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

3 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 tyger'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 other three WITCHES. Hec. Oh, well done! I commend your pains; And every one shall share i'the gains.

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

"Inchanting all that you put in.'

MUSIC and a SONG*..

"Black spirits and white,
"Blue spirits and grey;
"Mingle, mingle, mingle,
"You that mingle may,”

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2 Witch.

2 Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs", Something wicked this way comes

Open, locks, whoever knocks.

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Mac. How now, you secret, black, and midnight

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Mac. 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 lodg'd, and trees blown

down;

Though castles topple* on their warder's heads; 60 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. Speak.

2 Witch. Demand.

3 Witch. We'll answer.

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

mouths,

Or from our masters'?

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Mac. Call them, let me see them.

1 Witch. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten

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

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Thyself, and office, deftly show"."

1ft Apparition, an armed Head.

Mac. Tell me, thou unknown pow'r,1 Witch. He knows thy thought; Hear his speech, but say thou nought*.

[Thunder.

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App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware

Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife*.-Dismiss me :-Enough. [Descends. Mac. What-e'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.

ed Apparition, a bloody Child.

App. Macbeth Macbeth! Macbeth !—
Mac. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

[Thunder.

App. Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn The power of man; for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth*.

90

[Descends.

Mac. Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of

thee?

But yet I'll make assurance double sure,

And

And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live ;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,
And sleep in spight of thunder.What is this,

[Thunder.

3d Apparition, a Child crowned, with a Tree in his Hand.

That rises like the issue of a king;

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And wears upon his baby brow "the round

And top of sovereignty?

All. Listen, but speak not to't.

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App. 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.

Mac. That will never be :

'Who can impress the forest; bid the tree

[Descends.

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

"Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac'd Macbeth 110 "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.

Mac. I will be satisfy'd: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! let me know :→→→ Why sinks that cauldron ? and what noise is this?

[Hautboys. 1 Witch.

1 Witch. Shew 1

2 Witch. Shew!

3

Witch. Shew!

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All. Shew his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, so depart.

[* A Shew of eight Kings, and BANQUO; the last with a Glass in his Hand.]

Mac. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down! *Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls :-*And thy air, 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!-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,
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.

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140

[Music.

[The Witches dance and vanish. Mae.

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