I cannot strike at wretched kernes, whose arms I sheathe again undeeded. There thou should'st be; [Exit. Alarum. Enter MALCOLM and old SIWARD. Siw. This way, my lord;-the castle's gently render'd: The tyrant's people on both sides do fight; And little is to do. Macb. Why should I play the Roman fool, and die On mine own sword? whiles I see lives, the gashes Do better upon them. Macd. Re-enter MACDUFF. Turn, hell-hound, turn. Macb. Of all men else I have avoided thee: But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd With blood of thine already. Macd. I have no words, 2 Seems bruited:] From bruit, Fr. To bruit is to report with clamour; to noise. My voice is in my sword; thou bloodier villain Macb. [They fight. Thou losest labour: As easy may'st thou the intrenchant air3 With thy keen sword impress, as make me bleed: I bear a charmed life, which must not yield Macd. Macb. Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, For it hath cow'd my better part of man! And be these juggling fiends no more believ❜d, And break it to our hope.-I'll not fight with thee. And live to be the show and gaze o'the time. Painted upon a pole; and underwrit, Here may you see the tyrant. Macb. I'll not yield, To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet, Though Birnam wood be come to Dunsinane, I throw my warlike shield: lay on, Macduff; 'As easy may'st thou the intrenchant air-] That is, air which cannot be cut. — palter with us in a double scnse;] That shuffle with ambiguous expressions. Retreat. Flourish. Re-enter, with Drum and Colours, MALCOLM, old SIWARD, ROSSE, LENOX, ANGUS, CATHNESS, MENTETH, and Soldiers. Mal. I would, the friends we miss were safe arriv'd. Siw. Some must go off; and yet, by these I see, So great a day as this is cheaply bought. Mal. Macduff is missing, and your noble son. Rosse. Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt: He only liv'd but till he was a man; The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd Siw. Then he is dead? Rosse. Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow Must not be measur'd by his worth, for then Had I as many sons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death: And so his knell is knoll'd. Mal. And that I'll spend for him. Siw. He's worth more sorrow, He's worth no more; They say, he parted well, and paid his score: Re-enter MACDUFF, with MACBETH'S Head on a Pole. Macd. Hail, king! for so thou art: Behold, where stands The usurper's cursed head: the time is free : All. King of Scotland, hail! [Flourish. Mal. We shall not spend a large expence of time, Before we reckon with your several loves, And make us even with you. My thanes and kins men, Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland Of this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen; [Flourish. Exeunt. thy kingdom's pearl,] Thy kingdom's pearl means thy kingdom's wealth, or rather ornament. This play is deservedly celebrated for the propriety of its fictions, and solemnity, grandeur, and variety of its action; but it has no nice discriminations of character; the events are too great to admit the influence of particular dispositions, and the course of the action necessarily determines the conduct of the agents. The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said, in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Shakspeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. The passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. JOHNSON. * *THE following Songs are found in Sir William D'Avenant's alteration of this play, printed in 1674. The first and second of them were, I believe, written by him, being introduced at the end of the second Act, in a scene of which he undoubtedly was the author. Of the other song, which is sung in the third Act, the first words (Come away) are in the original copy of Macbeth, and the whole is found at length in Middleton's play, entitled The Witch, which has been lately printed from a manuscript in the collection of Major Pearson. Whether this song was written by Shakspeare, and omitted, like many others, in the printed copy, cannot now be ascertained. MALONE. ACT II. FIRST SONG BY THE WITCHES. 1 Witch. Speak, sister, speak; is the deed done? 2 Witch. Long ago, long ago: Above twelve glasses since have run. 3 Witch. Ill deeds are seldom slow; Nor single: following crimes on former wait: Many more murders must this one ensue, 2 Witch. He will 1 Witch. He shall 3 Witch. He must spill much more blood; And become worse, to make his title good. 1 Witch. Now let's dance. 2 Witch. Agreed. 3 Witch. Agreed. 4 Witch. Agreed. Chor. We should rejoice when good kings bleed. When cattle die, about we go; What then, when monarchs perish, should we do? SECOND SONG. Let's have a dance upon the heath; |