Takes from his high respect: thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy king, upon his aid(75)
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward:
That, by the help of these with Him above
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 ;-(76)
All which we pine for now: and this report
Hath so exasperate the (77) 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,
That clogs me with this answer."

Len.

"You'll rue the time

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.

I'll send my prayers with him. (78)

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A cavern. In the middle, a caldron boiling.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

First Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Sec. Witch. Thrice and once the hedge-pig whin'd.
Third Witch. Harpy(79) cries:-'tis time, 'tis time.
First Witch. Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.-
Toad, that under the cold stone(80)

Days and nights hast thirty-one

Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmèd pot.

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

Sec. Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron 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 howlet's wing,-
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

All. Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.

Third 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 chaudron,
For the ingredients of our caldron.

All. Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.

Sec. Witch. Cool it with a báboon's blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter HECATE.(81)

Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains;

And every one shall share i' the gains:

And now about the caldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,

Enchanting all that you put in.

[Music and song,

"Black spirits," &c. (82)
[Exit Hecate.

།

Sec. Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes:-
Open, locks,

Whoever knocks!

Enter МАСВЕТН.

Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! 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(83) be lodg'd, 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 germens(84) tumble all together,

Even till destruction sicken,-answer me

To what I ask you.

First Witch.

Sec. Witch.

Third Witch.

Speak.

Demand.

We'll answer.

First Witch. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our

mouths,

Or from our masters?

Macb.

Call 'em, let me see 'em.

First 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.

Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,—

First Witch.

He knows thy thought:

Hear his speech, but s

thou naught.

App. of armed Head. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! be

ware Macduff;

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

[Descends. Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks ; Thou'st harp'd my fear aright:-but one word more,First Witch. He will not be commanded: here's another, More potent than the first.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.

App. of bloody Child. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!—
Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

App. of bloody Child. 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.

Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a tree in his

hand, rises.

What is this,

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 to't.

App. of Child crowned. 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.

That will never be:

Who can impress the forest;
Unfix his earth-bound root?

bid the tree

[Descends.

Sweet bodements! good!

Rebellion's head, rise never,(85) till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac'd Macbeth(86)
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.

Mach. I will be satisfied: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:

Why sinks that caldron ? and what noise is this? [Hautboys.

First Witch. Show!

Sec. Witch. Show!

Third Witch, Show!

All. Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;

Come like shadows, so depart!

Eight Kings appear, and pass over in order, the last with a glass in his hand; BANQUO's Ghost following.

Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs :-and thy hair,(87)
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first :-
A third is like the former.-Filthy hags!

Why do you show 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 shows me many more; and some I see
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry:
Horrible sight!-Now(88) I see 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.-
is this so?

First Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so :-but why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?—
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights:
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round;
That this great king may kindly say
Our duties did his welcome pay.

VOL. VII.

[Music. The Witches dance, and then vanish.

E