ACT THE FOURTH.

SCENE I.

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Cauldron boiling.

Thunder. Enter the 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 hast 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-worms 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;

4 The throat.

5 Ravenous.

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 chaudron,
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.

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.

SONG.

Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and grey;
Mingle, mingle, mingle,
You that mingle may.

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
All.

VOL. IV.

you do?

A deed without a name.

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;

Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down;

7

Though castles topple on their warders' heads;
Though palaces, and pyramids, do slope

Their heads to their foundations; though the trea

sure

8

Of nature's germins tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken, answer me

To what I ask you.

1 Witch.

2 Witch.

3 Witch.

Speak.

Demand.

We'll answer.

1 Witch. Say, if tloud'st rather hear it from our

mouths,

Or from our masters'?

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.

All.

Come, high, or low;

Thyself, and office, deftly show.

Thunder. An Apparition of an Armed Head rises.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,

1 Witch.

He knows thy thought;

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware

Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me:- Enough.

Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution

thanks;

Thou hast harp'd' my fear aright:

more:

- But one word

1 Witch. He will not be commanded: Here's

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.

App.

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee. App. And resolute: laugh to scorn the power For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.

Be bloody, bold, of man,

[Descends.

Macb. Then live, Macduff; What need I fear of

thee?

But yet I'll make assurance double sure,

And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,

And sleep in spite of thunder. What is this,

Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a Tree in his Hand, rises.

That rises like the issue of a king;

And wears upon his baby brow the round

And top of sovereignty?

All.

Listen, but speak not.

App. Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are : Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.

Macb.

[Descends.

That will never be ;

Who can impress the forest; bid the tree.

I Touched on a passion as a harper touches a string.

Unfix his earth-bound root ? sweet bodements ?

good!

Rebellious head, rise never, till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac'd Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time, and mortal custom. Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing: Tell me, (if your art
Can tell so much,) shall Banquo's issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?

All.

Seek to know no more.

Macb. I will be satisfied: deny me this, And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know: Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this? [Hautboys.

1 Witch. Show! 2 Witch. Show! 3 Witch. Show! All. Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, so depart.

Eight Kings appear, and pass over the Stage in order; the last with a Glass in his Hand; BANQUO following.

Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo;

down!

What will the line stretch out to the crack of

doom?

Another yet? · A seventh? I'll see no more: And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass, Which shows me many more; and some I see, That two-fold balls and treble scepters carry : Horrible sight! Ay, now, I see, 'tis true;