Shoughs,2 water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped All by the name of dogs: the valued file Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle, The house-keeper, the hunter, every one According to the gift which bounteous nature Hath in him clos'd; whereby he does receive Particular addition,4 from the bill
That writes them all alike: and so of men. Now, if you have a station in the file, And not in the worst rank of manhood, say it; And i will put that business in your bosoms, Whose execution takes your enemy off; Grapples you to the heart and love of us, Who wear our health but sickly in his life, Which in his death were perfect.
2 Mur. I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world Have so incens'd, that I am reckless" what
I do, to spite the world.
That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life: And though I could With bare-fac'd power sweep him from my sight, And bid my will avouch it; yet I must not, For certain friends that are both his and mine, Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall Whom I myself struck down: and thence it is, That I to your assistance do make love; Masking the business from the common eye, For sundry weighty reasons.
2 Mur. We shall, my lord, Perform what you command us. 1 Mur. Though our livesMacb. Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour, at most,
I will advise you where to plant yourselves. Acquaint you with the perfect spy o'the time, The moment on't; for't must be done to-night, And something from the palace; always thought That I require a clearness: And with him, (To leave no rubs, nor botches, in the work,) Fleance his son, that keeps him company, Whose absence is no less material to me Than is his father's, must embrace the fate Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart;
(1) Are you so obedient to the precept of the Gospel.
(2) Wolf-dogs. (4) Title, description. (6) Worried.
(8) Because of.
(5) Careless. (7) Mortal enmity. (9) Most melancholy.
I'll come to you anon. 2 Mur.
We are resolv'd, my lord.
Mach. I'll call upon you straight; abide within. It is concluded :- -Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out to-night. [Exe. SCENE II-The same. Another room. Enter Lady Macbeth, and a Servant.
Lady M. Is Banquo gone from court? Serv. Ay, madam, but returns again to-night. Lady M. Say to the king, I would attend his leisure For a few words. Serv. Lady M
[Exit. Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content: 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy, Than, by destruction, dwell in doubtful joy. Enter Macbeth.
How now, my lord? why do you keep alone, Of sorriest fancies your companions making? Using those thoughts, which should indeed have died With them they think on? Things without remedy, Should be without regard: what's done, is done.
Macb. We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it; She'll close, and be herself; whilst our poor malice Remains in danger of her former tooth. But let
The frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer, Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep In the affliction of these terrible dreams, That shake us nightly: Better be with the dead, Whom we, to gain our place, have sent to peace, Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy.10 Duncan is in his grave; After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well; Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing, Can touch him further!
Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks; Be bright and jovial 'mong your guests to-night.
Macb. So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you: Let your remembrance apply to Banquo; Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue : Unsafe the while, that we
Must lave our honours in these flattering streams; And make our faces vizards to our hearts, Disguising what they are. Lady M. You must leave this. Macb. O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know'st, that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives. Lady M. But in them nature's copy's not eterne. 12 Mach. There's comfort yet; they are assailable; Then be thou jocund: Ere the bat hath flown His cloister'd flight; ere, to black Hecate's sum-
Cancel, and tear to pieces, that great bond
Both sides are even: Here I'll sit i'the midst :
Which keeps me pale!-Light thickens; and the Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure
The table round.-There's blood upon thy face. Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.
Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. is he despatch'd?
Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for
Macb. Thou art the best o'the cut-throats: Yet he's good,
SCENE III-The same. A park or lawn, with That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it, a gate leading to the palace. Enter three Mur-Thou art the nonpariel.
Hark! I hear horses. Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho! 2 Mur. Then it is he; the rest
That are within the note of expectation, Already are i'the court.
3 Mur. Almost a mile: but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate
Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock; As broad, and general, as the casing air: But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe? Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides, With twenty trenched gashes on his head; The least a death to nature.
Macb. Thanks for that There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's fled, Hath nature that in time will venom breed, No teeth for the present.-Get thee gone; to-mor-
We'll hear, ourselves again.
[Exit Murderer. Lady M My royal lord, You do not give the cheer: the feast is sold, That is not often vouch'd, while 'tis a making, 'Tis given with welcome: To feed, were best at home;
Enter Banquo and Fleance, a servant with a torch From thence, the sauce to meat is ceremony:
Let it come down. [Assaults Banquo
1 Mur. Stand to't. Ban. It will be rain to-night. 1 Mur.
Ban. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly,
Thou may'st revenge. -O slave!
Were the grac'd person of our Banquo present; [Dies. Fleance and servant escape Who may I rather challenge for unkindness, 3 Mur. Who did strike out the light? Than pity for mischance! 1 Mur. Was't not the Rosse. way 3 Mur. There's but one down; the son is fled. 2 Mur. We have lost best half of our affair. 1 Mur. Well, let's away, and say how much is done. [Exeunt SCENE IV.--A room of state in the palace. A banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Rosse, Lenox, Lords, and attendants. Macb. You know your own degrees, sit down: at first
His absence, sir, Lays blame upon his promise. Please it your highness
The fit is momentary; upon a thought3
He will again be well: ff much you note him, You shall offend him, and extend his passion;4 Feed, and regard him not.-Are you a man?
Mach. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil.
(1) i. e. They who are set down in the list of (2) Continues in her chair of state. guests, and expected to supper.
(3) As quick as thought. (4) Prolong his suffering.
O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear: This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said, Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws, and starts (Impostors to true fear,) would well become A woman's story, at a winter's fire, Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself! Why do you make such faces? When all's done, You look but on a stool.
