MACBETH. ACT I. SCENE I.-An open Place. Thunder and Lightning. Enter three Witches. 1 WITCH. When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? 2 WITCH. When the hurlyburly 's done, When the battle 's lost and won: 3 WITCH. That will be ere the set of sun. 1 WITCH. Where the place? 2 WITCH. Upon the heath: 3 WITCH. There to meet with Macbeth. 1 WITCH. I come, Graymalkin! ALL. Paddock calls:-Anon. Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. SCENE II.-A Camp near Forres. [Witches vanish. Alarum within. Enter King DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENOS. with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Soldier. DUN. What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt Who, like a good and hardy soldier, fought As thou didst leave it. SOLD. Doubtful it stood; As two spent swimmers, that do cling together, Like valour's minion, carv'd out his passage, Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, DUN. O, valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! Compell'd these skipping kernes to trust their heels, With furbish'd arms, and new supplies of men, Began a fresh assault. DUN. Dismay'd not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquỏ? SOLD. Yes: As sparrows, eagles; or the hare, the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were As cannons overcharg'd with double cracks; So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe: Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, I cannot tell: But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. DUN. So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; They smack of honour both:-Go, get him surgeons. [Exit Soldier, attended. Who comes here? MAL. Enter ROSSE. The worthy thane of Rosse. LEN. What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look that seems to speak strange things. DUN. Whence cam'st thou, worthy thane? Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky, Norway himself, with terrible numbers, Assisted by that most disloyal traitor The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict: Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst arm, The victory fell on us; DUN. ROSSE. That now Great happiness! