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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:
By Sinel's death, I know, I am Thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? the Thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king,

Sands not within the prospect of belief,

No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why..
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way

With such prophetick greeting? Speak, I charge you.
[Witches vanish.]

Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has;
And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd?
Macb. Into the air; and what seem'd corporal, melted
As breath into the wind.. 'Would they had staid!

Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak about?
Or have we eaten of the insane root 37),

That takes the reason prisoner?

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Mach. 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 receiv'd, Macbeth,

The news of thy success: and when he reads.

Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight,

His wonders and his praises do contend,

Which would be thine, or his 38). Silenc'd with that 39),

In viewing o'er the rest o' the self-same day,

He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,
Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make,

36) Sinel, the father of Macbeth. Pope. 37) Shakspeare alludes to the qualities anciently ascribed to hemlock. Steevens. Holingsbed informs us that Duncan sent the Danes wine mingled with berries of a soporific quality, and murdered them. 38) i. e. private admiration of your deeds, and a desire to do them publick justice by commendation, contend in his mind for preeminence. Steevens. 39) Silenc'd with that i. e. wrapp'd in silent wonder at the deeds performed by Macbeth. Malon

Strange images of death. As thick as tale,

Came post .with post *); and every one did bear
Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence,

And pour'd them down before him.

We are sent,

Ang.
To give thee, from our royal master, thanks;
To herald thee into his sight, not pay thee.

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

In borrow'd robes?

Ang.

you

dress me

Who was the Thane, lives yet;
But under heavy judgement bears that life,
Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was
Combin'd with Norway; or did line the rebel
With hidden help and vantage, or that with both
He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not:
But treasons capital, confess'd, and prov'd,
Have overthrown him.

Macb.

The greatest is behind.

Do

Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor!

Thanks for your pains.

you not hope, your children shall be kings? When those, that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me, Promis'd no less to them?

Ban.

That, trusted home 1),

'Might yet enkindle 2) 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 truth;

Win us with honest trifles, to betray us
In deepest consequence.

--

Cousins, a word, I pray you.

Macb.

Two truths are told,

40) That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted. Johnson. As thick, in ancient language signified as fast. Steetrusted home i. e. entirely, thoroughly relied on. 42) enkindle, for to stimulate you to seek. War

vens.

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Steevens. burton.

As happy prologues to the swelling act

I thank you, gentlemen.

Of the imperial theme.
This supernatural soliciting *3)
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 4),
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,

And make my seated 45) heart knock at
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.

my

ribs

My thought, whose murder yet is but fantástical,
Shakes so my single state of man 46), that function
Is smother'd in surmise 7); and nothing is,

But what is not +8).

Ban.

Look, how our partner 's rapt!

Mach. If chance will have me king, why, chance may

Without my stir.

Ban.

crown me,

New honours come upon him,

Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould,
But with the aid of use.

Macb.

Come what come may,

Time and the hour +9) runs through the roughest day.
Ban. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.`
Macb. Give me your favour 50):

my dull brain was

wrought 1)

With things forgot. Kind gentlemen, your pains.
Are registred where every day I turn

43) soliciting i. e. incitement. Johnson. 44) suggestion i. e. temptation. Steevens. 45) seated i. e. firmly placed, fixed. Steevens. 4*) Double and single anciently signified strong and weak. The single state of Macbeth may therefore signify his weak and debile state of mind. Steevens.) surmise is speculation, conjecture concerning the future. Malone. 48) All powers of action are oppressed and crushed by one overwhelming image in the mind, and nothing is present to me, but that which is really. future. Of things now about me I have no perception being intent wholly on that which has yet no existence. 49) Time and the hour is me with his hours. Steevens. 30) favour, indulgence, pardon. Steevens. 51) i. e. my head was worked, agitated, put into commotion. Johnson.

The leaf to read them 52).

Let us toward the King;

Think upon what hath chanc'd; and at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it 53), let us speak
Our free hearts each to other.

Ban.

Very gladly.

Mach. 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?

Those in commission yet return'd?

Mal.

Are not

My liege,

They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die: who did report,
That very frankly he confess'd his treasons;
Implor'd your highness' pardon; and set forth
A deep repentance; nothing in his life
Became him, like the leaving it; he died,

As one, that had been studied 5) in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,

As 'twere a careless trifle 55).

Dun.

There's no art,

To find the mind's construction in the face 56).

He was a gentleman, on whom I built

An absolute trust. O worthiest cousin!

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52) He means, that they are enregistered in the table-book of his heart. Malone. 53 The interim having weigh'd it. This intervening portion of time is almost personified: it is represented as a cool ímpartial judge; as the pauser Reason. Or perhaps we should read: l' th' interim. Steevens. I believe, the interim is used adverbially: you having weighed it in the interim. Malone. 5+) Instructed in the art of dying, It was usual to say studied, for learned in science. Johnson. 55) The behaviour of the Thane of Cawdor corresponds in almost every circumstance with that of the unfortunate earl of Essex. Such an allusion could not fail of having the desired effect on an audience, many of whom were eye-witnesses to the severity of that justice which deprived the age of one of its greatest ornaments, and Southampton, Shakspeare's patron, of his dearest friend. Steevens. 56) The meaning is: We cannot construe or discover the disposition of the mind by the lineaments of the face. Malone.

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 'dst less deserv'd,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay 57).

Mach. The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part
Is to receive our duties: and our duties

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Are to your throne and state, children and servants;
Which do, but what they should, by doing every thing,
Safe toward your love and honour 58).

Dun.

Welcome hither:

I have begun to plant thee, and will labour

To make thee full of growing 59). --Noble Banquo,
Thou hast no less deserv'd, and must be known

No less to have done so: let me infold thee

And hold thee to my heart.

Ban.

The harvest is your own.

Dun.

There if I grow,

My plenteous joys,

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves

In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, Thanes,
And you whose places are the nearest, know,

We will establish our estate upon

Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must,
Not unaccompanied, invest him only,

But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine

On all deservers. Hence to Inverness 60),

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And bind us further to you.

57) More is due to thee, than, I will not say all, but, more than all, i. e. the greatest recompence, can pay. Malone. 58) Read ,,Safe (i. e. saved) toward you love and honour;" and then the sense will be: ,, our duties are your children, and servants or vassals to your throne and state, who do but what they should, by doing every thing with a saving of their love and honour toward you." Blackstone. 59) full of growing, is, I believe, exuberant, perfect, complete in thy growth. Malone. *) Dr. Johnson observes, in his Journey to the western Isles of

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