Enter STRANGER.

Stran. Seeing a light,

I e'en made bold to knock, to ask for shelter;

For I have missed my way.

Emma. Whence come you', friend' î
Stran. From Altorf.

Emma. Altorf'! Any news from thence'?

Stran. Ay'! News to harrow parents' hearts, and mak The barren bless themselves that they are childless! Emma. May Heaven preserve my boy!

Melch. What say'st thy news?

Stran. Art thou not Melchtal-he whose eyes, 'tis said,

The tyrant has torn out'?

Melch. Yes, friend', the same.

Stran. Is this thy cottage'?

Melch. No'; tis William Tell's.

Stran. 'Tis William Tell's-and that's his wife-GoodEmma. (Rushing between him and the door.) [night. Thou stirr'st not hence until thy news be told!

Stran. My news! In sooth 'tis nothing thou wouldst heed. Emma. 'Tis something none should heed so well as I! Stran. I must be gone.

Emma. Thou seest a tigress, friend,

Spoiled of her mate and young, and yearning for them.
Don't thwart her! Come, thy news! What fear'st thou, man?
What more hath she to dread, who reads thy looks,

And knows the most has come? Thy news! Is't bondage'?
Stran. It is.

Emma. Thank Heaven, it is not death! Of one Or two?

Stran. Of two.

Emma. A father and a son,

Is't not?

Stran. It is.

Emma. My husband and my son

Are in the tyrant's power! There's worse than that !
What's that is news to harrow parents' breasts,
The which the thought to only tell, 'twould seem,
Drives back the blood to thine ?-Thy news, I say!
Wouldst thou be merciful, this is not mercy!
Wast thou the mark, friend, of the bowman's aim,,
Wouldst thou not have the fatal arrow speed,
Rather than watch it hanging in the string?
Thou'lt drive me mad! Let fly at once!

Melch. Thy news from Altorf, friend, whate'er it is!
Stran. To save himself and child from certain death,
Tell is to hit an apple, to be placed

Upon the stripling's head.

'.

Melch. My child! my child!

Speak to me! Stranger, has thou killed her?
Emma. No!

No', father'. I'm the wife of William Tell;

Oh, but to be a man! to have an arm

་

To fit a heart swelling with the sense of wrong!,
Unnatural-insufferable wrong!.

When makes the tyrant trial of his skill?,

Emma. Spirit of the lake and hill, '

Inspire thy daughter! On the head of him.

Who makes his pastime of a mother's pangs,'

Launch down thy vengeance by a mother's hand. '

Know'st the signal when the hills shall rise'? (To Melchtal.} Melch. Are they to rise'?

Emma. I see thou knowest naught. '

་

Stran. Something's on foot! 'Twas only yesterday, ' That, traveling from our canton, I espied

Slow toiling up a steep, a mountaineer/
Of brawny limb, upon his back a load. /
Of fagots bound. Curious to see what end'
Was worthy of such labor, after him

I took the cliff; and saw its lofty top

Receive his load, which went but to augment'
A pile of many another. '

Emma. 'Tis by fire!'

Fire is the signal for the hills to rise! (Rushes out.)
Melch. Went she not forth?'

Stran. She did,-she's here again,'

And brings with her a lighted brand. '

Melch. My child;

What dost thou with a lighted brand?

(Re-enter EMMA with a brand.) '

Emma. Prepare

To give the signal for the hills to rise!"

Melch. Where are the fagots, child, for such a blaze?
Emma. I'll find the fagots, father.. (Exit.)

Melch. She's gone

Again!

Stran. She is,-I think into her chamber.

Emma. (Rushing in.)—Father, the pile is fired! ›

Melch. What pile, my child?

Emma. The joists and rafters of our cottage, father! Melch. Thou hast not fired thy cottage ?--but thou hast ;

Alas, I hear the crackling of the flames!!

Emma. Say'st thou, alas! when I do say, thank Heaven.) Father, this blaze will set the land a-blaze

With fire that shall preserve, and not destroy it.

(f) Blaze on! BLAZE ON! Oh, may'st thou be a beacon / To light its sons enslaved to liberty ↳

How fast it spreads! A spirit's in the fire:

It knows the work it does.—(Goes to the door, and opens it.)

Yonder's another blaze!

Another up!-Anon will

The land is free!

Beyond that, shoots

every hill

Redden with vengeance!

Father, come! Whate'er

Betides us, worse we're certain can't befall,
And better may! Oh, be it liberty,-

Safe hearts and homes, husbands and children!

Come,

It spreads apace. (ff.) Blaze on-blaze on—BLAZE ON!

QUESTIONS.-1. What rule for the rising inflection on father? See Note I., page 32. 2. What rule for the falling inflection on no? See rule I., page 28.

LESSON XCII.

HON OR A BLE nobie; illustrious

INTEL LECT, mind; understanding.
SCORE, account; motive.

CLEVER, skillful; expert.

So' CIAL, familiar.

92

CON FUSION, fuss; tumuit Lence.
CON DE SCEN' SION, lowliness; defer-
COM PRE HEN'SION, understanding.

1 CRŒE SUS, a very wealthy king of ancient Lydia, in Asia Minor, was born about 591 before Christ.

THE RICH MAN AND THE POOR MAN.

KHEMNITZER.

1. So goes the world';-if wealthy, you may call This friend, that--brother';-friends and brothers all Though you are worthless, witless, -never mind it; You may have been a stable-boy,-what then? 'Tis wealth, my friends, makes honorable men. You seek respect, no doubt, and you will find it.

2. But, if you are poor', heaven help you! though your sire
Had royal blood in him', and though you
Possess the intellect of angels too,

'Tis all in vain';-the world will ne'er inquire
On such a score' :—why should it take the pains?
'Tis easier to weigh purses', sure, than brains'.

8. I once saw a poor fellow, keen and clever, Witty and wise'; he paid a man a visit, And no one noticed him', and no one ever

4.

Gave him a welcome'. "Strange," cried I', "whence is it`?" He walked on this side', then on that',

He tried to introduce a social chat`; Now here', now there', in vain he tried'; Some formally and freezingly replied,

And some said by their silence,-"Better stay at home."

A rich man burst the door,

As Croesus' rich;-I'm sure

He could not pride himself upon his wit';
And, as for wisdom, he had none of it';
He had what's better',—he had wealth.

What a confusion !-all stand up erect,-
These crowd around to ask him of his health;
These bow in honest duty and respect;
And these arrange a sofa or a chair,
And these conduct him there.

"Allow me, sir, the honor';"--Then a bow
Down to the earth'.-Is't possible to show
Meet gratitude for such kind condescension'?

5. The poor man hung his head, And to himself he said,

"This is indeed beyond my comprehension:"