All at once every sound was hushed, for in the door of the inn
appeared Andreas Hofer, looking like a king in his handsome holiday
attire; his good-natured, honest face gleamed with joy, and his
glance was mild and clear, and yet so firm and commanding. His whole
bearing breathed calm dignity, and it seemed to the men of Passeyr
as though the morning sun which illuminated his face surrounded his
head with a golden halo. They stood aside with timid reverence and
awe. Hofer advanced into the middle of the circle which the men of
Passeyr, Meran, and Algund formed around him. He then looked around
and greeted the men on all sides with a smile, a pleasant nod, and a
wave of his hand.

"My friends," he exclaimed in a loud voice, "the day has come when
we must expel the Bavarians from the country and restore the Tyrol
to the Austrians. 'Tis time! The Bavarians have amply deserved such
treatment at our hands, for they have sorely oppressed us. When you
had finished a wooden image, could you carry it to Vienna and sell
it? No, you could not! Is that freedom? You are Tyrolese; at least
your fathers called themselves so; now you are to call yourselves
Bavarians. And, moreover, our ancient castle of Tyrol in the Passeyr
valley was not spared! Are you satisfied with this? If you harvest
three blades of corn, the government claims two of them; is that
happiness and prosperity? But there is a Providence and there are
angels; and it was revealed to me that if we resolved to avenge our
wrongs, God and St. George, our patron saint, would help us. Up,
then, against the Bavarians! Tear the villains with your teeth while
they stand; but when they kneel down and pray, give them quarter. Up
against the Bavarians! 'Tis time!"