2 Witch. I'll give thee a wind. 1 Witch. Thou art kind. 3 Witch. And I another. 1 Witch. I myself have all the other; I will drain him dry as hay: 2 Witch. Show me, show me. 1 Witch. Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd, as homeward he did come. 3 Witch. A drum, a drum; Macbeth doth come. All. The weird sisters, hand in hand, Posters of the sea and land, Thus do go about, about; Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, And thrice again, to make up nine: Enter MACBETH and BANQUO. [Drum within. Macb. So foul and fair a day I have not seen. So wither'd, and so wild in their attire; That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught That man may question? You seem to understand me, By each at once her choppy finger laying Upon her skinny lips :-You should be women, That you are so. Macb. Speak, if you can ;-What are you? 1 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis ! 2 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! 3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter. Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner *Sailor's chart. + Creatures of the imagination. † Accursed. § Estate. That he seems rapt withal; to me you speak not: And say, which grain will grow, and which will not; 1 Witch. Hail! 2 Witch. Hail! 3 Witch. Hail! 1 Witch. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not so happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail ! Macb. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence [WITCHES vanish. Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak about? That takes the reason prisoner? Macb. Your children shall be kings. Ban. You shall be king. Macb. And thane of Cawdor too: went it not.so? Ban. To the self-same tune, and words. Who's here? Enter ROSSE and ANGUS. Rosse. The king hath happily received, Macbeth, Which should be thine, or his : Silenced with that, Ang. We are sent, To give thee, from our royal master, thanks; * Henbane. Rosse. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor In which addition,* hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine. Ban. What, can the devil speak true? Macb. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes ? Ang. Who was the thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life Macb. Glamis, the thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.-Thanks for your pains.- Ban. That, trusted home,t Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Besides the thane of Cawdor: But 'tis strange: And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles, to betray us Macb. Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme. I thank you, gentlemen.— Cannot be ill; cannot be good:--If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, But what is not. Ban. Look, how our partner's rapt. Macb. If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir. Ban. New honours come upon him Like our strange garments; cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use. * Title. ↑ Completely. Firmly fixed. + Temptation. I Weak. Macb. Come what, come may; Time and the hour* runs through the roughest day. Macb. Give me your favour:t-my dull brain was wrought The leaf to read them.-Let us toward the king.- Our free hearts each to other. Ban. Very gladly. Macb. Till then, enough.-Come, friends. SCENE IV.-Fores. A Room in the Palace. [Exeunt. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENOX, and Attendants. Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commission yet return'd? Mal. My liege, They are not yet come back. But I have spoke Dun. There's no art, To find the mind's construction§ in the face: An absolute trust.-O worthiest cousin! Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSSE, and ANGUS. The sin of my ingratitude even now Was heavy on me; Thou art so far before, That swiftest wing of recompense is slow To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadst less deserved; In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part Are to your throne and state, children, and servants; * Opportunity. * Owned. + Pardon. § Construing. Dun. Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour Ban. There if I grow, The harvest is your own. Dun. My plenteous joys, Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter, But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine And bind us further to you. Macb. The rest is labour, which is not used for you: The hearing of my wife with your approach; Dun. My worthy Cawdor! Macb. The prince of Cumberland !-That is a step, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Dun. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant ;* It is a banquet to me. Let us after him, [Aside. [Exit. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE V-Inverness. A Room in MACBETH'S Castle. Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter. Lady M. They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves—air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. *As described. + The best intelligence. |