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 Mac off?
Lord. He did and with an absolute, Sir, not 1,
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,

And hums; as who should say. You'll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.

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 accursed.

Lord.

My prayers with him!

[Exeunt

ACT IV.

SCENE 1.-4 dark Cave. In the middle, a Cauldron boiling. Thunder.

2 Witch.

3 Witch. 1 Witch.

Enter the three Witches.

1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whined.
Harper cries:Tis time, 'tis time.
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!
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,

All.

All.

In the cauldron boil and bake:
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of hat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worin's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing.
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, buru; and, cauldron, bubble.

E

3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf,
Of the ravined 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.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood,

All.

Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter HECATE, and the 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 What is 't you do?

All.

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 lodged, and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warders' heads; Though palaces and pyramids do slope

Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure

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.

[mouths,

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

Macb.
Call them, let me see them.
1 Witch. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten

All.

Her nine farrow; grease, that's sweaten
From the murderer's gibbet, throw
Into the flame.

Come, high or low;

Thyself, and office, deftly shew.

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 Mac

duff;

Beware the thane of Fife.-Dismiss me :-Enough. (Descends.)

Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; Thou hast harp'd my fear aright:-But one word more.1 Witch. He will not be commanded: Here's another, More potent than the first.

App.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee. App. Be bloody, bold, And resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.

(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 ?

Listen, but speak not.

App. Be llon-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth will 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

Unfix his earth-bound root sweet bodements! good!
Rebellious head, rise never, till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed 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 knowWhy sinks that cauldron ? and what noise is this? (Hautboys. 1 Witch. Shew! 2 Witch. Shew! 3 Witch. Shew! All. Shew 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!
Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls:-And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first:-
A third is like the former.-Filthy hags!

Why do you shew me this ?-A fourth-Start, eyes:
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 shews me many more; and some I see,
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry :
Horrible sight!-Ay, now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.- What, is this so?
I Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so :-But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?-
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprights,
And shew the best of our delights;
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antique round:
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.

(Music. The Witches dance, and vanish.)

A

Mach. Where are they? Gone?-Let this pernicions Stand aye accursed in the calendar!

Come in, without there!

Len.

Tour

Enter LENOX.

What's your grace's will?

No, my lord.

Macb. Saw you the weird sisters ?

Len.

Macb. Came they not by you?

Len.

No, indeed, my lord. Macb. Infected be the air whereon they ride; And damn'd all those that trust them!-I did hear The galloping of horse: Who was 't came by?

Len. 'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word, Macduff is led to England.

Mach.

Len. Av, my good lord.

Fled to England?

Mach. Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits : The flighty purpose never is o'ertook,

Unless the deed go with it: From this moment,

The very first!ings of my heart shall be

The firstlings of my hand. And even now

To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and The castle of Macduff I will surprise;

[done:

Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I'll do, before this purpose cool:
But no more sights!- Where are these gentlemen?
Come, bring me where they are.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Fife. A Room in Macduff's Castle.

Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and Rosse. L. Macd. What had he done, to make him fly the land? Rosse. You must have patience, madam.

L. Macd. He had none: His flight was madness: When our actions do not, Our fears do make us traitors.

Rosse.

You know not,

Whether it was his wisdom, or his fear.

L. Macd. Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his

His mansion, and his titles, in a place

From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;

He wants the natural touch for the poor wren,

The most diminutive of birds, will fight,

Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
All is the fear, and nothing is the love;