Both sides are even. Here I'll sit i'the midst Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure The table round.-There's blood upon thy face. Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he despatch'd? [him. Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for Macb. Thou art the best o'the cut-throats; yet he's good,

'That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it, Thou art the nonpareil.

Mur. Most royal sir, Fleance is 'scap'd.

[perfect;

Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been Whole as the marble, founded as the rock;" As broad, and general, as the casing air: But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?

Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides, With twenty trenched gashes on his head; The least a death to nature,

Macb. Thanks for that:

Len. Here, my lord. What is't that moves your Mucb. Which of you have done this? [highness? Lords. What, my good lord?

Macb. Thou canst not say, I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me.

Rosse. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well. Lady M. Sit, worthy friends:-my lord is often thus, [seat; And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep The fit is momentary: upon a thought He will again be well: If much you note him, You shall offend him, and extend his passion; Feed, and regard him not.-Are you a man? Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil.

Lady M. O proper stuff!

This is the very painting of your fear:

This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said,
Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts
(Impostors to true fear) would well become
A woman's story, at a winter's fire,
Authoriz'd by her grandam.
Why do you make such faces!
You look but on a stool.
Macb. Pr'ythee, see there! behold! look! lo!
how say you?-

Shame itself!
When all's done,

Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.-
If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send
Those that we bury, back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites. [ghost disappears.
Lady M. What! quite unmann'd in folly!
Macb. If I stand here, I saw him.
Lady M, Fye, for shame!

Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, I'the olden Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal; [time, Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd · Too terrible for the ear: the times have been, That, when the brains were out, the man would And there an end; but now, they rise again, [die, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools. This is more strange Than such a murder is!,

Lady M. My worthy lord, Your noble friends do lack you. Macb. I do forget:

Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends;
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing [all;
To those that know me. Come, love and health to

I drink to the general joy of the whole table, Ghost rises.

And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst. And all to all.

Lords. Our duties, and the pledge.

Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
Thou hast no speculation in those eyes
Which thou dost glare with!

Lady M. Think of this, good peers,
But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other;
Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

Macb. What man dare, I dare: Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger, Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves Shall never tremble. Or, be alive again, And dare me to the desert with thy sword; If trembling I inhibit thee, protest me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow! [ghost disappears. Unreal mockery, hence!—Why, so;-being gone, I am a man again.-Pray you, sit still.

Lady M. You have displac'd the mirth, broke With most admir'd disorder. [the good meeting Macb. Can such things be,

Lady M. A kind good night to all! [exeunt Lords and Attendants. Macb. It will have blood; they say, blood will [speak;

have blood:

Stones have been known to move, and trees to
Augurs, and understood relations, have [forth
By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought
The secret'st man of blood.-What is the night?
Lady M. Almost at odds with morning, which
is which.
[person,
Macb. How say'st thou, that Macduff denies his
At our great bidding?

•

Lady M. Did you send to him, sir?

Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send : There's not one of them, but in his house I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow (Betimes I will,) unto the weird sisters: More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know, By the worst means, the worst: for mine own good, All causes shall give way; I am in blood Stept in so far, that, should I wade no more,

Strange things I have in head, that will to hand
Which must be acted, cre they may be scann'd.
Lady M. You lack the season of all natures
sleep.
[self-abuse
Macb. Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard use:-
We are yet but young in deed.

[exeunt.

SCENE V. THE HEATH.

Thunder. Enter Hecate, meeting the three Witches. 1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecate? you look angerly.

Hec. Have I not reason, beldams, as you are,
Saucy, and overbold? How did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth,
In riddles and affairs of death;
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never called to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?

And, which is worse, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward son,
Spiteful, and wrathful; who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now. Get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron
Meet me i'the morning; thither he
Will come to know his destiny.
Your vessels, and your spells, provide,
Your charms, and every thing beside:
I am for the air; this night I'll spend
Unto a dismal, fatal end.

Great business must be wrought ere noon:
Upon the corner of the moon'

There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground:
And that, distill'd by magic slights,
Shall raise such artificial sprights,
As, by the strength of their illusion,
Shall draw him on to his confusion:
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear:
And you all know, security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy.

That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep!
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive,
To hear the men deny it.
So that, I say,
He has borne all things well: and I do think,
That, had he Duncan's sons under his key, [find
(As, an't please heaven, he shall not,) they should
What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance.
But, peace! for, from broad words, and 'cause he
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear, [fail'd
Macduff lives in disgrace. Sir, can you tell
Where he bestows himself?

Lord. The son of Duncan,

From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth,
Lives in the English court; and is receiv'd
Of the most pious Edward with such grace,
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect. Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy king, on his aid
To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward:
That by the help of these (with Him above

SCENE 1. A DARK CAVE. IN THE MIDDLE, A CAULDRON, BOILING.

