Macb. 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. Macb. Then live, Macduff: What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure, And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with a Tree in his That rises like the issue of a king; And wears upon his baby brow the round All. Listen, but speak not to 't. Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Macb. That will never be; Who can impress the forest; bid the tree [Descends. Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet bodements! good! Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth All. Seek to know no more. Macb. I will be satisfied: deny me this, And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know :- Come like shadows, so depart. Eight Kings appear, and pass over the Stage in order; the last with a Glass in his hand; BANQUO following. Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down! Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs:- And thy hair, (1) The round and top of sovereignty. This is a periphrasis for a crown; the round is the part which encircles the head, the top the ornament which surmounts the crown. F :2 Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first :- [Music. The Witches dance and vanish. Macb. Where are they? Gone?-Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar! Come in, without there! Len. Enter LENOX. What's your grace's will? No, my lord. Macb. Saw you the weird sisters? Macb. Came they not by you? Len. No, indeed, my lord. Len. "Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word, Macb. Len. Ay, my good lord. Fled to England? Macb. Time, thou anticipat'st3 my dread exploits : The flighty purpose never is o'ertook,* Unless the deed go with it: From this moment, (1) To the crack of doom, i. e. till the end of the world. (2) That two-fold balls and treble sceptres carry. This is intended as a compliment to King James I., who, as we have observed before, was descended from Banquo. He first united the two islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. (3) Anticipat'st, i. e. dost defeat, prevent. (4) Never is o'ertook, i. e. is never brought to its full perfection and accomplishment. The meaning is, that purposes delayed are generally defeated. The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. And even now, To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done: Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen? [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Fife. A Room in Macduff's Castle. Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and Rosse. Lady Macd. What had he done to make him fly the land? Rosse. You must have patience, madam. L. Macd. He had none: His flight was madness: When our actions do not, Rosse. You know not Whether it was his wisdom, or his fear. L. Macd. Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes, His mansion, and his titles, in a place From whence himself does fly? He loves us not; He wants the natural touch: 2 for the poor wren, The most diminutive of birds, will fight, Her young ones in her nest, against the owl. Rosse. The fits o' the season.3 I dare not speak much further: And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour From what we fear; yet know not what we fear; Each way, and move.-I take my leave of you: Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward (1) That trace him in his line, i. e. who are descended from him. (2) He wants the natural touch,-he is not affected by natural feelings. (3) The fits o' the season,-what is most fitting at this time. (4) When we are traitors, &c.,-when we are looked upon by the state as guilty of treachery of which we ourselves know nothing. To what they were before.-My pretty cousin, L. Macd. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless. I take my leave at once. L. Macd. Sirrah,1 your father's dead; And what will you do now? Son. As birds do, mother. How will you live? L. Macd. What, with worms and flies? Son. With what I get, I mean; and so do they. [Exit ROSSE. L. Macd. Poor bird! thou'dst never fear the net nor lime, The pit-fall, nor the gin. Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for. My father is not dead, for all your saying. L. Macd. Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do for a father? L. Macd. Why, I can buy me twenty at any market. L. Macd. Thou speak'st with all thy wit; and yet, i' faith, With wit enough for thee. Son. Was my father a traitor, mother? L. Macd. Ay, that he was. Son. What is a traitor? L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies. Son. And be all traitors that do so? L. Macd. Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged. Son. And must they all be hanged that swear and lie? L. Macd. Every one. Son. Who must hang them? L. Macd. Why, the honest men. Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men, and hang up them. L. Macd. Now God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father? Son. If he were dead, you'd weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father. L. Macd. Poor prattler! how thou talkest! Enter a Messenger. Mess. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known, Though in your state of honour I am perfect. (1) Sirrah. This is not here used with harshness; we use it so now, but forerly it had not always that meaning. I doubt, some danger does approach you nearly: Be not found here; hence, with your little ones. Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you! I dare abide no longer. [Exit Messenger. L. Macd. Whither should I fly? To say, I have done no harm? What are these faces? Enter Murderers. Mur. Where is your husband? L. Macd. I hope, in no place so unsanctified, Where such as thou may'st find him. Mur. He's a traitor. Son. Thou liest, thou shag-ear'd villain. Young fry of treachery! Son. Run away, I pray you. What, you egg! [Stabbing him. He has kill'd me, mother: [Dies. [Exit LADY MACDUFF, crying " Murder," and pursued by the Murderers. SCENE III.-England. A Room in the King's Palace. Enter MALCOLM and MACDuff. Mal. Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there Weep our sad bosoms empty. Let us rather, Macd. As if it felt with Scotland, and yell'd out Mal. What I believe I'll wail; What know, believe; and, what I can redress, As I shall find the time to friend,3 I will. (1) To do worse to you were fell cruelty. By doing worse he means letting her and her children be murdered without warning. (2) Bestride our down-fall'n birthdom, i. e. let us stand over and obstinately defend our ruined birthright. (3) To friend, i. e. to befriend. |