lord and husband lay.
But I wandered up the valley, till I found him lying low,
With the gash upon his bosom, and the frown upon his brow
Till I found him lying murdered where he wooed me long ago!

Woman's weakness shall not shame me - why should I have tears to shed?

Could I rain them down like water, O my hero! on thy head —
Could the cry of lamentation wake thee from thy silent sleep,
Could it set thy heart a-throbbing, it were mine to wail and weep!
But I will not waste my sorrow, lest the Campbell women say
That the daughters of Clanranald are as weak and frail as they.
I had wept thee, hadst thou fallen, like our fathers, on thy shield,
When a host of English foemen camped upon a Scottish field—
I had mourned thee, hadst thou perished with the foremost of his
name,

When the valiant and the noble died around the dauntless Græme!
But I will not wrong thee, husband, with my unavailing cries,
Whilst thy cold and mangled body, stricken by the traitor, lies;
Whilst he counts the gold and glory that this hideous night has won,
And his heart is big with triumph at the murder he has done.
Other eyes than mine shall glisten, other hearts be rent in twain,
Ere the heath-bells on thy hillock wither in the autumn rain.
Then I'll seek thee where thou sleepest, and I'll veil my weary

head,

Praying for a place beside thee, dearer than my bridal-bed :

And I'll give thee tears, my husband, if the tears remain to me, When the widows of the foeman cry the coronach for thee!

[blocks in formation]

[JAMES SHERIDAN KnowlES was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1784, and died in 1862. He was the author of "The Hunchback," "Virginius,” “William Tell," "The Wife," and several other plays, some of which have been highly successful. He was originally an actor and teacher of elocution, but in his latter years he was a zealous and eloquent preacher of the Baptist denomination. The following extract is from "William Tell," a play founded on the leading

Incidents in the life of the Swiss patriot of that name. Gesler, (pronounced Gĕs'ler,) is the Austrian governor of Switzerland, and Sarnem one of his officers.]

5

[WILLIAM TELL, ALBERT, AND GESLER.]

GESLER. What is 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

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

15

20

Exquisite vengeance!- Mark! I'll spare thy life-
Thy boy's too - both of you are free

Condition.

TELL. Name it.

GES. I would see you make

on one

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 проп
My boy as though I guessed it!-Guessed the trial
You'd have me make ! - Guessed it

25 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

30 Thee hit an apple at the distance of A hundred paces.

TELL. Is my boy to hold it?

GES. No.

5

10

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. O monster!

GES. Wilt thou do it?

ALBERT. He will! he will!

TELL. Ferocious monster! — Make

A father murder his own child.

GES. Take off

15 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.

20 they do.]

Tell all the time unconscious what

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.

25 Amazement! [His chains fall off:] What's that you've

30

done to me.

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 not
Murder my boy for Gesler.

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]

or, 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

[ocr errors][merged small]

Of thee, and cleave thy mother's heart

GES. Dost thou consent?

TELL. Give me my bow and quiver.

GES. For what?

TELL. To shoot my boy!

ALB. No, father- no!

[ocr errors]

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!
You know for what?

Do

I will not make the trial,

15 To take him to his mother in my arms,

20

And lay him down a corpse before her!
GES. Then he dies this moment.

and

you certainly

you

have a chance

Do murder him whose life
To save, and will not use it.

TELL. Well I'll do it: I'll make the trial.

ALB. Father

[ocr errors]

TELL. Speak not to me:

Let me not hear thy voice

Thou must be dumb;

And so should all things be-Earth should be dumb.

25 And Heaven - unless its thunders muttered at

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

[blocks in formation]

5

XCIX. SAME SUBJECT, CONCLUDED.

PERSONS.

Enter, slowly, People in evident distress Officers, Sarnem, Gesler, Tell, Albert, and Soldiersone 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.

A

TELL. Is the line a true one?

GES. True or not, what is 't to thee?

TELL. What is 't to me? A little thing,

very little thing- a yard or two

Is nothing here or there were it a wolf

I shot at ! Never mind.

[ocr errors]

GES. Be thankful, slave,

10 Our grace accords thee life on any terms.

15

20

25

TELL. I will be thankful, Gesler! — Villain, stop!

You measure to the sun.

GES. And what of that?

[ocr errors]

What matter whether to or from the sun?

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 to shoot at.

GES. Stay! show me the basket! - there―

TELL. You've picked the smallest one.

GES. I know I have.

TELL. O! do you?

But you see

The color on 't is dark-I'd have it light,

To see it better.

« 上一頁繼續 »