SCENE V.-The Heath. Thunder. Enter HECATE, meeting the three Witches. FIRST WITCH. Why, how now, Hecate? you look angerly. HEC. Have I not reason, beldams as you are, Saucy, and over-bold? How did you dare To trade and traffic with Macbeth, In riddles, and affairs of death; And, which is worse, all you have done ΙΟ Spiteful, and wrathful; who, as others do, Loves for his own ends, not for you. But make amends now: Get you gone, Meet me i' the morning; thither he Great business must be wrought ere noon : There hangs a vaporous drop profound; 20 30 I Angerly for angerlike. The termination 'ly,' as in 'featly,' is an abridgment of 'like.' 24 A. drop profound. Full of secret power. Steevens quotes Lucan, 6, 666 (virus large lunare ministrat') to shew that the drop meant was one of foam or poison shed by the moon on particular herbs. 32 Security. In the strength of an illusion he shall lose all 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. [Exit. FIRST WITCH. Come, let's make haste: she 'll soon be back again. [Exeunt. A Room in the Palace. SCENE VI.-Forres. Enter LENOX, 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 To kill their gracious father-damned fact ! That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep : He has borne all things well: and I do think, ΙΟ fitfulness and misgivings, all looking backward and repentance, all forethought and fear. See Gervinus, vol. ii. page 186. 'Security' is the temper of Lamech in Gen. iv. 23, or of Shakspere's Richard the Third. Cp. Webster, Duchess of Malfi, v. 2: "Security some men call the suburbs of hell, Only a dead wall between.” I Have but hit your thoughts. Were only intended to stir your thoughts. 3 Strangely borne. Strangely managed. 4 Marry, he was dead. The idea seems to be that Duncan and Banquo were both pitied by Macbeth, but somehow or other Duncan was slain and Banquo took a walk too late in the night. 8 Who cannot want the thought. For those who, like you and me, cannot avoid the thought that the princes could not, without being monsters, have killed their father, night walking may turn out dangerous. See the Append. on Shakspere's negatives. That, had he Duncan's sons under his key, (As, an 't please heaven, he shall not,) they should find What 't were to kill a father; so should Fleance. But, peace!-for from broad words, and 'cause he fail'd LORD. Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights; Prepares for some attempt of war. LEN. 20 30 Sent he to Macduff? LORD. He did : and with an absolute, "Sir, not I," 40 The cloudy messenger turns me his back, "You'll rue the time And that well might And hums ; as who should say, His message ere he come; that a swift blessing LORD. I'll send my prayers with him! [Exeunt. 21 From broad words. Because of some bold expressions. The most pious Edward. See Introduction. 27 40 With an absolute "Sir, not I." Receiving for an answer an absolute 'no.' 48 Suffering under a hand accursed. Hyperbaton, as it stands in the text. So in Hen. VIII. iii. 1: 66 Bring me a constant woman to her husband,” for 'a woman constant. ACT IV. SCENE I.-A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder. Enter the three Witches. FIRST WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. SECOND WITCH. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd. THIRD WITCH. Harpier cries: 'Tis time, 't is time. FIRST WITCH. Round about the caldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone, Boil thou first i' the charmed pot! ALL. Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn: and, caldron, bubble. SECOND 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 owlet's wing, ΙΟ 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, 20 3 Harpier cries. Some editors read 'harpy' (as the harpy is one of Ariel's forms in the Tempest). In any case the animals are familiar spirits, as in Act i. Sc. I, here employed in watching the caldron for their mistresses. 8 Sweltered venom sleeping got. Sweated forth the venom which it had contracted in its sleep-or (with the parts of speech different) 'contracted during its sleep a venom inhaled through its skin.' 14 A newt. This is said to be a corruption for 'an eft,' as conversely 'an eyas' is for 'a nias' ('nidiace,' nestling); and 'an adder' for 'a nadder' (Germ. 'Natter'). 23 Mummy. The Cambridge editors quote Sir T. Browne to the effect that mummy powder was held to be a medicine against Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark; Root of hemlock, digg'd i' the dark; Gall of goat, and slips of yew, 25 ALL. Double, double, toil and trouble; 35 Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble. SECOND 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; Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. 40 [Music and a Song. SECOND WITCH. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes : Open, locks, whoever knocks. Enter MACBETH. 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, 50 (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 all disorders. 'The Egyptian mummies which Cambyses spared, avarice now consumeth: Mizraim cures wounds, and Pharaoh is sold for balsams." Gulf. The swallow; connected with ' 'gulp.' 24 Ravined. Ravening. Cp. As You Like It, Act iii. Sc. 3 "O knowledge, ill-inhabited! and the German 'er kam geritten, gekrochen,' &c. 26 Liver: whence comes his bile and spitefulness. 33 Chaudron. Entrails; as we have 'calves' chaudrons and chitterlings.' 52 Though you untie the winds, &c. you must bring all earth to wrack and ruin. Even if to answer me |