Fly to the court of England, and unfold His meffage ere he come; that a swift bleffing Lord. I'll fend my pray'rs with him. [Exeunt. X A CT 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 cries, 'tis time, 'tis time. Witch. Round about the cauldron go, In the poifon'd entrails throw. [They march round the cauldron, and throw in the feveral ingredients as for the preparation of their Charm. Toad, that under the cold ftone, Days and nights has, thirty-one, × Hurk her cries! Jis time, tis timo All All. Double, double, toil and trouble; 3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, } 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 other three Witches. Hec. Oh! well done! I commend your pains, And now about the cauldron fing, Mufick and a Song. Black Spirits and white, Mingle, mingle, mingle, 2 Witch. By the pricking of my Something wicked this way comes: Open locks, whoever knocks. thumbs Enter Enter Macbeth. Mach. How now, you fecret, black, and midnight hags? What is't you do? All. A deed without a name. Macb. 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 Against the churches; though the yefty waves Confound and fwallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down, Though caftles topple on their warders' heads; Though palaces and pyramids do flope Their heads to their foundation; though the treasure Of nature's germins tumble all together, (19) Ev'n till deftruction ficken: answer me To what I ask you. 1 Witch. Speak. 2 Witch. Demand. I Witch. Say, if th' hadst rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our mafter's? Mach. Call 'em: let me fee 'em : 1 Witch. Pour in fow's blood, that hath eaten Her nine farrow; greafe, that's sweaten... From the murd'rer's gibbet, throw Into the flame. All. Come high or low: Thyfelf and office deftly fhow. Apparition of an armed head rifes. Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power of Nature's germains tumble all together,] [Thunder. Thus all the printed Copies; and Mr. Pope has explained Germains by Kindred: but I have already proved in a Note upon King Lear, that we must read Germins, i. e. Seeds.. 1 Witch. He knows thy thought: Hear his fpeech, but fay thou nought. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife-dismiss me- -enough. [Defcends. Macb.What-e'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks. Thou'ft harp'd my fear aright. But one word more― 1 Witch. He will not be commanded; here's another More potent than the first. [Thunder. Apparition of a bloody child rifes. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! App. Be bloody, bold, and refolute; laugh to fcorn The pow'r of man; for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. [Defcends. Macb. 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 lies; [Thunders. Apparition of a child crowned, with a tree in his hand, rifes. What is this, That rifes like the iffue of a King, And wears upon his baby-brow the round And top of fovereignty? All. Liften, but speak not. App. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care, Who chafes, who frets, or where confpirers are: Macbeth fhall never vanquish'd be, until Great Birnam-wood to Dunfinane's high hill Shall come against him. Macb. That will never be: Who can impress the foreft, bid the tree [Defcends. Unfix his earth-bound root? fweet bodements! 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, Of Birnam rife, and our high-plac'd Macbeth All. Seek to know no more. [The Cauldron finks into the ground. Mach. I will be fatisfy'd. Deny me this, And an eternal curfe fall on you! let me know, Why finks that cauldron ? and what noife is this? 3 Witch. Shew! All. Shew his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like shadows, fo depart. [Hautboys. [Eight Kings appear and pass over in order, and (21) Banquo; the last, with a glass in his hand. 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, where-ever he was mysterious beyond being understood. The Emendation of one Letter gives us clear Senfe, and the very Thing which Macbeth should be supposed to say here. We must refore Rebellious Head rife never i. e. Let Rebellion never make Head against me, and I fhall reign long enough in fafety. till a Foreft move, (21) Eight Kings appear and pass over in order, and Banquo laf, with a Glass in bis Hand.] The Editors could not help blundering even in this Stage-Direction. For 'tis not Banquo, who brings the Glafs; as is evident from the following Speech: And yet the Eighth appears, suho bears a Glafs, I have quoted the laft Line, because it will not be amifs to obferve, that this fine Play, 'tis probable, was not writ till after Q. Elizabeth's Death. Thefe Appa itions, tho' very properly fhewn with Regard to Macbeth, yet are more artfully fo, when we confider the Addrefs of the Poet in complimenting K. James I. here upon his uniting Scotland to England: and when we confider too, that the Family of the Stuarts are faid to be the direct Defcendants from Banquo. |