The ancient foe of Caledonia's land

Now waves his banner o'er her frighted fields:
Suspend your purpose till your country's arms
Repel the bold invader; then decide

The private quarrel.

Glen. I agree to this.

Norv. And I.

Glen. Norval,

[Lord Randolph retires.]

Let not our variance mar the social hour,

Nor wrong the hospitality of Randolph.

Nor frowning anger, nor yet wrinkled hate,

Shall stain my countenance. Smooth thou thy brow;
Nor let our strife disturb the gentle dame.

Norv. Think not so lightly, sir, of my resentment;

When we contend again, our strife is mortal.

XI.-GESLER, SARNEM, WILLIAM TELL, AND HIS SON ALBERT.J. S. Knowles.

Sar. Down, slave, upon thy knees, before the governor,

And beg for mercy.

Ges. Does he hear?

Sar. He does, but braves thy power. Down, slave, [To Tell] And ask for life.

Ges. [To Tell.] Why speak'st thou not?

Tell. For wonder.

Ges. Wonder?

Tell. Yes, that thou shouldst seem a man.
Ges. What should I seem?

Tell. A monster.

Ges. Ha! Beware!--think on thy chains.

Tell. Though they were doubled, and did weigh me down Prostrate to earth, methinks I could rise up

Erect, with nothing but the honest pride

Of telling thee, usurper, to thy teeth,
Thou art a monster.-Think on my chains!
How came they on me?

Ges. Darest thou question me?

Tell. Darest thou answer?

Ges. Beware my vengeance.
Tell. Can it more than kill?
Ges. And is not that enough?
Tell. No, not enough:-

It cannot take away the grace of life—

The comeliness of look that virtue gives-

Its port erect, with consciousness of truth

Its rich attire of honourable deeds-

Its fair report that's rife on good men's tongues:-
It cannot lay its hand on these, no more

Than it can pluck his brightness from the sun,

Or with polluted finger tarnish it.

Ges. But it may make thee writhe.

Tell. It may, and I may say,

"Go on!" though it should make me groan again.

Ges. Whence comest thou?

Tell. From the mountains.

Ges. Canst tell me any news from them?
Tell. Ay;-they watch no more the avalanche.
Ges. Why so?

Tell. Because they look for thee. The hurricane
Comes unawares upon them: from its bed

The torrent breaks, and finds them in its track-
Ges. What then?

Tell. They thank kind Providence it is not thou !--
Thou hast perverted nature in them. The earth
Presents her fruits to them, and is not thanked.
The harvest sun is constant, and they scarce
Return his smile. Their flocks and herds increase,
And they look on, as men who count a loss.
There's not a blessing Heaven vouchsafes them, but
The thought of thee doth wither to a curse-
As something they must lose, and had far better
Lack.

Ges. 'Tis well. I'd have them as their hills
That never smile, though wanton summer tempt
Them e'er so much.

Tell. But they do sometimes smile.

Ges. Ah!--when is that?

Tell. When they do pray for vengeance.

Ges. Dare they pray for that?

Tell. They dare, and they expect it, too.
Ges. From whence?

Tell. From Heaven, and their true hearts.
Ges. [To Sarnem] Lead in his son.

Now will I take

Exquisite vengeance. [To Tell, as the Boy enters.] I have destined

him

To die along with thee.

Tell. To die! for what? he's but a child.

Ges. He's thine, however.

Tell. He is an only child!

Ges. So much the easier to crush the race.

Tell. He may have a mother!

Ges. So the viper hath

And yet who spares it for the mother's sake?

Tell. I talk to stone. I'll talk to it no more!
Come, my boy, I taught thee how to live,-
I'll teach thee how to die.

Ges. But first, I'd see thee make

A trial of thy skill with that same bow.

Thy arrows never miss, 'tis said.

Tell. What is the trial?

Ges. Thou look'st upon thy boy as though thou guessest it. Tell. Look upon my boy! What mean you?

Look upon my boy as though I guessed it!—

Guessed at the trial thou wouldst have me make !-

Guessed it-instinctively! Thou dost not mean

No, no-Thou wouldst not have me make

A trial of my skill upon my child?
Impossible! I do not guess thy meaning.

Ges. I'd see thee hit an apple on his head, Three hundred paces off.

Tell. Great Heaven!

Ges. On this condition only will I spare His life and thine.

Tell. Ferocious monster! make a father Murder his own child!

Ges. Dost thou consent?

Tell. With his own hand!

The hand I've led him when an infant by!
My hands are free from blood, and have no gust
For it, that they should drink my child's.
I'll not murder my boy for Gesler!

Boy. You will not hit me, father. You'll be sure
To hit the apple. Will you not save me, father?
Tell. Lead me forth--I'll make the trial.
Boy. Father-

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,
And heaven, unless its thunder muttered at

The deed, and sent a bolt to stop it.

Give me my bow and quiver.

Ges. When all is ready.

Sarnem, measure hence

The distance--three hundred paces.

Tell. Will he do it fairly?

Ges. What is't to thee, fairly or not?

Tell. (Sarcastically.) O, nothing, a little thing!

A very little thing! I only shoot

re.]

At my child! [Sarnem prepares to measure.
Villain, stop! You measure 'gainst the sun.

Ges. And what of that?

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 will not shoot against the sun.

