If you can look into the feeds of time, And fay, which grain will grow and which will not; Speak then to me, who neither beg, nor fear, Your favours, nor your hate. 1 Witch. Hail! 2 Witch. Hail! 3 Witch. Hail! 1 Witch. Leffer than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not fo happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou shall get Kings, though thou be none; So, all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banque and Macbeth, all-hail! Mach. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence With fuch prophetick greeting?-speak, I charge you. 'Would they had staid! Ban. Were fuch things here, as we do speak about? (6). Or have we eaten of the infane root, (6) Were fuch Things here, as we do speak about? Or have we eaten of the infane Root, That takes the Reason prisoner?] Hector Boethius, who gives us an Account of Sueno's Army being intoxicated by a Preparation put upon them by their fubtle Enemy, informs us; that there is a Plant, which grows in great Quantity in Scotland, called Solatrum Amentiale; that its Berries are purple, or rather black, when full ripe; and have a Quality of laying to Sleep; or of driving into Madness, if a more than ordinary Quantity of them be taken. This Paffage of Boethius, I dare fay, our Poet had an Eye to and, I think, it fairly accounts for his Mention of the infane Root. M 4 'That That takes the reafon prifoner ? Macb. Your children fhall be Kings. Ban. You fhall be King. Macb. And Thane of Cawdor too; went it not fo? Ban. To th' felf fame tune, and words; who's here? Enter Roffe and Angus. Roffe. The King hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, As thick as hail, To give thee, from our royal mafter, thanks; Not pay thee. Roe. And for an earnest of a greater honour, Ban. What, can the devil speak true? Have overthrown him. Macb. Glamis and Thane of Cawdor! [Afide. The The greateft is behind. Thanks for your pains. [To An. Do you not hope, your children fhall be Kings. [To Ban. When thofe that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me, Promis'd no lefs to them? Ban. That, trufted home, Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Coufins, a word, I pray you. Mach. Two truths are told, [To Roffe and Angus. [Afide. As happy prologues to the fwelling act Of the imperial theme. I thank you, gentlemen This fupernatural folliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good. -If ill, Why hath it giv'n me earnest of fuccefs, My thought, whofe murder yet is but fantaftical, (7) -prefent Fears But Are less than horrible Imaginings.] Macbeth, while he is projecting the Murder, which he afterwards puts in Execution, is thrown into the most agonizing Affright at the Profpect of it: which foon recovering from, thus he reafons on the Nature of his Disorder. Imaginings are fo far from being more or less than prefent Fears, that they are the fame Things under different Words. Shakespeare certainly wrote; -prefent Feats Are less than horrible Imaginings. i. e. When I come to execute this Murder, I fhall find it much lefs dreadful than my frighted Imagination now prefents it to me. A confideration drawn from the Nature of the Imagination. M 5 Mr. Warburton. But But what is not. Ban. Look, how our partner's rapt! Macb. If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, Without my ftir. Ban. New Honours, come upon him, [Afide. Like our ftrange garments cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of ufe. Macb. Come what come may, Time and the hour runs thro' the roughest day. With things forgot. Kind gentlemen, your pains The leaf to read them. Let us toward the King; [To Banquo. (The Interim having weigh'd it,) let us speak Our free hearts each to other. Ban. Very gladly. Macb. 'Till then enough: come friends.. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to the Palace., Flourish. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, and Attendants. King.S execution done on Cawdor yet?. Is Or not thofe in commiffion yet return'd? Thy are not yet come back. But I have fpoke King. There's no art, To find the mind's conftruction in the face: Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Roffe, and Angus. O worthieft coufin! The fin of my ingratitude e'en now Was heavy on me. Thou'rt fo far before, To overtake thee. 'Would, thou'dft lefs deferv'd, Are to your throne, and state, children and fervants; King. Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour Ban. There if I grow, Wanton in fulness, feek to hide themselves Our eldeft Malcolm, whom we name hereafter But figns of nobleness, like ftars, fhall fhine Mach. |