University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

Enter Arnoldus, who talks apart with Gustavus.
1st Dale.
How my Blood boils!

2d Dale.
Who is this honest Spokesman?

3d Dale.
What, know ye not Rodolphus of the Mines?
A better Lab'rer ne'er struck Steel to Stone.

Gust.
There was a Time, my Friends! a glorious Time;
When, had a single Man of your Forefathers
Upon the Frontier met a Host in Arms,
His Courage scarce had turn'd; himself had stood,
Alone had stood the Bulwark of his Country.
Your Sires were known but by their manly Fronts,
On their black Brows, enthron'd, sat Liberty,
The Awe of Honour, and Contempt of Death.

1st Dale.
We are not Bastards.

2d Dale.
No.

3d Dale.
We're Dalecarlians.

Gust.
Come, come ye on then: Here I take my Stand!
Here on the Brink, the very Verge of Liberty;
Altho' Contention rise upon the Clouds,
Mix Heav'n with Earth, and roll the Ruin onward;
Here will I fix, and breast me to the Shock,
'Till I, or Denmark fall.

Siv.
And who art thou?
That thus wou'dst swallow all the Glory up
That shou'd redeem the Times? Behold this Breast,
The Sword has till'd it; and the Stripes of Slaves
Shall ne'er trace Honour here; shall never blot
The fair Inscription—Never shall the Cords
Of Danish Insolence bind down these Arms
That bore my royal Master from the Field.

Gust.
Ha! Say you, Brother? Were you there—O Grief!
Where Liberty and Stenon fell together?

Siv.
Yes, I was there—A bloody Field it was,
Where Conquest gasp'd, and wanted Breath to tell,
Its o'er-toil'd Triumph. There, our bleeding King,
There Stenon on this Bosom made his Bed,
And rolling back his dying Eyes upon me;
Soldier, he cried, if e'er it be thy Lot
To see my valiant Cousin, great Gustavus,
Tell him—for once, that I have fought like him,
And wou'd like him have—
Conquer'd—he shou'd have said—but there, O there,
Death sto—pt him short.

Gust.
Come to my Arms, and let me hide thy Tears,
For I have caught their Softness—O Danes, Danes!
You shall weep Blood for this. Shall they not, Brother?
Yes, we will deal our Might with thrifty Vengeance,
A Life for ev'ry Blow, and when we fall,
There shall be Weight in't; like the tott'ring Tow'rs
That draw contiguous Ruin.

Siv.
Brave, brave Man!
My Soul admires thee—By my Father's Spirit,
I wou'd not barter such a Death as this
For Immortality! Nor we alone—
Here be the trusty Gleanings of that Field
Where last we fought for Freedom; here's rich Poverty,
Tho' wrapp'd in Rags, my fifty brave Companions;
Who thro' the Force of fifteen thousand Foes
Bore off their King, and sav'd his great Remains.

Gust.
Give me your Hands, those valiant Hands—Why, Captain,
We could but die alone, with these we'll conquer.
My fellow Lab'rers too—What say ye, Friends?
Shall we not strike for't?

All.
Death; Victory or Death!
No Bonds, no Bonds!

Arn.
Spoke like yourselves—Ye Men of Dalecarlia,
Brave Men and bold! Whom ev'ry future Age,
Tongues, Nations, Languages, and Rolls of Fame
Shall mark for wond'rous Deeds, Atchievements won
From Honour's dang'rous Summit, Warriors all!
Say, might ye chuse a Chief, for high Exploits,
From the first Annal, to the latest Praise
That breathes a Hero's Name—Speak, name the Man
Who then should meet your Wish?

Siv.
Forbear the Theme.
Why wou'dst thou seek to sink us with the Weight
Of grievous Recollection? O Gustavus!
Cou'd the dead wake, thou wert that Man of Men,
First of the Foremost.

Gust.
Didst thou know Gustavus?

Siv.
Know him! O Heav'n! what else, who else was worth
The Knowledge of a Soldier? That great Day,
When Cristiern, in his third Attempt on Sweden,
Had sum'd his Pow'rs and weigh'd the Scale of Fight:
On the bold Brink, the very Push of Conquest,
Gustavus rush'd, and bore the Battle down;
In his full Sway of Prowess, like Leviathan
That scoops his foaming Progress on the Main,
And drives the Shoals along—forward I sprung,
All emulous, and lab'ring to attend him;
Fear fled before, behind him Rout grew loud,
And distant Wonder gaz'd—At length he turn'd,
And having ey'd me with a wond'rous Look
Of Sweetness mix'd with Glory—Grace inestimable!
He pluck'd this Bracelet from his conq'ring Arm
And bound it here—My Wrist seem'd treble nerv'd;
My Heart spoke to him, and I did such Deeds
As best might thank him—But from that bless'd Day
I never saw him more—yet still to this,
I bow, as to the Relicks of my Saint:
Each Morn I drop a Tear on ev'ry Bead,
Count all the Glories of Gustavus o'er,
And think I still behold him.

Gust.
Rightly thought;
For so thou dost, my Soldier.
Give me my Arms—Off, off ye dark Disguises!
For I will be myself. Behold your General,
Gustavus! Come once more to lead ye on
To laurel'd Victory, to Fame, to Freedom!

1st Dale.
Is it?

2d Dale.
Yes.

3d Dale.
No.

4th Dale.
'Tis he!

5th Dale.
'Tis he!

6th Dale.
'Tis he!

[A Shout.
Siv.
Strike me, ye Pow'rs!—It is Illusion all!
It cannot.

Gust.
What, no nearer?

Siv.
'Tis, it is!—

[Falls and embraces his Knees.
Gust.
O speechless Eloquence!
Rise to my Arms, my Friend.

Siv.
Friend! said you Friend?
O my Heart's Lord! My Conq'rer! my!—

Gust.
Approach, my fellow Soldiers, your Gustavus
Claims no Precedence here: Friendship like mine
Throws all Respects behind it—'tis enough—
I read your Joys, your Transports in your Eyes;
And wou'd, O, wou'd I had a Life to spend,
For ev'ry Soldier here! whose ev'ry Life's
Far dearer than my own; dearer than aught,
Except your Liberty, except your Honour.
Perish Gustavus, 'ere this sacred Sun,
That lights the rest of Sweden to their Shame,
Should blush upon your Chains! why said I Chains!
To Souls like yours, I should have talk'd of Triumphs,
Empire, and Fame, and Hazards imminent,
Occasions wish'd, for Glory—haste, brave Men!
Collect your Friends to join us on the Instant;
Summon our Brethren to their Share of Conquest,
And let loud Eccho, from her circling Hills,
Sound Freedom, 'till the Undulation shake
The Bounds of utmost Sweden.

[Exeunt Dalecarlians, crying Gustavus, Gustavus, Liberty.