The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-12-04

WILLIAM TELL AT HoME-HE Is PROVED TO BE
A MYTH.-The Cologne Gazette IN reporting the
proceedings at the recent meeting at Zurich of
the Historical Society of the Old Swiss Cantons,
makes the following remarks on the inquiries
which have shown the story of William Tell to
be purely mythical " 1t is painful to every mind
susceptible of poetic feeling to be forced by the
incontestbe evidence of historical records to
abandon belief in cherished traditions long &C.
cepted as literal truth, and to exchange for them
dry narratives around the moral foundations Of
which there is no garment of romance. The
Historical Society of the old cantons-that is, OF
Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Untewalden and Zurich
which was founded thirty years ago, and which
has conducted IFS inquiries in the most cautious
spirit for the last twenty-seven years, under the
presidency of the historiographer of Lucerne,
Joseph Schneider, has rendered pre-eminent SER
vices in investigating the early history of Swift
erland. The honor of having first penetrated
into this field OF research and of having torn off
the legendary veil which hid the true history of
the liberation Of the forest cautons is undoGbted-
ly due TO the lamented Professor Entychias Kopp
of Lucerne. No doubt about 100 years before
him the Genevese preacher, Uriel Frer1enberger,
made an attempt, in an essay devoted to the sub
ject, to shake the historical foundations on which
the story Of Tell rested. he was not, however
in position to convince historical students that
the details of the Swiss revolution were mythic-
al. This book. however, did attract attention,
for it was publicly burned under the galIows in
Altoh Kopp was more successful. He brought
forward positive evidence to show that the re-
ceived version of the events which lead to the
foundation of the Swiss Confederation we're at
variance with historical fact. His conclusions
were these There never was IAndvOgt Cess
Ter nor William Tell. Tell never refused to
lift his hat, never fred at an apple placed on his
sons head, although the very crossbow with
which the deed was done is exhibited at Zurich
he never crossed the Lake of Lucerne in tempest
Of wind aud rain he never boldly jumped upon
the Tel-platte, never spoke his speech in the de-
file at Kusnach, and never shot the Landvogt.
What is more, the inhabitants Of Uri, Schwyz
and Unterwalden never met by night the
Ruth. johannes Won Muller, the great historian
adopts the mythical story and tells it in bis His
tory Of S,cilzerIdad as absolutely true; but,
the chroniclers Of the period know nothing Of
William Tell, and the story appears for the first
time centary and a half later. Kopp skiIIfully
separates the legendary matter from the historic
al facts and with the records in his hand estima-
ted at their true value the fables which were first
dressed up as historical narratives by Tschudi.
Those who know with what affection the Swiss
cling to the story of Tell and all the romantic IN
cidents which belong to it will not deny that
much personal courage was required to say plain
" to them that there was no truth in traditions
SO intimately interviewer with all their thoughts
and feelings, and with all their political institu-
tons. Prof. KOpp displayed this courage, and
the Historical Society has based its inquiries on
bis IabOrs-