Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down ; Though caftles topple on their warders' heads; Though palaces, and pyramids, do flope

Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure Of nature's germins tumble all together,

Even 'till destruction ficken, answer me

To what I ask you.

1. W. Speak. 2. W. Demand.

3. W. We'll answer.

1. W. Say, if thou'dft rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our masters'?

MAC. Call them, let me fee them.

1. W. Pour in fow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; greafe, † that's sweaten
From the murtherer's gibbet, throw
Into the flame.

all. Come, high, or low;

Thyfelf, and office, deftly fhow.

Thunder. Apparition of an arm'd Head rises. MAC. Tell me, thou unknown power,

1. W. He knows thy thought;

Hear his fpeech, but fay thou nought.

App. Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Difmifs me: Enough. [defcends. MAC. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks; Thou haft harp'd my fear aright: But one word more. 1. W. He will not be commar led: Here's another, More potent than the first.

Thunder. Apparition of a bloody Child rises. App. Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth,

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

5 Germaine,

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

Shall harm Macbeth.

[defcends. MAC'. Then live, Macduff; What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make affurance double fure,

And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live ;

That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,

And fleep in fpight of thunder.

What is this, Thunder. Apparition of a Child crown'd, with a Tree in his Hand, rises.

That rises like the iffue of a king;

And wears upon his baby brow the round

And top of fovereignty?

all.

Liften, but fpeak not.

App. Be lion-mettl'd, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where confpirers are:
Macbeth fhall never vanquish'd be, until
Great Birnam wood to Dunfinane high hill

Shall come against him.

MAC'. That will never be :

Who can imprefs the foreft; bid the tree

[defcends.

Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet boadments! 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 cuftom. Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing; Tell me, (if your art
Can tell fo much) fhall Banquo's iffue ever
Reign in this kingdom?

all.. Seek to know no more.

MAC. I will be fatiffy'd: deny me this,

And an eternal curfe fall on you: let me know:

18 high Dunfinane 23 dead

[Thunder; and the Cauldron finks. Horrid Musick. Why finks that cauldron ? and what noise is this? 1. W. Shew. 2. W. Shew. 3. W. Shew.

all. Shew his eyes, and grieve his heart; Come like fhadows, fo depart.

Eight Kings appear, and pass over in Order; the laft, with a Glass in his Hand: Banquo following.

Mac". Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down; Thy crown does fear mine eye-balls : — And thy hair, Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the firft:

A third, is like the former: (Filthy hags,
Why do you fhew me this ?) A fourth?

-

Start, eyes! What, will the line ftretch out to the crack of doom? Another yet? A feventh? I'll fee no more: And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass, Which fhews me many more; and fome I see, That twofold balls and treble scepters carry : Horrible fight! May, now, I fee, 'tis true; For the blood-bolter'd Banquo fmiles upon me, And points at them for his. What, is this for

1. W. Ay, fir, all this is fo: But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?
Come, fifters, cheer we up his sprights,
And fhew the best of our delights;
I'll charm the air to give a found,
While you perform your antique round:
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.

[Musick. The Witches dance, and vanish. MAC. Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious

Stand aye accurfed in the kalendar!

Come in, without there!

[hour

Enter LENOX.

LEN. What's your grace's will?
MAC. Saw you the weird fifters?
LEN. No, my lord.

MAC. Came they not by you?

LEN. No, indeed, my lord.

MAC. Infected be the air whereon they ride;

And damn'd, all those that truft them! I did hear
The galloping of horse: Who was't came by ?
LEN. 'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word,
Macduff is fled to England?

MAC. Fled to England?

LEN. Ay, my good lord.

MAC. Time, thou anticipat'ft my dread exploits : The flighty purpose never is o'er-took,

Unless the deed go with it: From this moment,

The very firftlings of my heart fhall be

The firftlings of my hand. And even now

To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought, and done:
The caftle of Macduff I will furprize;

Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o'the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate fouls

That trace him in his line. No boasting, like a fool;
This deed I'll do, before this purpose cool:

But no more fights. Where are these gentlemen?
Come, bring me where they are.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Fife. A Room in Macduff's Castle.
Enter Lady MACDUFF, her Son, and Rosse.
L. Md. What had he done, to make him fly the land?
Ros. You must have patience, madam.

L. Md. He had none :

1

His flight was madness: When our actions do not,
Our fears do make us traitors.

Ros. You know not,

Whether it was his wisdom, or his fear.

L. Md. Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes, His manfion, and his titles, in a place

From whence himself does fly? He loves us not;
He wants the natural touch : for the poor wren,
The moft diminutive of birds, will fight,
Her young ones in her neft, against the owl.
All is the fear, and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.

Ros. My dearest coz',

I pray you, school yourself: But, for your husband,
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows

The fits o'the feason. I dare not speak much further:
But cruel are the times, when we are traitors,

And do not know ourfelves; when we hold rumour
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear ;
But float upon a wild and violent sea,

And move each way. I take my leave of you:
Shall not be long but I'll be here again :

Things at the worft will ceafe, or else climb upward
To what they were before. My pretty cousin,
Bleffing upon you!

L. Md. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless. Ros. I am fo much a fool, fhould I stay longer, It would be my difgrace, and your difcomfort:

I take my leave at once.

L. Md. Sirrah, your father's dead; And what will you do now? How will

22 Each way, and move.

[Exit Rosse.