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 sleights Shall raise such artificial sprites 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.
[Music and a song within: Come away, come away,' &c.
Hark! I am call'd; my little spirit, see,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.
[Exit. First Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be
Forres. The palace.
Enter Lennox and another Lord.
Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts, Which can interpret farther: only I say
Things have been strangely borne. The gracious Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead: And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late ; Whom, you may say, if 't please you, Fleance kill'd, For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late. Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain
To kill their gracious father? damned fact ! How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight, In pious rage, the two delinquents tear,
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 't. So that, I say,
He has borne all things well: and I do think That, had he Duncan's sons under his key— As, an 't please heaven, he shall not-they should find
What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. 20 But, peace! for from broad words, and
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear, Macduff lives in disgrace: sir, can you tell Where he bestows himself?
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth, Lives in the English court, and is received 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, upon his aid 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: 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
That clogs me with this answer.'
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!
I'll send my prayers with him.
First Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. Sec. Witch. Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. Third Witch. Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time.' First Witch. Round about the cauldron go:
In the poison'd entrails throw. Toad, that under cold 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.
Sec. 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 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 cauldron 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 cauldron. All. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
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