FURST. No. Rather be preserved; 'Twas once the instrument of despots--now 'Twill of our freedom be a lasting sign. [Peasants, men, women, and children, some standing, others sitting upon the beams of the shattered scaffold, all picturesquely grouped, in a large semicircle.] MELCH. Thus now, my friends, with light and merry hearts, We stand upon the wreck of tyranny; And gloriously the work has been fulfilled, Which we at Rootli pledged ourselves to do. FURST. No, not fulfilled. The work is but begun: Courage and concord firm, we need them both; For, be assured, the king will make all speed, To avenge his Viceroy's death, and reinstate, By force of arms, the tyrant we've expelled. MELCH. Why let him come, with all his armaments! The foe's expelled, that press'd us from within. The foe without we are prepared to meet! RUODI. The passes to our Cantons are but few; These with our bodies we will block, we will! BAUM. Knit are we by a league will ne'er be rent, And all his armies shall not make us quail. [Enter Rosselmann and Stauffacher.] ROSSEL. (speaking as he enters). These are the awful judgments of the Lord! PEAS. What is the matter? ROSSEL. In what times we live! FURST. Say on, what is't? Ha, Werner, is it you? What tidings? PEAS. What's the matter? ROSSEL. Hear and wonder! STAUFF. We are released from one great cause of dread. ROSSEL. The Emperor is murdered. FURST. Gracious Heaven! [Peasants rise up and throng round Stauffacher.] ALL. Murder'd!--the Emp'ror? What! The Emp'ror! Hear! MELCH. Impossible! How came you by the news? STAUFF. 'Tis true! Near Bruck, by the assassin's hand, King Albert fell. A most trustworthy man, John Muller, from Schaffhausen, brought the news. FURST. Who dared commit so horrible a deed? STAUFF. The doer makes the deed more dreadful still; It was his nephew, his own brother's son, Duke John of Austria, who struck the blow. MELCH. What drove him to so dire a parricide? STAUFF. The Emp'ror kept his patrimony back, Despite his urgent importunities; 'Twas said, he meant to keep it for himself, And with a mitre to appease the duke. However this may be, the duke gave ear To the ill counsel of his friends in arms: And with the noble lords, Von Eschenbach, Von Tegerfeld, Von Wart and Palm, resolved, Since his demands for justice were despised, With his own hands to take revenge at least. FURST. But say--the dreadful deed, how was it done?