Ges. Give him his way. [Sarnem paces and goes out.]
Tell. I should like to see the apple I must hit.

Ges. [Picks out the smallest one.] There, take that.
Tell. You've picked the smallest one.

Ges. I know I have. Thy skill will be

The greater if thou hittest it.

Tell. [Sarcastically.] True

true! I did not think of that

I wonder I did not think of that. A larger one

Had given me a chance to save my boy.

Give me my bow. Let me see my quiver.

Ges. Give him a single arrow. [To an attendant.]

[Tell looks at it and breaks it.]

Tell. Let me see my quiver. It is not

One arrow in a dozen I would use

To shoot with at a dove, much less a dove

Like that.

Ges. Show him the quiver.

[Sarnem returns, and takes the apple and the boy to place them. While

this is doing, Tell conceals an arrow under his garment. He then select. another arrow, and says]

Tell. Is the boy ready? Keep silence now
For Heaven's sake, and be my witnesses,
That, if his life's in peril from my hand,
"Tis only for the chance of saving it.

For mercy's sake keep motionless and silent!

[He aims and shoots in the direction of the boy. In a moment Sarnem enters with the apple on the arrow's point.]

Sarnem. The boy is safe.

Tell. [Raising his arms.] Thank Heaven!

[As he raises his arms the concealed arrow falls.]

Ges. [Picking it up.] Unequalled archer!-why was this concealed?

Tell. To kill thee, tyrant, had I slain my boy.

XII. THE BANISHMENT OF CATILINE.-Croly.

Cicero. Fathers and Senators-no need for further proof
Of this rebellion. Lucius Catiline

Has been commanded to attend the senate.
He dares not come.

I now demand your votes,

Is he condemned to exile?

[Catiline enters hastily, and takes a seat.]
Here I repeat the charge, to gods and men,
Of treasons manifold;--that but this day,
He has received despatches from the rebels--
That he has leagued with deputies from Gaul
To seize the province; nay, has levied troops,
And raised his rebel standard ;--that but now
A meeting of conspirators was held

Under his roof, with mystic rites and oaths,
Pledged round the body of a murdered slave.-
To these he has no answer.

Catiline. Conscript Fathers!

I do not rise to waste the night in words;
Let that plebeian talk, 'tis not my trade:

But here I stand for right. Let him show proofs !--
For Roman right; though none it seems dare stand
To take their share with me. Ay, cluster there,
Cling to your master; judges--Romans--slaves!
His charge is false;-I dare him to his proofs.
You have my answer now! I must be gone.

Cic. Bring back the armour of the Gaulish king;
Which, as I told you, was this evening seized
Within his house. You know them, Catiline?

Cat. The axe and helmet of the Allobroges! (aside)
Know them! What crimination's there? what tongue
Lives in that helm to charge me? Cicero--
Go search my house, you may find twenty such,
All fairly struck from brows of barbarous kings,
When you and yours were plotting here in Rome.
say, go search my house. And is this all?

I

I scorn to tell you by what chance they came.-
Where have I levied troops--tampered with slaves

حال

Bribed fool or villain to embark his neck
In this rebellion? Let my actions speak.

Cic. Deeds shall convince you! Has the traitor done?
Cat. But this I will avow, that I have scorned,
And still do scorn, to hide my sense of wrong:
Who brands me on the forehead, breaks my sword,
Or lays the bloody scourge upon my back,
Can't wrong me half so much as he who shuts
The gates of honour on me--turning out
The Roman from his birthright; and for what?--
To fling your offices to every slave-

Vipers that creep where man disdains to climb;
And having wound their loathsome track to the top
Of this huge mouldering monument of Rome,
Hang hissing at the noble man below.

Cic. This is his answer! Must I bring more proofs ?
Fathers, you know there lives not one of us
But is in peril of his midnight sword.

Lists of proscription have been handed round,
In which your general properties are made
Your murderer's hire. Bring in the prisoners.

[Cethegus and the conspirators are brought in by the Lictors, who deliver several papers to Cicero.]

Cat. Cethegus! (aside.)

Cic. Fathers! those stains to their high name and blood
Came to my house to murder me; and came

Suborned by him.

Cat. Cethegus! did you say this?
Cethegus.

Not I. I went to kill

A prating, proud plebeian, whom those fools
Palmed on the consulship.

Cic.

And sent by whom?
Ceth. By none.-By nothing but my zeal to purge
The senate of yourself, most learned Cicero !

Cic. Fathers of Rome! If man can be convinced
By proof as clear as daylight, there it stands !
Those men have been arrested at the gates,
Bearing despatches to raise war in Gaul.
Look on these letters! Here's a deep laid plot
To wreck the province; a solemn league,

Made with all form and circumstance. The time

Is desperate,all the slaves are up ;--Rome shakes!
The heavens alone can tell how near our graves

We stand even here!--The name of Catiline

Is foremost in the league. He was their king.—

Tried and convicted traitor, go from Rome!

Cat. Come, consecrated lictors! from your thrones;
Fling down your sceptres-take the rod and axe,
And make the murder as you make the law.
Cic. Give up the record of his banishment.

To a lictor. The lictor gives it to the Consul.]
(The Consul reads.) "Lucius Sergius Catiline, by the de-
cree of the Senate, you are declared a traitor, an enemy
and an alien to the State, and banished from the territory
of the Commonwealth."