Lives in the English Court; and is receiv'd To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward; Give to our tables meat, fleep to our nights; 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 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. 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 Toad that under the cold ftone, Eye Wool of bat, and tongue of dog; For a Charm of pow'rful trouble, All. Double, double, toil and trouble, 3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf Of Of the ravening falt fea-shark; All. Double, double, toil and trouble, 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 now about the cauldron fing, Mufick and a Song. Black fpirits and white, Blue fpirits and grey, 2 Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs 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 Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down, Though palaces and pyramids do flope Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure 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! [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 |