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Lives in the English Court; and is receiv'd
Of the most pious Edward with fuch
grace,
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high refpect. Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the King upon his aid

To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward;
That by the help of thefe, (with Him above
To ratifie the work,) we may again

Give to our tables meat, fleep to our nights;
Free from our feafts and banquets bloody knives;
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now.
And this report
Hath fo exafp'rated their King, that he

Prepares for fome attempt of War.

Len. Sent he to Macduff?

Lord. He did; and with an abfolute, Sir, not 1, The cloudy meffenger turns me his back,

And hums; as who should fay,

66

"That clogs me with this answer. Len. And that well might

you'll rue the time,

Advise him to a care to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy Angel
Fly to the Court of England, and unfold
His meffage ere he come; that a fwift Blessing
May foon return to this our fuffering Country,
Under a hand accurs'd!

Lord. I'll fend my pray'rs with him.

[Exeunt.

our Author precifely follows;) both inform us, that Donalbain remain'd in Ireland till the Death of Malcolm and his Queen; and then, indeed, he came over, invaded Scotland, and wrested the Crown from One of his Nephews.

ACT

A C T IV.

SCENE, a dark Cave; in the middle, a great Cauldron burning.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

I WITCH.

HRICE the brinded cat hath mew'd.

TH 2 Witch. Twice, and once the hedge-pig whin'd.

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3

Witch. Harper crys, 'tis time, 'tis time.

I Witch. Round about the cauldron go,

In the poifon'd entrails throw.

[They march round the cauldron, and threw in
the feveral ingredients as for the preparation
of their Charm.

Toad that under the cold ftone,
Days and nights has, thirty one,
Swelter'd venom fleeping got;
Boil thou first i'th' charmed pot.
All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
1 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
of newt, and toe of frog;

Eye

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog;
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's fting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing:

For a Charm of pow'rful trouble,
Like a hell broth, boil and bubble.

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

Of the ravening falt fea-shark;
Root of hemlock, digg'd i'th' dark;
Liver of blafpheming few:
Gall of goat, and flips of yew,
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Nofe of Turk, and Tartar's lips;
Finger of birth-ftrangled babe,
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab;
Make the gruel thick, and flab.
Add thereto a tyger's chawdron,
For th' 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'th' gains.

And now about the cauldron fing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Inchanting all that you put in.

Mufick and a Song.

Black fpirits and white,

Blue fpirits 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..

Enter Macbeth.

}

Mach. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags?

What is't

you do?

All. A deed without a name.

Mach. I conjure you, by that which you profefs, (Howe'er you come to know it) answer me.

Though you untie the winds, and let them fight

0 3

Againft

Against the churches; though the yefty waves
Confound and fwallow Navigation up;

Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down,
Though caftles topple on their warders' heads;

Though palaces and pyramids do flope

Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
Of Nature's Germins tumble all together, (19)
Even till deftruction ficken: answer me

To what I ask you.

1 Witch. Speak.

2 Witch. Demand.

3

Witch. We'll answer.

Witch. Say, if th' hadft rather hear it from our mouths,

Or from our masters ?

Mach. Call 'em: let me feé 'em.

1 Witch. Pour in fow's blood, that hath eaten Her nine farrow; grease, that's fweaten From the murth'rer's gibbet, throw

Into the flame:

All. Come high or low:

Thy felf and office deftly show.

Apparition of an armed head rifes.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown Power 1 Witch. He knows thy thought:

Hear his fpeech, but fay thou nought.

[Thunder

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff! -difmifs me enough,

Beware the Thane of Fife

[Defcends, Macb. What e'er thou art, for thy good Caution,

thanks.

Thou'ft harp'd my fear aright. But one word more1 Witch. He will not be commanded; here's another

(19)

-Tho' the Treasure

Of Nature's germains tumble all together,]

Thus all the printed Copies; and Mr. Pope has explain’d Germains by Kindred: but I have already prov'd in a Note upon K. Lear, that we must read, Germins, i, e. Seeds,

More

More potent than the first.

Apparition of a bloody child rifes.

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

[Thunder.

App. Be bloody, bold, and refolute; laugh to fcorn The pow'r of man; for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.

[Deféends Mach. Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of

thee?

But yet I'll make affurance double fure,

And take a bond of Fate; thou shalt not live,

That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lyes;

And fleep in fpight of thunder.

[Thunders

Apparition of a child crowned, with a tree in his hands

What is this,

rifes.

That rifes like the iffue of a King,

And wears upon his baby-brow the round

And top of Sovereignty?

All. Liften, but speak not.

App. Be lion-nettled, proud, and take no care, Who chafes, who frets, or where confpirers are: Macbeth fhall never vanquifh'd be, until

Great Birnam-wood to Dunfinane's high hill

Shall come against him.

Mach. That will never be :

Who can imprefs the foreft, bid the tree

[Defcends

Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet boadments! good! Rebellious head rife never, 'till the wood (20)

(20) Rebellious Dead, rife never till the Wood

Of

of Birnam rife, &c.] Thus all the Impreffions, from the very Beginning, exhibit this Paffage: but I cannot imagine what Notion the Editors could have of the Dead being rebellious. It looks to me, as if they were content to believe the Poet genuine, wherever he was myfterious beyond being understood. The Emendation of one Letter gives us clear Senfe, and the very Thing which Macbeth should be suppos'd to fay here. We RebelTaust restore

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