1 Witch. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not so happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail! Macb. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: By Sinel's death,3 I know, I am thane of Glamis; No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence Upon this blasted heath you stop our way you. With such prophetick greeting?-Speak, I charge [Witches vanish. Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, And these are of them:-Whither are they vanish'd? Macb. Into the air; and what seem'd corporal, melted As breath into the wind.-'Would they had staid! Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak about? Or have we eaten of the insane root,* That takes the reason prisoner? Macb. Your children shall be kings. You shall be king. Macb. And thane of Cawdor too; went it not so? Ban. To the self-same tune, and words. Who's here? 3 By Sinel's death,] The father of Macbeth. 4 eaten of the insane root,] The insane root is the root which makes insane, and which the commentators have not discovered. Enter Rosse and ANGUS. Rosse. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, Which should be thine, or his: Silenc'd with that, Ang. Rosse. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine. Ban. What, can the devil speak true? Macb. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes? Ang. Who was the thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was His wonders and his praises do contend, 5 Which should be thine, or his: &c.] i. e. private admiration of your deeds, and a desire to do them public justice by commendation, contend in his mind for pre-eminence.-Or,-There is a contest in his mind whether he should indulge his desire of publishing to the world the commendations due to your heroism, or whether he should remain in silent admiration of what no words could celebrate in proportion to its desert. 6 As thick as tale,] Meaning, that the news came as thick as a tale can travel with the post. Combin'd with Norway; or did line the rebel Macb. Ban. 8 That, trusted home," Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Cousins, a word, I pray you. Macb. Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.- Cannot be ill; cannot be good:-If ill, "trusted home,] i. e. entirely, thoroughly relied on, or perhaps we should read thrusted home. 8 6 Might yet enkindle you-] Enkindle, for to stimulate you to seek. 9 Two truths are told, &c.] How the former of these truths has been fulfilled, we are yet to learn. Macbeth could not become Thane of Glamis, till after his father's decease, of which there is no mention throughout the play. If the Hag only announced what Macbeth already understood to have happened, her words could scarcely claim rank as a prediction. This supernatural soliciting-] Soliciting for information. WARBURTON. Soliciting is rather, in my opinion, incitement, than information. JOHNSON. Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, But what is not.* Ban. Look, how our partner's rapt. Macb. If chance will have me king, why, chance Macb. Come what come may; Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. Ban. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your lei sure. Macb. Give me your favour:-my dull brain was wrought 2 seated i. e. fixed, firmly placed. S single state of man,] Dr. Johnson says, that the single state of man seems to be used by Shakspeare for an individual, in opposition to a commonwealth, or conjunct body. But Mr. Steevens thinks that the single state of Macbeth may signify his weak and debile state of mind. -function Is smother'd in surmise; and nothing is, But what is not.] All powers of action are oppressed and crushed by one overwhelming image in the mind, and nothing is present to me but that which is really future. Of things now about me I have no perception, being intent wholly on that which has yet no existence. JOHNSON. 5 Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.] i. e. time and occasion will carry the thing through, and bring it to some determined point and end, let its nature be what it will. 6favour:] i. e. indulgence, pardon. Mrs. MONTAGUE. With things forgotten." Kind gentlemen, your pains Are register'd where every day I turn The leaf to read them.--Let us toward the king.Think upon what hath chanc'd; and, at more time, The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak Our free hearts each to other. Ban. Macb. Till then, enough.-Come, friends. Very gladly. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Fores. A Room in the Palace. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENOX, and Attendants. Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Mal. Dun. There's no art, To find the mind's construction in the face:8 7 my dull brain was wrought With things forgotten.] My head was worked, agitated, put into commotion. To find the mind's construction in the face:] Dr. Johnson seems to have understood the word construction in this place in |