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: Sands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence With such prophetick greeting? Speak, I charge you. Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has; Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak about? That takes the reason prisoner? " Mach. And Thane of Cawdor too; went it not so? Ban. To the self-same tune, and words. Who's here? 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, 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 And pour'd them down before him. We are sent, Ang. Rosse. And for an earnest of a greater honour, Ban. What, can the devil speak true? In borrow'd robes? Ang. you dress me Who was the Thane, lives yet; 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, And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, Win us with honest trifles, to betray us -- 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. Steevens. burton. As happy prologues to the swelling act I thank you, gentlemen. Of the imperial theme. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor: ' And make my seated 45) heart knock at my ribs My thought, whose murder yet is but fantástical, 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, Macb. Come what come may, Time and the hour +9) runs through the roughest day. my dull brain was wrought 1) With things forgot. Kind gentlemen, your pains. 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, 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 As one, that had been studied 5) in his death, 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! 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 To overtake thee. 'Would thou 'dst less deserv'd, Mach. The service and the loyalty I owe, Are to your throne and state, children and servants; Dun. Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour To make thee full of growing 59). --Noble Banquo, 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, We will establish our estate upon Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine On all deservers. Hence to Inverness 60), 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 |