Enter Macbeth.

Mach. How now, you fecret, black, and midnight hags!

hat is't you do?

All. A deed without a name.

Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profess,

owe'er you come to know it, answer me.

hough you untie the winds, and let them fight gainst the churches; though the yefty waves onfound and fwallow navigation up;

"hough bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down; 'hough caftles topple on their warders' heads;

hough palaces and pyramids do flope

heir heads to their foundations; though the treasure of Nature's germins tumble all together,

ven till destruction ficken, answer me

To what I ask you.

I Witch. Speak.

2 Witch. Demand.

3 Witch. We'll answer.

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

Mach. Call 'em. Let me fee 'em.

I Witch. Pour in fow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; greafe, that's sweaten
From the murtherer's gibbet, throw

nto the flame.

All. Come high or low :

Thyfelf and office deftly show.

Apparition of an armed Head rifes.

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power. 1 Witch. He knows thy thought. Hear his fpeech, but fay thou nought. "

}

[Thunder.

App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife-difmifs me-enough. [Defcends. Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks. Thou'ft harp'd my fear aright. But one word more

1 Witch. He will not be commanded. Here's another More potent than the first.

[Thunder.

Appa

Apparition of a bloody Child rifes.

App. Macbeth! Macbeth!, Macbeth!
Macb. Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

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

Shall harm Macbeth.

[Defcends. Macb. 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 fpite of thunder.

[Thunder.

Apparition of a Child, crowned, with a tree in his hand, rijes.

What is this,

That rifes like the iffue of a king,

And wears upon his baby-brow the round

And top of fovereignty?

All. Liften, but speak not.

App. Be lion-mettled, 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's high hill

Shall come against him.

Macb. That will never be:

Who can imprefs the foreft, bid the tree

[Defcends.

Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!
Rebellious head rife never, till the wood

Of Birnam rife, and our high-plac'd Macbeth
Shall live the leafe 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.

[The cauldron finks into the ground. Macb. I will be fatisfy'd. Deny me this, And an eternal curfe on you! Let me know,

Why finks that cauldron, and what noife is this.

1 Witch. Shew!

2 Witch. Shew!

[Hautboys.

3 Witch

3 Witch. Shew.

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

[Eight Kings appear, and pass over in order; and Banque
the laft, with a glass in his hand.

Mach. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo.
Thy crown does fear mine eye-balls. And thy air,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first-
A third is like the former.-Filthy hags!

Down!

Why do you fhew me this ?-A fourth-Start, eye!
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 fee,
That twofold balls and treble fceptres carry.
Horrible fight! nay, now I fee 'tis true;
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo fmiles upon me,
And points at them for his. What! is this fo?
1 Witch. Ay, Sir, all this is fo. But why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?

Come, fifters, cheer we up his fprights,
And fhew the best of our delights;
I'll charm the air to give a found,
While

you perform your antic round, That this great king may kindly say, Our duties did his welcome pay.

[Mufic.

The witches dance and vanih. Mach. Where are they? gone?-Let this pernicious hour Stand ay accurfed in the kalendar.

Come in, without there!

Enter Lenox,

Len. What's your Grace's will?
Macb. Saw you the weird fifters?
Len. No, my Lord.

Macb. Came they not by you?

Len. No, indeed, my Lord.

Macb. Infected be the air whereon they ride,

And damn'd all thofe that truft them! I did hear

The galloping of horfe. Who was't came by?

Len. 'Tis two or three, my Lord, that bring you word Macduff is fled to England.

L

Macb

Mach. Fled to England?

Len. Ay, my good Lord.

Macb. [Afide.] Time, thou anticipat'ft my dread exploi The flighty purpose never is o'ertook,

Unless the deed go with it. From this moment,
The very firftlings of my heart shall be

The firftlings of my hand.

And even now

To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and dons:
The caftle of Macduff I will furprise,

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 boafting like a fool:
This deed I'll do before this purpose cool.

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

[Ext

N°. VII-KING JOHN.
ACT IV. SCENE I. A Prison.

Enter Hubert and Executioners.

HUBERT.

HEAT me thefe irons hot, and look thou ftand

Within the arras: when I ftrike my foot
Upon the bofom of the ground, rush forth;
And bind the boy, which you fhall find with me,
Faft to the chair. Be heedful; hence and watch.
Exec. I hope your warrant will bear out the deed.
Hub. Uncleanly fcruples; fear not you; look to t
Young lad, come forth; I have to say with you.
Enter Arthur.

Arth. Good-morrow, Hubert.

Hub. Good-morrow, little Prince.

Arth. As little Prince (having fo great a title
To be more Prince) as may be. You are fad.
Hub. Indeed, I have been merrier.
Arth. Mercy on me!

Meth

Methinks, no body fhould be fad but I;
Yet I remember when I was in France,
Young gentlemen would be as fad as night,
Only for wantonnefs. By my christendom,
So I were out of prifon, and kept theep,
I fhould be merry as the day is long:
And fo I would be here, but that, I doubt,
My uncle practifes more harm to me.
He is afraid of me, and I of him.

Is it my fault, that I was Geffrey's son ?
Indeed, it is not: and I would to heaven,

I were your fon, fo you would love me, Hubert.
Hub. If I talk to him, with his innocent prate
He will awake my mercy, which lies dead;
Therefore I will be fudden, and dispatch.

[Afide.

Arth. Are you fick, Hubert? You look pale to-day!
In footh, I wou'd you were a little fick;
That I might fit all night and watch with you.
Alas, I love you more than you do me.
Hub. His words do take poffeffion of
Read here, young Arthur..

How now, foolish rheum,

Turning difpiteous torture out of door!
I must be brief, left refolution drop

my bofom.
[Shewing a paper.

Out at mine eyes in tender womanish tears.-
Can you not read it? is it not fair writ?
Arth. Too fairly, Hubert, for fo foul effect.
Muft you
with irons burn out both mine eyes?
Hub. Young boy, I must.

Arth. And will you?

Hub. And I will.

[Afide.

Arth. Have you the heart? When your head did but ake,

I knit

my handkerchief about your brows;

(The best I had, a princess wrought it me)

And I did never ask it you again;

And with my hand at midnight held your head;

And, like the watchful minutes to the hour,

Still and anon cheer'd up the heavy time,

Saying, What lack you? and where lies your grief?
Or what good love may I perform for you?
Many a poor man's fon would have lain still,

L 2

And