Page images
PDF
EPUB

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,
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 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, to the other three Witches.
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,

[Musick.

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.

Mac. How now, you secret, black, and midnight

What is't

All.

hags?
you do?

A deed without a name.

Mac. 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 trea

sure

Of nature's germins tumble all together,

Even till destruction sicken, answer me

[blocks in formation]

1 Witch. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our

mouths,

Or from our masters'?

Mac.

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 show.

Thunder. An Apparition of an armed head rises.

Mac. 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.

Mac. What-e'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!

Mac. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

App. Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn power of man; for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.

The

[descends.

Mac. 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.

Mac.

[descends.

That will never be:

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-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
Can tell so much,) shall Banquo's issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?

All.

Seek to know no more.

Mac. I will be satisfied: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:Why sinks that caldron? and what noise is this?

[Hautboys.

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

Eight kings appear, and pass over the stage in order; the last, with a glass in his hand: Banquo following.

Mac. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!

Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls:-And thy

hair,

Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first:-
A third is like the former:-Filthy hags!

Why do you show me this?-A fourth?-Start, eyes! What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?

Another yet?-A seventh?-I'll see no more:-
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass,
Which shows me many more; and some I see,
That twofold balls and treble scepters carry:
Horrible sight!-Ay, now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.-What, is this so?

1 Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so:-But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?-
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprights,
And show the best of our delights;
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antique round:
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.

[Musick. The Witches dance, and vanish.

Mac. Where are they? Gone?-Let this perni

cious hour

« PreviousContinue »