Lady M. Did you send to him, sir? Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send: There's not a one of them, but in his house I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow, (Betimes I will,) unto the weird sisters: More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know, Stept in so far, that, should I wade no more, Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; Macb. Come, we'll to sleep: My strange and self-abuse Is the initiate fear, that wants hard use :- [Exeunt. stance, that Macduff denies to come at our great bidding? What do you infer from thence? What is your opinion of the matter? The circumstance on which this question is founded, took its rise from the old history. Macbeth sent to Macduff to assist in building the castle of Dunsinane. Macduff sent workmen, &c. but did not choose to trust his person in the tyrant's power. From that time he resolved on his death. STEEVENS. 5 be scann'd.] To scan is to examine nicely. You lack the season of all natures, sleep.] i. e. you stand in need of the time or season of sleep, which all natures require. SCENE V. The Heath. Thunder. Enter HECATE, meeting the three Witches. 1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecate ? you look Hec. Have I not reason, beldams, as you are, In riddles, and affairs of death; And, which is worse, all you have done Spiteful, and wrathful; who, as others do, But make amends now: Get you gone, Meet me i'the morning; thither he Great business must be wrought ere noon: There hangs a vaporous drop profound;" 7 vaporous drop profound;] This vaporous drop seems to have been meant for the same as the virus lunare of the ancients, being a foam which the moon was supposed to have shed on particular herbs, or other objects, when strongly solicited by enchant ment. I'll catch it ere it come to ground: He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear Is mortal's chiefest enemy. SONG. [Within.] Come away, come away, &c. Hark, I am call'd; my little spirit, see, Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me. [Exit. [Exeunt. 1 Witch. Come, let's make haste: she'll soon be back again. SCENE VI. Fores. A Room in the Palace. Enter LENOX, and another Lord. Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts, Which can interpret further: only, I say, Things have been strangely borne: The gracious Duncan Was pitied of Macbeth:-marry, he was dead:- For Fleance fled. Men must not walk too late. slights,] Arts; subtle practices. How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight, That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep? (As, an't please heaven, he shall not,) they should find What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear, Lord. The son of Duncan, From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth, Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights; 2 Prepares for some attempt of war. 1 9 Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives;] The construction is-Free our feasts and banquets from bloody knives. and receive free honours,] Free may be either honours freely bestowed, not purchased by crimes; or honours without slavery, without dread of a tyrant. JOHNSON. the king,] i. e. Macbeth. Len. Sent he to Macduff? Lord. He did: and with an absolute, Sir, not 1, 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. My prayers with him! [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. A dark Cave. In the middle a Cauldron 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. Harper cries:3-'Tis time, 'tis time. 1 Witch. Round about the cauldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw.Toad, that under coldest stone, Days and nights hast thirty-one Swelter'd venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i'the charmed pot! ' Harper cries:] Harper may be a mis-spelling, or misprint for harpy. The word cries likewise seems to countenance this supposition. Crying is one of the technical terms appropriated to the noise made by birds of prey. |