Saucy and overbold? How did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth
In riddles and affairs of death;
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?

And, which is worse, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward son,

Spiteful and wrathful; who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now: get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron

Meet me i' the morning: thither he
Will come to know his destiny.
Your vessels and your spells provide,
Your charms, and everything beside.
I am for the air; this night I'll spend
Unto a dismal and a fatal end.

Great business must be wrought ere noon:
Upon the corner of the moon

There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground:
And that, distill'd by magic sleights,
Shall raise such artificial sprites,
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 mortal's chiefest enemy.

[Music and song within: Come away, come away, &c.

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

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

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

A Room in the Palace.

Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.

again.

SCENE VI.-FORRES.

Enter LENNOX 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't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled. 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 thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive,
To hear the men deny 't. 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

fail'd

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 receiv'd
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, upon 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.

And that well might

Len.
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.

I'll send my prayers with him!

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron Boiling.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

2 Witch. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd.

3 Witch. Harpier cries:-'tis time, 'tis time.

1 Witch. Round about the caldron go;

In the poison'd entrails throw.-
Toad, that under the cold 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, caldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron 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 howlet's wing,-
For a charm of powerful trouble:
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble,
All. Double, double toil and trouble,
Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.
3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangl'd babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,-
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our caldron.

All. Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter HECATE.

Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains;
And every one shall share i' the gains.
And now about the caldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.

SONG.

Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray;
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.

[Exit HECATE.

Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is 't you do?

All.

A deed without a name.

Macb. 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 altogether,

Even till destruction sicken,

To what I ask you.

-answer me

1 Witch.

2 Witch.

3 Witch.

Speak.

Demand.

We'll answer.

1 Witch. Say, if thoud'st rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our masters?

Macb.

Call 'em, let me see 'em.

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 power,1 Witch.

He knows thy thought:

Hear his speech, but say thou naught.

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, 1 Witch. He will not be commanded: here's another, 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 to 't.

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:

Who can impress the forest; bid the tree

[Descends.

Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!
Rebellion's 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