All which we pine for now: And this report
Hath so exasperate the king, that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.

Len.

Sent he to Macduff?

Lord. He did and with an absolute, Sir not I,
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,

And hums; as who should say, You'll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.

Len.
And that well might
Advise him to a caution, to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England, and unfold

His message ere he come; that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accurs'd!

Lord.

My prayers with him. [Exeunt.

m

ACT IV.

SCENE I-A dark Cave. In the middle a Cauldron boiling. Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

1 Witch.

THRICE the brinded cat bath mew'd.

2 Witch. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd. 3 Witch. Harper cries :-"Tis time, 'tis time.

1 Witch. Round about the cauldron go;

In the poison'd entrails throw.--

Toad, that under coldest stone,
Days and nights hast thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
All. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron 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.
For a charm of powerful 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 the ravin'd salt-sea shark;
Root of hemloek, 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 tiger'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 the other three Witches.

Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains;

And every one shall share i' the gains.

And now about the cauldron sing,

Like elves and fairies in a ring,

Enchanting all that you put in.

2 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.

Mach. 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 warders' heads; 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

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

mouths,

Or from our masters'?

Macb.

Call them, let me see them

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

Her nine farrow; grease, that's sweaten

From the murderer's gibbet, throw

Into the flame.

All.

Come, high, or low;

Thyself, and office deftly show.

Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown pow'r,---

1 Witch.

He knows thy thought;

Hear his speech, hut say thou nought.

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife.-Dismiss me:-Enough. [Descends.

Mach. Whate'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 a

nother,

More potent than the first.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!→→→→

Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

App. Be bloody, bold, And resolute: laugh to scorn the power of man, For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.

[Descends

Macb. Then live, Macduff; What need I fear of

thee?

But yet I'll make assurance double sure,

And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;

That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,

And sleep in spite of thunder.What is this, Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand, rises.

That rises like the issue of a king;

And wears upon his baby brow the round

And top of sovereignty.

All.

Listen, but speak not.

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.

Mach.

[Descends.

That will never be;

Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet bodements! good!
Rebellious head, rise never, till the wood

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

Macb. I will be satisfied: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know :—

Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?

1 Witch. Show!

[Hautboys.

2 Witch. Show!

3 Witch. Show!

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

Eight Kings appear, and pass over the stage in order; the last with a glass in his hand; Banquo follow ing.

Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquò; down!

Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls:-And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first :—
A third is like the former :-Filthy hags!

Why do you show 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 shows me many more; and some I see,
That two-fold balls and treble sceptres carry:
Horrible sight!-Ay, now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.-What, is this so?