Pro.

The Duke of Milan,

[Aside.

And his more braver daughter, could control thee,
If now 'twere fit to do 't.-At the first sight
They have chang'd eyes!—Delicate Ariel,
I'll set thee free for this!

(') The fringed curtains of thine eye advance.

Why Shakspeare should have condescended to the elaborate nothingness, not to say nonsense of this metaphor (for what is meant by advancing "curtains ?"), I cannot conceive; that is to say, if he did condescend; for it looks very like the interpolation of some pompous, declamatory player. Pope has put it into his treatise or the Bathos.

(2) Myself am Naples.

This is a very summary and kingly style. Shakspeare
How now, France ?" says King John

is fond of it.

to King Philip.

"I'm dying, Egypt ?" says Antony to

Cleopatra.

MACBETH AND THE WITCHES.

This scene fortunately comprises a summary of the whole subsequent history of Macbeth.

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Cauldron boiling. Thunder.
Enter three Witches.

1st Wi. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

2nd Wi. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd.

3rd. Wi. Harper cries :-'Tis time, 'tis time.

1st Wi. Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw

Toad, that under a 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, cauldron, bubble.
2nd Wi. 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 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, cauldron, bubble,
3rl Wi. 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 chawdron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
All. Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn; and, cauldron, bubble.
2nd Wi. 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.

i

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," &c.)

2nd Wi. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.

Open, locks, whoever knocks.

Enter MACBETH.

Mac. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags, What is't you do?

Mac. I conjure you, by that which you profess
(Howe'er you come to know it), answer me:
Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
Against the churches: though the yeasty 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 tumble all together,

Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.

1st Wi. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our masters'?

Thyself, and office, deftly show.

Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises

Mac. Tell me, thou unknown power,—

1st Wi.

He knows thy thought,

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.
App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
Beware the Thane of Fife.-Dismiss me ;-Enough.

[Descends.

Mac. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution thanks; Thou hast harp'd my fear aright :-But one word more ;— 1st Wi. He will not be commanded: Here's another, More potent than the first.

Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises. (3)

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Mac.

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.

Mac. Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?

But yet I'll make assurance doubly 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.

Mac.

Descends.

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 the kingdom?

All.

Seek to know no more.

Mac. I will be satisfied: deny me this,

And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know-
Why sinks that cauldron ? and what noise is this?

Eight Kings appear, and pass over the stage in order; the last with a glass in his hand; Banquo following.

Mac. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs :-And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first ;—

A third is like the former.-Filthy hags!

Why do you show me this? a fourth? Start, eyes!
What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet?—A seventh? I'll see no more:
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see,
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry :
Horrible sight!-Ay, now, I see, 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.-What, is this so?
1st Wi. Ay, sir, all this is so:-But why

Stands Macbeth thus amazèdly?
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights:
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antique round;
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.

(Music. The Witches dance, and vanish.)