His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff. Ang. Near Birnam wood Shall we well meet them: that way are they coming. Cath. Who knows, if Donalbain be with his brother? Len. For certain, sir, he is not. I have a file Of all the gentry: there is Siward's son, And many unrough youths, that even now Ment. What does the tyrant? Cath. Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies. Now does he feel Ang. Ment. Who, then, shall blame His pester'd senses to recoil and start, When all that is within him does condemn Itself, for being there? Cath. Well; march we on, To give obedience where 'tis truly ow'd: Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal; Len. Or so much as it needs To dew the sovereign flower, and drown the weeds. [Exeunt, marching. SCENE III. Dunsinane. A Room in the Castle. Enter MACBETH, Doctor, and Attendants. Mach. Bring me no more reports; let them fly all: Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounc'd me thus:"Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee."-Then fly, false thanes, And mingle with the English epicures: The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, Shall never sag with doubt, nor shake with fear. Enter a Servant. The devil damn thee black, thou cream-fac'd loon! Serv. There is ten thousand Macb. Serv. Geese, villain? Soldiers, sir. Mach. Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver'd boy. What soldiers, patch1? Death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thine Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face? Serv. The English force, so please you. Mach. Take thy face hence.-Seyton !-I am sick at heart, When I behold-Seyton, I say!-This push Shall never SAG with doubt,] "Sag" is an old form of sirag. 4 -patch!] An appellation of contempt, in frequent use, alluding to the patched or particoloured dress of fools. See Vol. ii. p. 136. 426 ; Vol. vi. p. 54. Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now". Enter SEYTON. Sey. What is your gracious pleasure? What news more? Sey. All is confirm'd, my lord, which was reported. Macb. I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hack'd. Give me my armour. Sey. Mach. I'll put it on. "Tis not needed yet. Send out more horses, skirr the country round'; Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour.— How does your patient, doctor? Doct. Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, That keep her from her rest. Macb. Cure her of that: 5 Will cheer me ever, or DISSEAT me now.] "Disseat" is, no doubt, the true reading, though some editors would, with the second folio, substitute disease. It is evident that the printer of the folio of 1623 did not understand the line, for he has composed the word "dis-eate." 6 my WAY of life] Johnson suggested that we ought to read May for "way," the M having been inverted; but in that case," way" would probably have been printed in the folio with a capital W, which is not the fact. "Way of life" is very intelligible. 7 -SKIRR the country round;] i. e. Scour the country round: "skirr" was sometimes spelt scur. 8 That keep HER from her rest.] Malone says that "her" is omitted in the folio of 1623, and inserted in that of 1632. It is to be found in all copies of the folio of 1623 which I have had an opportunity of consulting; and, possibly, he meant to refer to the next speech," Cure her of that," where "her" is left out in the folio, 1623, and supplied in that of 1632. Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd, Doct. Must minister to himself. Therein the patient Mach. Throw physic to the dogs; I'll none of it.--- That should applaud again.-Pull't off, I say.— Would scour these English hence?-Hear'st thou of them? Doct. Ay, my good lord: your royal preparation Makes us hear something. Mach. I will not be afraid of death and bane, Bring it after me.- [Exit. [Exit. Doct. Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane. Profit again should hardly draw me here. 9 Cleanse the STUFF'D bosom of that perilous STUFF,] We have, of course, no warrant for altering the text of this line as it stands in the old copies, though the repetition of "stuff'd" and "stuff" is certainly disagreeable to the ear. Steevens would change "stuff'd" to foul; but it does not seem to have struck the commentators that the error, if any, rather lies in the last word of the line, which, perhaps, the printer mistook, having composed "stuff'd" just before. It is vain to speculate what word to substitute, but from its position it need not necessarily be of one syllable only. 1- senna,] The old copies read, cyme. No such drug appears to be known, and Rowe corrected it to "senna." VOL. VII. N SCENE IV. Country near Dunsinane: a Wood in view. Enter, with Drum and Colours, MALCOLM, old SIWARD, and his Son, MACDUFF, MENTETH, CATHNESS, ANGUS, LENOX, ROSSE, and Soldiers marching. Mal. Cousins, I hope, the days are near at hand, That chambers will be safe. Ment. We doubt it nothing. Siw. What wood is this before us? The wood of Birnam. Mal. Let every soldier hew him down a bough, Siw. We learn no other but the confident tyrant Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure Our setting down before't. Mal. 'Tis his main hope; For where there is advantage to be given, Both more and less have given him the revolt, Macd. Attend the true event, and put we on Industrious soldiership. Siw. Let our just censures The time approaches, That will with due decision make us know What we shall say we have, and what we owe. Towards which, advance the war. [Exeunt, marching. |