What is't that moves your Highness?
Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords. What, my good Lord?

Mach. Thou can't not fay I did it: never fhake
Thy goary locks at me.

Roffe. Gentlemen, rife; his Highness is not well.
Lady. Sit, worthy friends, my Lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth. Pray you keep feat.
The fit is momentary, on a thought

He will again be well. If much you note him,
You fhall offend him, and extend his paffion;
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man?

[To Macbeth afr Mach. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appall the devil.

Lady. Proper ftuff!

This is the very painting of your fear;

This is the air-drawn dagger, which you faid
Led you to Duncan. Oh, thefe flaws and starts
(Impoftors of true fear,) would well become
A woman's story at a winter's fire,

Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame it felf!
Why do you make fuch faces? when all's done
You look but on a stool.

Mach. Pr'ythee fee there!

Behold! look! lo! how fay you? [Pointing to the Ghof. Why, what care I? if thou canst nod, fpeak too.

If charnel-houses and our graves must send

Those that we bury, back; our monuments

Shall be the maws of kites.

[The Ghoft vanishes.

Lady. What? quite unmann'd in folly?

Mach. If I ftand here, I faw him.

Lady. Fie for fhame!

Mach. Blood hath been shed ere now, i' th' olden time,

Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal:

Ay, and fince too, murthers have been perform'd
Too terrible for th' ear: the times have been,

That

That when the brains were out, the man would die,
And there an end; but now they rise again
With twenty mortal murthers on their crowns,
And push us from our ftools; this is more strange
Than fuch a murther is.

Lady. My worthy Lord,

Your noble friends do lack you.
Macb. I forgot

-

Do not mufe at me, my moft worthy friends,
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing
To thofe that know me. Love and health to all!
Then I'll fit down: give me fome wine, fill full
I drink to th' general joy of the whole table,
And to our dear friend Banquo whom we mifs,
Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,
And all to all.

Lords. Our duties, and the pledge.

[The Ghoft rifes again. Mach. Avant, and quit my fight! let the earth hide

Thy bones are marrowlefs, thy blood is cold;

Thou haft no fpeculation in thofe eyes

Which thou doft glare with.

Lady. Think of this, good Peers,
But as a thing of cuftom; 'tis no other,
Only it fpoils the pleasure of the time.
Macb. What man dare,' I dare:
Approach thou like the rugged Ruffian bear,
The arm'd rhinoceros, or Hyrcanian tyger,
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble. Be alive again,
And dare me to the defart with thy fword;
If trembling I inhibit, then proteft me
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible fhadow,
Unreal mock'ry, hence! Why fo,

[thee!

be gone[The Ghoft vanishes. [The Lords rife. broke the good [meeting Macb.

I am a man again: pray you fit ftill.
Lady. You have difplac'd the mirth,
With most admir'd diforder.

Mach. Can fuch things be,

And over-come us like a fummer's cloud

Without our special wonder? you make me ftrange
Ev'n 'at the difpofition that I owe,

'Now when I think you can behold fuch fights,
And keep the natural ruby of your 'cheek,

When mine is blanch'd with fear.

Roffe. What fights, my Lord?

2

Lady. I pray you fpeak not; he grows worse and work, Question enrages him: at once, good-night.

the order of your going,

Stand not upon the order of

But go at once.

Len. Good-night, and better health

Attend his Majefty!

Lady. Good-night to all.

[Exeunt Lords.

Mach. It will have blood, theyffay blood will have blood: Stones have been known to move, and trees to fpeak ; Augurs that understood relations have

By mag-pies, and by choughs, and rooks brought forth The secret'ft man of blood. What is the night?

Lady. Almoft at odds with morning which is which. Macb. How fay't thou, that Macduff denies his perfon At our great bidding?

Lady. Did you fend to him, Sir?

Mach. I hear it by the way; but I will fend:
3/There's not a Thane of them, but in his houfe
I keep a fervant fee'd. I will to-morrow
(Betimes I will) unto the weird fifters.

More fhall they fpeak; for now I'm bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst, for mine own good,
All causes fhall give way, I am in blood

4

Stept in fo far, that fhould I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as 'going`o'er :
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand,
Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd.
Lady. You lack the season of all natures, fleep.

Come,

9 to I When now 2 cheeks, 3 There is not one ... old edit. Theob, emend. 4 go

Come, we'll to fleep; my ftrange and felf-abufe
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard ufe:

We're yet but young 'in deeds.`

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

The Heath.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate. 1 Witch.HY, how now, Hecat? you look angerly. Hec. Have I not reafon, beldams, as you

Sawcy, and over-bold, how did you dare

To trade and traffick with Macbeth,

In riddles and affairs of death?
And I the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or fhew the glory of our art?
And which is worse, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward fon,
Spightful and wrathful, who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now; get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron

Meet me i' th' morning: thither he
Will come, to know his deftiny;
Your veffels and your fpells provide,
Your charms, and every thing befide.
I am for th' air: this night I'll fpend
Unto a difmal, 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 diftill'd by magick flights,

5 in deed.

[are?

Shall

Shall raife fuch artificial fprights,

As by the strength of their illufion,
Shall draw him on to his confufion.
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear:
And you all know, fecurity

Is mortal's chiefest enemy.

[Mufick and a Se

Hark, I am call'd: my little fpirit, fee,
Sits in the foggy cloud, and ftays for me.

[Sing within: Come away, come away, &

1 Witch. Come, let's make hafte, fhe'll foon be back

again.

SCE

NE

[Exca

VII.

Len. MY

Enter Lenox and another Lord.

–

Y former speeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret farther: only I fay
Things have been ftrangely born. The gracious Dunca
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.
"You cannot want the thought, how monstrous too
It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain

To kill their gracious father, damned fact!
How did it grieve Macbeth? did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,

That were the flaves of drink and thralls of fleep?
Was not that nobly done? ay, wifely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive
To hear the men deny't. So that I fay
He has born all things well, and I do think
That had he Duncan's fons under his key,

(As an't please heav'n he shall not,) they should find
What 'twere to kill a father: fo fhould Fleance.

But