Thunder. Enter three Witches.

1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. 2 Witch. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd. 3 Witch. Harper cries:-'Tis time, 'tis time. 1 Witch. Round about the cauldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw,——————----Toad, that under coldest stone Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter'd venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i'the charmed pot!

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake:
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth, boil and bubble.

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf,
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock, digg'd i'the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Jew;

Gall of goat, and slips of yew,
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe,
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chawdron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

2 Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood, Then the charm is firm and good.

To ratify the work,) we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights;
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives;
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now: and this report
Hath so exasperate the king, that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.
Len. Sent he to Macduff?

Lord. He did: and with an absolute, Sir, not I,
The cloudy messenger turns me his back.
And hums; as who should say, You'll rue the
That clogs me with this answer.
[time
Len. And that well might

Advise him to a caution, to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England, and unfold
His message ere he come; that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country,
Under a hand accurs'd!

Lord. My prayers with him!

Enter Hecate, and other three Witches. Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains; And every one shall share i'the gains. And now about the cauldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey Mingle, mingle, mingle You that mingle may.

SONG.

2 Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:Open, locks, whoever knocks.

Enter Macbeth.

Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight, hags?

What is't you do?

All. A deed without a name.

1 Witch. Speak.

2 Witch. Demand.

[exeunt.

Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profess, (Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me: Though you untie the winds, and let them fight Against the churches; though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; [down; Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown Though castles topple on their warders' heads; Though palaces, and pyramids, do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the treaOf nature's germins tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken;-answer me To what I ask you.

[sure

3 Witch. We'll answer.

1 Witch. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from Or from our masters'?

[our mouths,,

All. Come, high, or low; Thyself, and office, deftly show

Macb. Call them, let me see them.

1 Witch. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten Her nine farrow; grease, that's sweaten From the murderer's gibbet, throw Into the flame.

But cruel are the times, when we are traitors, And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour From what we fear, yet know not what we fear; But float upon a wild and violent sea, Jorb Each way and move. I take my leave of you: Shall not be long but I'll be here again:

Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward To what they were before. My pretty cousin, Blessing upon you!

L. Macd. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless. Rosse. I am so much a fool, should I stay longer, It would be my disgrace, and your discomfort: I take my leave at once. [exit Rosse.

L. Macd. Sirrah, your father's dead; And what will you do now? how will you live? Son. As birds do, mother.

L. Macd. What, with worms and flies?

Son. With what I get, I mean; and so do they. L. Macd. Poor bird! thou'dst never fear the net The pit-fall, nor the gin. [nor lime, Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.

LET

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My father is not dead, for all your saying.
L. Macd. Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a
father?!
Son. Nay, how will you do for a husband?
L. Macd. Why I can buy me twenty at any
Son. Then you'll buy 'em to sell again. [market.
L. Macd. Thou speak'st with all thy wit; and
With wit enough for thee.
(yet, i'faith,
Son. Was my father a traitor, mother?
L. Macd. Ay, that he was.

Son. What is a traitor?

L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies.
Son. And be all traitors, that do so?

L. Macd. Every one that does so, is a traitor, and must be hanged.

ti

Son. And must they all be hang'd, that swear L. Macd. Every one. [and lie?

Son. Who must hang them?

L. Macd. Why, the honest men.

Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men, and hang up them.

L. Macd. Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?

Though in your state of honour I am perfect.
I doubt, some danger does approach you nearly:
If you will take a homely man's advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
To do worse to you, were fell cruelty, [you!
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve
I dare abide no longer.
[exit Messenger.
L. Macd. Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now
I am in this earthly world; where, to do harm,
Is often laudable; to do good, sometime,

361

INATO

You may deserve of him through me; and wisdom
To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb,
To appease an angry god.

Macd. I am not treacherous.

Mal. But Macbeth is.

A good and virtuous nature may recoil,
In an imperial charge. But, crave your pardon;
That which you are, my thoughts cannot transpose:
Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell:
Though all things foul would wear the brows of
Yet grace must still look so.
[grace,
[my doubts.

Macd. I have lost my hopes.

Mal. Perchance, even there, where I did find Why in that rawness left you wife and child, (Those precious motives, those strong knots of love,) Without leave-taking?I pray you, Let not my jealousies be your dishonours, But mine own safeties.—You may be rightly just, Whatever I shall think.

1

Macd. Bleed, bleed, poor country!ek Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure, [wrongs, For goodness dares not check thee! wear thou thy Thy title is affeer'd-Fare thee well, lord:

I would not be the villain that thou think'st, For the whole space that's in the tyrant's grasp, And the rich east to boot.

Mal. Be not offended:

I speak not as in absolute fear of you.

I think, our country sinks beneath the yoke; It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash Is added to her wounds: I think, with,