Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward To what they were before.-My pretty cousin, Blessing upon you!

L. Macd. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless. Rosse. I am so much a fool, should I stay longer, It would be my disgrace, and your discomfort: I take my leave at once.

L. Macd.

[Exit ROSSE. Sirrah, your father's dead;

And what will you do now? How will you live?
Son. As birds do, mother.

L. Macd.
What, with worms and flies?
Son. With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
L. Macd. Poor bird! thou'dst never fear the net,
The pit-fall, nor the gin.
[nor lime,

Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are My father is not dead, for all your saying. [not set for. L. Macd. Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a Son. Nay, how will you do for a husband? [father? L. Macd. Why, I can buy me twenty at any market. Son. Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.

Lady M. Thou speak'st with all thy wit; and yet With wit enough for thee.

Son. Was my father a traitor, mother.
L. Macd. Ay, that he was.

Son. What is a traitor?

L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies.
Son. And be all traitors, that do so?

[i'faith,

L. Macd. Every one that does so, is a traitor, and must be hanged.

Son. And must they all be hanged that swear and L. Macd. Every one.

Son. Who must hang them?

L. Macd. Why, the honest men.

[lie?

Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men, and hang up them.

L. Macd. Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?

Son. If he were dead, you'd weep for him: if you

would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father.

L. Macd. Poor prattler! how thou talk'st.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,

Though in your state of honour I am perfect,'
I doubt, some danger does approach you nearly:
If you will take a homely man's advice,

Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
To do worse to you' were fell cruelty,

Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
I dare abide no longer.

L. Macd.

I have done no harm.

[Exit Messenger. Whither should I fly?

But I remember now

I am in this earthly world; where, to do harm,
Is often laudable: to do good, sometime,
Accounted dangerous folly: Why then, alas!
Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say, I have done no harm?

Enter Murderers.

Mur. Where is your husband?

[faces?

-What are these

L. Macd. I hope, in no place so unsanctified,
Where such as thou may'st find him.

Mur.
Son. Thou ly'st, thou shag-ear'd3 villain.
Mur. What, you egg?

He's a traitor.

[Stabbing him.

He has kill'd me, mother:

Run away, I pray you.

[Dies.

Young fry of treachery?

Son.

[Exit Lady MACDUFF, crying murder, and pursued by the Murderers.

1i. e. Though I am perfectly acquainted with your rank.

2

i. e. not to acquaint you with your danger.

3 Perhaps we should read shag-haired.

SCENE III.-England. A room in the King's

palace.

Enter MALCOLM and Macduff.

Mal. Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there Weep our sad bosoms empty.

Let us rather

Macd.
Hold fast the mortal sword; and, like good men,
Bestride' our down-fall'n birthdom: Each new morn,
New widows howl; new orphans cry; new sorrows
Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds

As if it felt with Scotland, and yell'd out
Like syllable of dolour.

Mal.
What I believe, I'll wail;
What know, believe; and, what I can redress,
As I shall find the time to friend,' I will.

What you have spoke, it may be so, perchance.
This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,
Was once thought honest: you have lov'd him well;
He hath not touch'd you yet. I am young; but
something

You may deserve of him through me; and wisdom
To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb,

To appease an angry god.

Macd. I am not treacherous.

Mal.

But Macbeth is.

A good and virtuous nature may recoil

In an imperial charge. But 'crave your pardon; That which you are, my thoughts cannot transpose: “ Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell: Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace, Yet grace must still look so."

i. e. Stand over and defend.

3 Perhaps we should read discern.

• befriend.

4 and 'tis wisdom.

5 i. e.recede from goodness in the execution of a royal commission. 6 cannot alter, affect. 7 must still wear its own gracious looks.

Macd.

I have lost my hopes.

Mal. Perchance, even there, where I did find my Why in that rawness' left you wife, and child, [doubts. (Those precious motives, those strong knots of love,) Without leave-taking?-I pray you,

Let not my jealousies be your dishonours,

But mine own safeties:-You may be rightly just,
Whatever I shall think.

Macd.

Bleed, bleed, poor country!

Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure,

[wrongs,

For goodness dares not check thee! wear thou thy
Thy title is affeer'd !2-Fare thee well, lord:

I would not be the villain that thou think'st
For the whole space that's in the tyrant's grasp,
And the rich East to boot.

It

Mal.

Be not offended:

you.

I speak not as in absolute fear of
I think, our country sinks beneath the yoke;
weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash
Is added to her wounds: I think, withal,
There would be hands uplifted in my right;
And here, from gracious England, have I offer
Of goodly thousands: But, for all this,
When I shall tread upon the tyrant's head,
Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country
Shall have more vices than it had before;
More suffer, and more sundry ways than ever,
By him that shall succeed.

Macd.

What should he be?

Mal. It is myself I mean: in whom I know
All the particulars of vice so grafted,

That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth
Will seem as pure as snow; and the poor state
Esteem him as a lamb, being compar'd

With my confineless harms.

Macd.

Not in the legions

Of horrid hell, can come a devil more damn'd
In evils, to top Macbeth.

Mal.

I grant him bloody,

Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful,

Sudden,' malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name: But there's no bottom, none,
In my voluptuousness: Better Macbeth,
Than such a one to reign.

Macd.

Boundless intemperance

In nature is a tyranny; it hath been

Th' untimely emptying of the happy throne,
And fall of many kings. But fear not yet
To take upon you what is yours.

Mal. With this, there grows,

In my most ill-compos'd affection, such
A stanchless avarice, that, were I king,
I should cut off the nobles for their lands;
Desire his jewels, and this other's house:
And my more-having would be as a sauce
To make me hunger more; that I should forge
Quarrels unjust against the good, and loyal,
Destroying them for wealth.

Macd.

This avarice

Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root;
And it hath been

The sword of our slain kings: Yet do not fear :
Scotland hath foysons to fill up your will,

Of your mere own: All these are portable,3

With other graces weigh'd.

Mal. But I have none: The king-becoming graces,

As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,
Bounty, perséverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
I have no relish of them; but abound
In the division of each several crime,
Acting it many ways.

2

Nay, had I power, I should

Passionate, hasty.

provisions in plenty. Fh. Foison, plenty. 3 supportable.