Gent. I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body. Doct. Well, well, well.

60

Gent. Pray God it be, sir.

Doct. This disease is beyond my practice: yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.

Lady M. Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale. I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried; he cannot come out on's grave. Doct. Even so ?

69

Lady M. To bed, to bed: there's knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed. Exit.

Doct. Will she go now to bed?
Gent. Directly.

Doct. Foul whisperings are abroad. Unnatural
deeds

Do breed unnatural troubles; infected minds
To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets;
More needs she the divine than the physician.
God, God forgive us all! Look after her;
Remove from her the means of all annoyance,
And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night:
My mind she has mated, and amaz'd my sight.
I think, but dare not speak.

Gent. Good night, good doctor.

Exeunt.

80

His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff.
Revenges burn in them; for their dear causes
Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm
Excite the mortified man.

Ang.

Near Birnam wood

Shall we well meet them; that way are they
coming.
Caith. Who knows if Donalbain be with his

brother?

Ment.

Len. For certain, sir, he is not: I have a file
Of all the gentry: there is Siward's son,
And many unrough youths that even now
Protest their first of manhood.
What does the tyrant?
Caith. Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.
Some say he's mad; others that lesser hate him
Do call it valiant fury; but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper'd cause
Within the belt of rule.

10

Ment.

Who then shall blame
His pester'd senses to recoil and start,
When all that is within him does condemn
Itself for being there?

Caith.
Well, march we on,
To give obedience where 'tis truly ow'd;
Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal,
And with him pour we in our country's purge
Each drop of us.

Len.

Or so much as it needs
To dew the sovereign flower and drown the
weeds.

Make we our march towards Birnam.
Ereunt, marching.

The devil damn thee black, thou cream-fac'd loon !

SCENE II.-The Country near Dunsinane.
Enter, with drum and colours, MENTEITH, CAITH-
NESS, ANGUS, LENNOX, and Soldiers.

Where gott'st thou that goose look ?
Serv. There is ten thousand-
Macb.
Serv.

Geese, villain!

Soldiers, sit. Ment. The English power is near, led on by Thou lily-liver'd boy. What soldiers, patch! Macb. Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear,

Malcolm,

Death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thire
Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-

11

face?

Serv. The English force, so please you.
Macb. Take thy face hence. Exit Servant.
When I behold-Seyton, I say!--This push *
Seyton!-I am sick at heart
Will cheer me ever or disseat me now.
I have liv'd long enough: my way of life
Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf;
And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have; but, in their stead,
Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor,
breath,

Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare
not.
Seyton!

Enter SEYTON.

Sey. What is your gracious pleasure?
Mach.
What news more!
Sey. All is confirm'd, my lord, which was
reported.

Mach. I'll fight till from my bones my flest

be hack'd.

Give me my armour.

Wherefore was that cry?

Sey. The queen, my lord, is dead.
Mach. She should have died hereafter;

SCENE IV.-Country near Birnam Wood. Drum and colours. Enter MALCOLM, old SIWARD There would have been a time for such a word. and his Son, MACDUFF, MENTEITH, CAITH-To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, NESS, ANGUS, LENNOX, Ross, and Soldiers, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, marching. To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief

Mal. Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand

That chambers will be safe.

Ment.

We doubt it nothing.
Siw. What wood is this before us?
Ment.
The wood of Birnam.
Mal. Let every soldier hew him down a
bough

And bear't before him: thereby shall we
shadow

The numbers of our host, and make discovery
Err in report of us.

Sold.

It shall be done.

Siw. We learn no other but the confident
tyrant

Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before 't.

Mal.
'Tis his main hope; 10
For where there is advantage to be given,
Both more and less hath given him the revolt,
And none serve with him but constrained

things

Whose hearts are absent too.

candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Enter a Messenger.

220

I throw my war-like shield. And damn'd be him that enough!'

Lay on, Macduff, first cries 'Hold, Exeunt, fighting. Retreat. Flourish. Re-enter, with drum and colours, MALCOLM, old SIWARD, ROSS, Thanes, and Soldiers.

Mal. I would the friends we miss were safe arriv'd.

Siw. Some must go off; and yet, by these I see, So great a day as this is cheaply bought.

Mal. Macduff is missing, and your noble son. Ross. Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt:

He only liv'd but till he was a man ;

The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd
In the unshrinking station where he fought,
But like a man he died.

Siw.

Then he is dead?

71

Ross. Ay, and brought off the field. Your
cause of sorrow

Must not be measur'd by his worth, for then
It hath no end.

Siv.

Had he his hurts before?

They say, he parted well, and paid his score: And so, God be with him! Here comes newer comfort.

Re-enter MACDUFF, with MACBETH'S head.
Macd. Hail, king! for so thou art. Behold,
where stands

The usurper's cursed head: the time is free:
I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl,
That speak my salutation in their minds;
Whose voices I desire aloud with mine;
Hail, King of Scotland!
All.

Hail, King of Scotland!
Flourish.
Mal. Weshall not spend a large expense of time
Before we reckon with your several loves,
And make us even with you. My thanes and
kinsmen,

90

Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland
In such an honour nam'd. What's more to do
Which would be planted newly with the time,
As calling home our exil'd friends abroad
That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;
Producing forth the cruel ministers
Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,
Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands
Took off her life; this, and what needful else
That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace
We will perform in measure, time, and place:
He's worth more sorrow, So thanks to all at once and to each one,
Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.
Flourish. Exeunt.

Ross. Ay, on the front.
Siw.

Why then, God's soldier be he!
Had I as many sons as I have hairs,

I would not wish them to a fairer death:
And so, his knell is knoll'd.

Mal.

And that I'll spend for him.
Siw.

He's worth no more; 80

101

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and Attendants.

When yond same star that's westward from the pole

And liegemen to the Dane. Had made his course to illume that part of