Get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron
Meet me i' th' morning; thither he
Will come to know his destiny.
Your vessels and your spells provide,
Your charms and every thing beside.
I am for th' 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 vap'rous 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 mortals' chiefest enemy.
Music, and a song. Sing within:
»Come away, come away, etc.«
Hark, I am call'd; my little spirit, see,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.
[Exit.]
1. WITCH.
Come, let's make haste, she'll soon be back again.
Exeunt.
Scene VI
Enter Lennox and another Lord.
LEN.
My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret farther; 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, and'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 honors;
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.«
LEN.
And that well might
Advise him to a caution, t' 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
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 cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw;
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelt'red venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' th' charmed pot.
ALL.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
2. WITCH.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron 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 pow'rful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
ALL.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
3. WITCH.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witch's mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' th' 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 chawdron,
For th' ingredience of our cau'dron.
ALL.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
2. WITCH.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Enter Hecat and the other three Witches.
HEC.
O, well done! I commend your pains,
And every one shall share i' th' gains.
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Music and a song:
»Black spirits, etc.«
[Exit Hecat.]
2. WITCH.
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
[Knocking.]
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks!
Enter Macbeth.
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
(How e'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 [germains] tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken; answer me
To what I ask you.
1. WITCH.
Speak.
2. WITCH.
Demand.
3. WITCH.
We'll answer.
1. WITCH.
Say, if th' hadst 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.
1 comment