Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-19
FIRST Of THE LECIURES.
PROF. ALDEN SPEAKS ON Will
LIAM TELL.
Large And AppreciatiYe Audience AZ
Mcdowell Hall For Opening
of The Course.

The FIRST Of the series Of seven Uni
versity Extenison lectures AZ 81.
John College was delivered in Nc
Dowell Hall last night by Prof c. S.
Alden, of the Naval Academy, before
good audience. which in unmistak-
able manner showed its interest in the
subject Of William Tell, and its APP
probation of the manner in which the
speaker treated that subject.
Possibly few persons in Annapolis
are so thoroughly familiar with the
subject of Tell as is Professor Alden.
Most OF the illustrations shown last
night during the lecture We're taKen by
Professor Alden while travelling
through Switzerland, the land OF VIII
liam Tells life and doings. During
that trip Professor Alden read Schil-
ler's william Tell and identified
the scenes appearing therein while
visiting the actual localities. Speak
ing or his journey Professor Alden
said:
'.The common approach 20 the Tell
country is by way of LuceTne. Lue
erne, remarkable for CD it's lake and
easily accessible mountains; (2) its
arroy river, t3) its scupltured lion.
st. pilatus, Eve or six miles distant
anu fsNoo lttt niEUs AIAAAAiiE lNI n
climb. The view from the summit
obscured by light mists, 50 that only
at intervals could glimpses of the
snow peaks in the vicinity appear.
'sThc core of the lecture Schiller's
civilian Tell By steamer from
Lucerne to Tribe, whese Tell rescued
the fugitive Baumgarten from his
Austrian pursuers, then TO Ruth,
f..-f Lnp
together in 307 that they might free
their land from the pressive governors
Then on foot from BIunnen along the
Axeustraasse towards Fluelen. The
Axeustrassc,a wonderful feat of eugi.
neering, n road nine miles long cut in
the side of the mountains rising alb
ruptly from the extreme eastern shore
If Lake Lucerne. From Fluelen to
Altdorf and to Burgden.
'Burgden, an interesting village
with a neat little inn on the spot
marked by tradition as the birthplace
of William Tell, a village somewhat
of the beaten route of travel and
visited only by few Americans.
Here, accordig to the drama, Tell
also had his home when grown 10
manhood. Here he lightly bids fare
well TO his anxious wife Hedwig, rs
accompanied by his son Walter, he
goes to Altdorf to visit his father-in-
law, Walter Furst. At Altdorf, by
the order OF the arrogant and cruel
Austrian Governor, Gegsler. a pole
has been raised and the Governor
hat placed thereon. Tell knows Of
the command that all passing must
do reverence with bended knees. and
uncovered head just as TO the Cover
nor, but his fearless and freedom-lov-
ing soul is not easily drought TO such
external degradation. Tell is seized
by Gessler's guards and Gessler him
self appearing on the scene, as pen
atty, commands Tell TO shoot an apple
from his sons head. Tell offers
his own life that he may be released
from the shot, but the Governor is
inexorable. Finally the patriots
shoots and cleaves the apple. The re-
ioicing on the part Of Tells friends
is of short duration. Gessler had seen
Tell thrust q second arrow in his
bosom which was intended for the
Governor in case the first arrow had
harmed the boy. Tell is again seiz-
ed by the guards and is led to n
boat to be taken to kussnacht, where
Gessler has a castle. But the party
is overtaken by severe storm and
Tell, jumping on n huge outjutting
rock (now marked by a chapel at Tells
platte) makes his escape.
"Going at once by land to Kussnacht
Tell lies in wait for Gessler, we'll
aware that 50 cruel and unscrupulous
is his foe that the life of his wife and
Of his children. as well as his son, is
not safe while the Governor lives. An
unfortunate woman, Aumgart, know
ing that Gessler is shortly TO pass,
also awaits him near Kussnacht, with
petition for the liberation OF her
imprisoned husband. She against the
attention OF Gessler, but escapes be-
ing tramped down only by the second
arrow of Tell which speeds TO its
mark and rids Switzerland of its
worst enemy.
'.An interesting character is that
of Tell-simple, pious, brave; without
hook learning, but not lacking in
tenderness and fine feeling, for he
has been taught by the mountains
and his mountain home. The story
is one Of the great stories Of the mid
die ages, and yet is it true ? Historic
ans affirm it is the Intervening Of
myth, legenda and fact: they even
n QutSAipu " NnCbhDA bAt ~ inv AfAhiS "a
Tell lived in the fourteenth century.
But viewed as poetry and drama in
timately associated with Swiss and
German life, Schiller's drama will
bear a close serutnay.
Goethe understood the power of
the drama as he characterized it some
time before its completion, a story
first attaining its fun truth through
poetry. instead of history being made
fable, as generally happens. Though
the night meeting at Rutli is legend
airy, the beginnings of Swiss freedom
are without a question 10 be traced TO
the rocky shores OF Lake Lucerne, and
only eight years after the supposd time
Of the events of the play, the Forest
Cautores with force of 1900 at
Margarten. inflicted a crushing defeat
upon a brilliant army of Austrians
ten times their number. There may
be no documentary evidence 10 prove
that there lived at this time William
Tell or Walter Furst or Werner. Stau
nacher, but history shows that there
did live strong and sturdy men,
characterized by their deep piety and
simple life who, like Tell and Furst
and Stauacher. had passion for free
dom and just law.
.sThe drama was completed and first
presented in 1904, when all Germany
was in a state Of moral as well as
physical humiliation, and was almost