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 honours ;-
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, to 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.—A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. 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 :-'T is time, 't is time.
1 Witch. Round about the caldron go;

In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights hast thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.
2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron 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 owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble;
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble.
3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf,
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,a
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, and 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.

6

[Music and a Song, Black spirits,' &c.b

2 Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes :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, (Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me:

a Chaudron-entrails.

This is the original stage direction. The modern editors have inserted four lines of a song, which they find in Middleton's Witch,' but without any authority for their introduction here, beyond the stage-direction. In the Witch scene of Act III. we have mention of a song "Come away." These words are also in Middleton. If the song of the fourth act should be inserted in the text, why not that of the third act?

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 germins a tumble all together,

Even till destruction sicken, answer me

To what I ask you.

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

mouths,

Or from our masters'?

Macb.

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.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,

1 Witch.

He knows thy thought;

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Mac

duff;

Beware the thane of Fife.-Dismiss me :-Enough. [Descends.

Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution,

thanks;

Thou hast harp'd my fear aright:-But one word more:

a Germins-the original is germaine. Germins are seeds; germaine, kindred, something closely related to another.

1 Witch. He will not be commanded: Here's an

other,

More potent than the first.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.
App.
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth !-

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

App. Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.

[Descends. Macb. 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 to 't.
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.

[Descends.

Macb.
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?