Switzerland

James Sheridan Knowles (1784–1862)

From “William Tell”

ONCE Switzerland was free! With what a pride

I used to walk these hills,—look up to heaven,

And bless God that it was so! It was free

From end to end, from cliff to lake ’t was free!

Free as our torrents are, that leap our rocks,

And plough our valleys, without asking leave;

Or as our peaks, that wear their caps of snow

In very presence of the regal sun!

How happy was I in it then! I loved

Its very storms. Ay, often have I sat

In my boat at night, when, midway o’er the lake,

The stars went out, and down the mountain gorge

The wind came roaring,—I have sat and eyed

The thunder breaking from his cloud, and smiled

To see him shake his lightnings o’er my head,

And think—I had no master save his own!