A banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, ROSS, LENNOX, Lords, and Attendants.

Macb. You know your own degrees; sit down at first

And last the hearty welcome.

Lords. Thanks to your majesty. Macb. Ourself will mingle with society, And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state, but in best time We will require her welcome.

Lady M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends;

For my heart speaks they are welcome.

First Murderer appears at the door.

Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks.

9

Both sides are even here I'll sit i' the midst :
Be large in mirth; anon we'll drmk a measure
The table round. [Approaching the door.]
There's blood upon thy face.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Were the graced person of our Banquo present;
Who may I rather challenge for unkindness
Than pity for mischance!
Ross.
His absence, sir,
Lays blame upon his promise.
Please't your
highness

To grace us with your royal company.
Macb. The table's full.

Len.

Macb. Where?

Here is a place reserved, sir.

Len. Here, my good lord. What is't that

moves your highness?

Macb. Which of you have done this?

Lords.

What, my good lord?

Macb. Thou canst not say I did it: never

shake Thy gory locks at me.

50

Ross. Gentlemen, rise: his highness is not

well.

And hath been from his youth: pray you,

keep seat;

The fit is momentary; upon a thought
He will again be well if much you note him,
You shall offend him and extend his passion :
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man?
Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look
on that

Which might appal the devil.
Lady M.

O proper stuff! 60
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,
Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make such faces? When all's
done,

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 me to the desert with thy sword;
If trembling I inhabit then, protest me
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow !
Unreal mockery, hence! [Ghost vanishes.
Why, so being gone,

I am a man again. Pray you, sit still.
Lady M. You have displaced the mirth,
broke the good meeting,

With most admired disorder.
Macb.

Can such things be, 110

And overcome us like a summer's cloud, Without our special wonder? You make me

strange

Even to the disposition that I owe,

When now I think you can behold such sights, And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, When mine is blanch'd with fear.

Ross.
What sights, my lord?
Lady M. I pray you, speak not;
he grows
worse and worse;

Question enrages him. At once, good night :
Stand not upon the order of your going,
But go at once.

Len. Good night; and better health 120
Attend his majesty
Lady M. A kind good night to all!
[Exeunt all but Macbeth and Lady M.
Macb. It will have blood; they say, blood

will have blood:

nies his person

At our great bidding?

Lady M. Did you send to him, sir? Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send: There's not a one of them but in his house 131 I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow, And betimes I will, to 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
Stepp'd 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;

Lady M.

Think of this, good peers, But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other; Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

Mach. What man dare, I dare;

99

SCENE V. A Death.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches
meeting HECATE.

First Witch. Why, how now, Hecate! you

look angerly.

Hec. Have I not reason, beldams as you are, Saucy and overbold? How did you 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

Meet ine i' the morning: thither he
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 and a fatal end:

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:

10

20

He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear 30
He 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, sec, Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me. [Exit. First Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Forres. The palace.

Enter LENNOX and another Lord.

Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,

Which can interpret further only, I say, Things have been strangely borne. The gra

cious 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;

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, upon his aid 30
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 honors :
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?

All. Double, double toil and trouble; 10

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 owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

All. Double, double toil and trouble; 20 Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Third Witch.

[wolf,

Scale of dragon, tooth of 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 Silver'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.

30

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

Then the charm is firm and good.

Hear his speech, but say thou nought. First App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. [Descends.

Enough.

Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;

Thou hast 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. Second Apparition: A bloody
Child.

Sec. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macb. Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.
Sec. App. Be bloody, bold, and resolute;
laugh to scorn

The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
[Descends. 81

Macb. Then live, Macduff with need I

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.
[Descends.
Macb.
That will never be
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bode-
ments! good!

Rebellion's 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