The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 1 of 9]

First Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

Sec. Witch. Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.[4315]

Third Witch. Harpier cries ''Tis time, 'tis time.'[4316]

First Witch. Round about the cauldron go:
In the poison'd entrails throw.[4317] 5
Toad, that under cold stone [4318]
Days and nights has thirty one [4319]
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,[4320]
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.

All. Double, double toil and trouble;[4321] 10
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Sec. Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake,[4322]
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog, 15
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,[4323]
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,[4324]
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

All. Double, double toil and trouble; 20
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Third Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf [4325]
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,[4326]
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, 25
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat and slips of yew
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse,[4327]
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe 30
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,[4328]
For the ingredients of our cauldron.[4329]

All. Double, double toil and trouble; 35
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Sec. Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

Hec. O, well done! I commend your pains;[4331]
And every one shall share i' the gains: 40
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.

Sec. Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes: 45
Open, locks,[4333]
Whoever knocks![4333]

Macb. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags![4334]
What is't you do?

All. A deed without a name.

Macb. I conjure you, by that which you profess, 50
Howe'er you come to know it, answer me:
Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
Against the churches; though the yesty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down;[4335] 55
Though castles topple on their warders' heads;[4336]
Though palaces and pyramids do slope [4337]
Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
Of nature's germins tumble all together,[4338]
Even till destruction sicken; answer me 60
To what I ask you.

First Witch. Speak.

Sec. Witch. Demand.

Third Witch. We'll answer.

First Witch. Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths,[4339]
Or from our masters?[4340]

Macb. Call 'em, let me see 'em.

First Witch. Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that's sweaten [4341] 65
From the murderer's gibbet throw
Into the flame.

All. Come, high or low;
Thyself and office deftly show!

Macb. Tell me, thou unknown power,—[4343]

First Witch. He knows thy thought:
Hear his speech, but say thou nought. 70

First App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;[4344]
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.[4345]

Macb. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution thanks;
Thou hast harp'd my fear aright: but one word more,—[4346]

First Witch. He will not be commanded: here's another, 75
More potent than the first.

Sec. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

Macb. Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.

Sec. App. Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn [4348][4349]
The power of man, for none of woman born[4348] 80
Shall harm Macbeth.[4348] [Descends.

Macb. Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
But yet I'll make assurance double sure,[4350]
And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, 85
And sleep in spite of thunder.

What is this,[4351][4352]
That rises like the issue of a king,[4351]
And wears upon his baby-brow the round
And top of sovereignty?

All. Listen, but speak not to 't.[4353]

Third App. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care [4354] 90
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill [4355]
Shall come against him. [Descends.[4356]

Macb. That will never be:
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree 95
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!
Rebellion's head, rise never, till the wood [4357]
Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth [4358]
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart [4359] 100
Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art
Can tell so much: shall Banquo's issue ever [4360]
Reign in this kingdom?

All. Seek to know no more.

Macb. I will be satisfied: deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:[4361][4362] 105
Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?[4362]

First Witch. Show!

Sec. Witch. Show!

Third Witch. Show!

All. Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;[4359] 110
Come like shadows, so depart!

Macb. Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo: down!
Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair,[4365]
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.[4366]
A third is like the former. Filthy hags! 115
Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes![4367]
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 [4368]
Which shows me many more; and some I see 120
That two-fold balls and treble sceptres carry:
Horrible sight! Now I see 'tis true;[4369]
For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his. What, is this so?[4370]

First Witch. Ay, sir, all this is so: but why [4371][4372] 125
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?[4348]
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,[4348][4373]
And show the best of our delights:[4348]
I'll charm the air to give a sound,[4348]
While you perform your antic round,[4348][4374] 130
That this great king may kindly say[4348]
Our duties did his welcome pay.[4348]

Macb. Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour [4376]
Stand aye accursed in the calendar!
Come in, without there!

