Assisted by that most disloyal traitor The thane of Cawdor, 'gan a dismal conflict: All. The weird sisters, hand in hand, Posters of the sea and land, Thus do go about, about; Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, And thrice again, to make up nine: Peace!-the charm's wound up. Enter Macbeth and Banquo. Macb. So foul and fair a day I have not seen. Ban. How far is't call'd to Fores ?-What are these, So wither'd, and so wild in their attire; That look not like the inhabitants o'the earth, And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught Till that Bellona's bridegroom,2 lapp'd in proof,'That man may question? You seem to understand Confronted him with self-comparisons, Point againt point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm, Curbing his lavish spirit: And, to conclude, The victory fell on us ; Dun. Great happiness! Rosse. That now Swenc, the Norways' king, craves composition; Nor would we deign him burial of his men, Till he disbursed, at Saint Colmes' inch, Ten thousand dollars to our general use. Dun. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest :-Go, pronounce his death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. Rosse. I'll see it done. 1 Witch. Where hast thou been, sister? 2 Witch. Killing swine. 3 Witch. Sister, where thou? 1 Witch. A sailor's wife had chesnuts in her lap, And mounch'd, and mounch'd, and mounch'd :Give me, quoth I: Aroint thee, witch! the rump-fed ronyon' cries. And, like a rat without a tail, 2 Witch. I'll give thee a wind. 1 Witch. Thou art kind. 3 Witch. And I another. 1 Witch. I myself have all the other; 1 will drain him dry as hay: 2 Witch. Show me, show me. 1 Witch. Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd, as homeward he did come. 3 Witch. A drum, a drum ; Macbeth doth come. [Drum within. me, By each at once her choppy finger laying Macb. Speak, if you can ;-What are you? 1 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis ! 2 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! 3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter. Ban. Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear, Things that do sound so fair?-I'the name of truth, That he seems rapt" withal; to me you speak not: And say, which grain will grow, and which will not, So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail! Macb. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: By Sinel's death, I know, I am thane of Glamis ; But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman; and to be king, Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence You owe this strange intelligence? or why Upon this blasted heath you stop our way With such prophetic greeting?-Speak, I charge [Witches vanish. Macb. And thane of Cawdor too; went it not so ?Without my stir. Enter Rosse and Angus. Rosse. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, Ang. Rosse. And, for an carnest of a greater honour, Ban. In borrow'd robes? Ang. New honours come upon him Like our strange garments; cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use. With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains The leaf to read them.-Let us toward the king.- Ban. Very gladly. Macb. Till then, enough.-Come, friends. [Exe. SCENE IV.-Fores. A room in the Palace. Flourish. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, and allendants. Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Mal. But under heavy judgment bears that life A deep repentance: nothing in his life Dun. There's no art, Glamis, the thane of Cawdor: Ban. In deepest consequence.- Mach. Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Rosse, and Angus. Two truths are told, In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.-Are to your throne and state, children, and servants; This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good: If ill, My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Ban. Look, how our partner's rapt. Macb. If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, (1) As fast as they could be counted. (2) Title. Which do but what they should, by doing every thing (11) We cannot construe the disposition of the (8) Time and opportunity. (3) Stimulate. (5) Temptation. (4) Encitement. (10) Owned, possessed. jecture. (12) Exuberant, (7) The powers of action are oppressed by con-mind by the lineaments of the face. Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter, Macb. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you: On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, Aside. a Attend. So please you, it is true; our thane is coming: One of my fellows had the speed of him; Lady M. That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Enter Macbeth. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires; The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. [Ex. Dun. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant;' And in his commendations I am fed; It is a banquet to me. Let us after him, Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: It is a peerless kinsman. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE V-Inverness. A room in Macbeth's castle. Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter. Lady M. They met me in the day of success; Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter ! and I have learned by the perfectest report, they Thy letters have transported me beyond have more in them than mortal knowledge. When This ignorant present, and I feel now I burned in desire to question them further, they The future in the instant. made themselves-air, into which they vanished. Macb. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came Duncan comes here to-night. missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose May read strange matters:-To beguile the time, the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent and farewell. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be Lady M. My dearest love, And when goes hence! flower, O, never, But be the serpent under it. He that's coming The illness should attend it. What thou would'st great Glamis, That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou And that which rather thou dost fear to do, SCENE VI.-The same. [Exeunt. Before the castle. Hautboys. Servants of Macbeth attending. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Rosse, Angus, and attendants. Ban. Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Enter an Attendant. Attend. The king comes here to-night. Is not thy master with him? who, were't so, (1) Full as valiant as described. (9) Knife anciently meant a sword or dagger. (10) i, e. Beyond the present time, which is, according to the process of nature, ignorant of the future, (11) Look, countenance. (12) Convenient corner, |