Mach. Why fhould I play the Roman fool, and die On mine own fword? whilft I fee lives, the gashes Do better upon them. To him, enter Macduff. Macd. Turn, hell-hound, turn. Mach. Of all men elfe I have avoided thee. But get thee back, my foul is too much charg'd With blood of thine already. Macd. I've no words; My voice is in my fword! Thou bloodier villain, Than terms can give thee out. Mach. Thou lofeft labour; [Fight. Alarum. As eafie may'ft thou the intrenchant air With thy keen fword imprefs, as make me bleed: I bear a charmed life, which must not yield Macd. Despair thy Charm! And let the Angel, whom thou ftill haft ferv'd, Macb. Accurfed be that tongue that tells me fo, For it hath cow'd my better part of man; And be thefe juggling fiends no more believ'd, That keep the word of promife to our ear, And break it to our hope. I'll not fight with thee. And live to be the fhew, and gaze o'th' time. 9 -intrenchant air] That is, air which cannot be cut. VOL. VI. Falter with us ] That fuf fe with ambiguous expreffions. I i Painted Painted upon a pole, and under-writ, To kifs the ground before young Malcolm's feet, Retreat and flourish. Enter with Drum and Colours, Malcolm, Siward, Roffe, Thanes, and Soldiers. Mal. I would the friends we mifs, were fafe arriv'd. Siw. Some must go off; and yet, by these I fee, So great a day as this is cheaply bought. Mal. Macduff is miffing, and your noble fon. Roffe. Your fon, my lord, has paid a foldier's debt; He only liv'd but 'till he was a man, The which no fooner had his prowess confirm'd, Siw. Then is he dead? Roffe. Ay, and brought off the field. Your caufe of forrow Muft not be meafur'd by his worth, for then It hath no end. Siw. Had he his hurts before? Roffe. Ay, on the front. Siw. Why then, God's foldier be he! Had I as many fons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death. Mal. He's worth more forrow, And that I'll spend for him. Siw. He's worth no more; They fay, he parted well, and paid his score. Enter Macduff, with Macbeth's head. Macd. Hail, King! for fo thou art. Behold, where Th' Ufurper's curfed head. The time is free; All. Hail, King of Scotland! [Flourish. Mal. We fhall not fpend a large expence of time, Before we reckon with your fev'ral loves, And make us even with you. Thanes and kinfmen, Of this dead butcher, and his fiend-like Queen, And fo his knell is knoll'd.] This incident is thus related from Henry of Huntingdon by Camden in his Remains, from which our authour probably copied it. When Seyward, the martial earl of Northumberland, undergood that his fon, whom he had Ii 2 sent in service against the Scotchmen, was flain, he demanded whether his wounds were in the fore part or hinder part of his body. When it was answered, in the fore part, he replied, "I am "right glad; neither with I any "other death to me or mine." That That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure, time and place. So thanks to all at once, and to each one, Whom we invite to fee us crown'd at Scone. [Flourish. Exeunt omnes. whether it may not be faid in defence of fome parts which now feem improbable, that, in ShakeSpeare's time, it was neceffary to warn credulity against vain and illufive predictions. The paffions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detefted; and though the courage of Macbeth preferves fome esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. C. MAR |