And that, distill'd by magic slights,
Shall raise such artificial sprights,
As, by the strength of their illusion,
Shall draw him on to his confusion:
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear :
And you all know, security

Is mortals' chiefest enemy.

SONG. [Within.] Come away, come away, &c.

Hark, I am call'd; my little spirit, see,

Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.

[Exit.

1 Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-Fores.-A Room in the Palace.

Enter LENOX, and another LORD.

Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,

Which can interpret further: only, I say,

Things have been strangely borne: the gracious Duncan

Was pitied of Macbeth :-Marry, he was dead :And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late; Whom, you may say, if it please you, Fleance

kill'd,

For Fleance tied. Men must not walk too late;
Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous
It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain,

To kill their gracious father? Damned fact!
How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight,
In pious rage, the two delinquents tear,

That were the slaves of drink, and thrails of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive,
To hear the men deny it. So that, I say,
He has borne all things well: and I do think,
That, had he Duncan's sons under his key,

(As, an't please heaven, he shall not,) they should

find

What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. But, peace!-For from broad words, and 'cause he

failed

His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear,
Macduff lives in disgrace :-Sir, can you tell
Where he bestows himself?

Lord. The son of Duncan,

From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth,
Lives in the English court; and is received

Of the most pious Edward with such grace,
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect :-Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy king, on his aid

To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward:
That, by the help of these, (with Him above
To ratify the work,) we may again

Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights;
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives;
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
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 accursed!

Lord. My prayers with him!

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.—A dark Cave.—In the middle, a Cauldron

boiling..

Thunder.-Enter the Three WITCHES.

1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. 2 Witch. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whined. 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:

• Honours.freely bestowed. +For exasperated. This word is employed to signify that the animal was hot and sweating with venom although sleeping under a cold stone.

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;
Fixe, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf *,
Of the ravin'd t salt sea-shark;
Root of hemlock, 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.

SONG.

Black spirits and white,
Red spirits 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.

[Music.

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

What is't you do?

All. A deed without name.

Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profess,

The throat.

+ Ravenous.

7 Entrails.

(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 lodged t, and trees blown down;

Though castles topple on their warder's heads; Though palaces, and pyramids, do slope

Their heads to their foundations; though the trea

sure

Of nature's germins § tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken, answer me

To what I ask you.

1 Witch. Speak.

2 Witch. Demand.

3 Witch. We'll answer.

1 Witch. Say, if thoud'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 shew.

Thunder.-An Apparition of an armed Head rises. Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,

1 Witch. He knows thy thought;

Hear his speech, but say thou nought,

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife.-Dismiss me :-Enough. [Descends. Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution,

thanks;

Thou hast harp'd my fear aright :-But one word

more:

I Witch. He will not be commanded: here's ano

• Frothy. 1 Tumble.

Adroitly.

+ Laid flat by wind or rain. Seeds which have begun to sprout

Touched on a passion, as a harper touches a

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.

Macb. That will never be

[Descends.

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-placed 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! [Hautboys.

1 Witch. Shew! 2 Witch. Shew! 3 Witch. Shew! All. Shew his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, so depart.

The round is that part of a crown which encircles the head: the top is the ornament which rises above it.

+ Who can command the forest to serve him dike a soldier impressed?

Music.