Macb. Pythee, see there! behold! look! lo! how say you?-
Why, what care 1? If thou canst nod, speak too.— If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send Those that we bury, back, our monuments Shall be the maws of kites. [Ghost disappears. Lady M What! quite unmann'd in folly? Mach. If I stand here, I saw him. Lady M. Fie, for shame! Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i'the olden time,
Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal; Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd Too terrible for the ear: the times have been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end; but now, they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools: This is more strange
Lady M. Your noble friends do lack you. Macb.
I do forget:Do not muse2 at me, my most worthy friends; I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing To those that know me. Come, love and health to all; Then I'll sit down:full:
-Give me some wine, fill
I drink to the general joy of the whole table,
And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss ; Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst, And all to all.3
Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!
Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with! Lady M.
Len. Attend his majesty! Lady M.
A kind good night to all! [Exeunt Lords and attendants Macb. It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood:
Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak;
Augurs, and understood relations, have By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth
The secret'st man of blood.-What is the night? Lady M. Almost at odds with morning, which is which.
Macb. How say'st thou, that Macduff denies his person, At our great bidding? Lady M.
Did you send to him, sir? There's not a one of them, but in his house Mach. I hear it by the way but I will send :
I keep a servant feed. I will to-morrow (Betimes I will,) unto the weird sisters: More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know, By the worst means, the worst: for mine own good, All causes shall give way. I am in blood Stept in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er : Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; Which must be acted, ere they may be scann'd.9 Lady M. You lack the season of all natures, sleep. Macb. Come, we'll to sleep: My strange and self-abuse
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard use :- We are yet but young in deed.
SCENE V-The heath. Thunder. Enter Hecate, meeting the three Witches.
1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecate? you look angerly.
Hec. Have I not reason, beldams, as you are,
Think of this, good peers, Saucy, and overbold? How did you dare
But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other; Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.
Macb. What man dare, I dare:
To trade and traffic with Macbeth, In riddles and affairs of death; And I, the mistress of your charms, The close contriver of all harms, Was never call'd to bear my part, Or show the glory of our art? And, which is worse, all you have done Hath been but for a wayward son, Spiteful, and wrathful, who, as others do, Loves for his own ends, not for you. But make amends now: Get you gone, And at the pit of Acheron,
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger, Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves Shall never tremble: Or, be alive again, And dare ine to the desert with thy sword; If trembling I inhibit thee, protest me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow! [Ghost disappears. Unreal mockery, hence!-Why, so ;-being gone, I am a man again.- -Pray you, sit still. Lady M. You have displac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting, With most admir'd disorder. Macb. Can such things be, And overcomes us like a summer's cloud, Without our special wonder? You make me strange Even to the disposition that I owe,6 When now I think you can behold such sights, (1) Sudden gusts. (2) Wonder. (3) i. e. All good wishes to all. (4) Forbid. (5) Pass over. (6) Possess. (7) Magpies. Ilities.
Meet me i'the morning: thither be Will come to know his destiny. Your vessels, and your spells, provide, Your charms, and every thing beside: I am for the air; this night I'll spend Unto a dismal-fatal end.
Great business must be wrought ere noon : Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a vaporous drop profound; 10
(8) An individual. (9) Examined nicely. (10) i. e. A drop that has deep or hidden qual
I'll catch it ere it come to ground: And that, distill'd by magic slights, 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.
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.
1 Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again.
SCENE VI-Fores. A room in the palace. Enter Lenox and another Lord.
SCENE I-A dark cave. In the middle a caul- dron boiling. Thunder. Enter 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, at under coldest stone, Days and nights hast thirty-one
Len. My former speeches have but hit your Swelter'd3 venom sleeping got,
Which can interpret further: only, I say, Things have been strangely borne: The gracious
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,
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 owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Was pitied of Macbeth:-marry, he was dead-In the cauldron boil and bake: And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late; Whom, you may say, if it 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 it. 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. But, peace!-for from broad words, and 'cause he fail'd
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear Macduff lives in disgrace: Sir, can you tell Where he bestows himself?
Lord. The son of Duncan, 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, on 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 table 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 atempt 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, You'li 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
(1) Honours freely bestowed. (2) For exasperated.
All. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf; Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf,4 Of the ravin'd5 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.
2 Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood, 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.
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.
Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags? What is't you do?
(3) This word is employed to signify that the animal was hot, and sweating with venom, although sleeping under a cold stone.
(4) The throat. (5) Ravenous. (6) Entrails.
[Descends.
That will never be;
Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profess | Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill (Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me: Though you untie the winds, and let them fight Against the churches; though the yestyl waves Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodg'd,2 and trees blown down;
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-plac'd Macbeth Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath To time, and mortal custom.-) -Yet my heart trea-Throbs to know one thing; Tell me (if your art Can tell so much,) shall Banquo's issue ever Reign in this kingdom?
Though castles topple3 on their warders' heads; Though palaces, and pyramids, do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the
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
Come, high, or low;
Thyself, and office, deftlys 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. [Descends. Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp'de my fear aright :-But one word
1 Witch. He will not be commanded: Here's another,
More potent than the first.
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.
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; Ban- quo 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 show me this?-A fourth?---Start, eyes! What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom ?10
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 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?
1 Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so:-But why Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?- Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprights,12
Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises. And show the best of our delights;
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!-I'll charm the air to give a sound,
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.
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
(7) The round is that part of a crown which en(2) Laid flat by wind or rain. circles the head: the top is the ornament which
(4) Seeds which have begun to sprout.
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