Len. What's your grace's will? 135

Macb. Saw you the weird sisters?[4377]

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 those that trust them! I did hear
The galloping of horse: who was't came by? 140

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

Macb. Fled to England!

Len. Ay, my good lord.

Macb. [Aside] Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits:[4378]
The flighty purpose never is o'ertook 145
Unless the deed go with it: from this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be [4379]
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,[4380]
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:[4381]
The castle of Macduff I will surprise; 150
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls [4382]
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;[4383]
This deed I'll do before this purpose cool:[4384]
But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?[4385] 155
Come, bring me where they are. [Exeunt.

L. Macd. What had he done, to make him fly the land?[4388]

Ross. You must have patience, madam.

L. Macd. He had none:
His flight was madness: when our actions do not,
Our fears do make us traitors.

Ross. You know not
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear. 5

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: for the poor wren,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight,[4389] 10
Her young ones in her nest, 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.

Ross. My dearest coz,[4390]
I pray you, school yourself: but, for your husband, 15
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows [4391]
The fits o' the season. I dare not speak much further:[4392]
But cruel are the times, when we are traitors
And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour [4393][4394]
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,[4394] 20
But float upon a wild and violent sea [4395]
Each way and move. I take my leave of you:[4396]
Shall not be long but I'll be here again:[4397]
Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
To what they were before. My pretty cousin, 25
Blessing upon you![4398]

L. Macd. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless.[4398][4399]

Ross. I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,[4398]
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort:[4398]
I take my leave at once.[4398] [Exit.

L. Macd. Sirrah, your father's dead:[4400] 30
And what will you do now? How will you live?

Son. As birds do, mother.

L. Macd. What, with worms and flies?[4401]

Son. With what I get, I mean; and so do they.[4402]

L. Macd. Poor bird! thou'ldst never fear the net nor lime,[4403]
The pitfall nor the gin.[4404] 35

Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.[4404][4405]
My father is not dead, for all your saying.[4404][4406]

L. Macd. Yes, he is dead: how wilt thou do for a father?[4404][4407]

Son. Nay, how will you do for a husband?[4404]

L. Macd. Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.[4404] 40

Son. Then you'll buy 'em to sell again.[4404][4408]

L. Macd. Thou speak'st with all thy wit, and yet, i' faith,[4404][4409][4410]
With wit enough for thee.[4404][4410]

Son. Was my father a traitor, mother?

L. Macd. Ay, that he was. 45

Son. What is a traitor?

L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies.

Son. And be all traitors that do so?[4411]

L. Macd. Every one that does so is a traitor, and must [4412]
be hang'd.[4412] 50

Son. And must they all be hang'd that swear and lie?

L. Macd. Every one.

Son. Who must hang them?

L. Macd. Why, the honest men.[4413]

Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools; for there 55
are liars and swearers enow to beat the honest men and [4414]
hang up them.

L. Macd. Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how [4415][4416]
wilt thou do for a father?[4416]

Son. If he were dead, you'd weep for him: if you would 60
not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new
father.

L. Macd. Poor prattler, how thou talk'st![4417]

Mess. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect. 65
I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
If you will take a homely man's advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.[4418]
To fright you thus, methinks I am too savage;[4418]
To do worse to you were fell cruelty,[4419] 70
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
I dare abide no longer. [Exit.[4420]

L. Macd. Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now [4421]
I am in this earthly world, where to do harm [4422]
Is often laudable, to do good sometime 75
Accounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,
Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say I have done no harm?—What are these faces?[4423]

First Mur. Where is your husband?[4424]

L. Macd. I hope, in no place so unsanctified 80
Where such as thou mayst find him.

First Mur. He's a traitor.

Son. Thou liest, thou shag-ear'd villain![4425]

First Mur. What, you egg!

Young fry of treachery!

Son. He has kill'd me, mother:[4426]
Run away, I pray you![4427] [Dies.

Scene II. Fife. Macduff's castle.[4386]

Scene III. England. Before the King's palace.[4428]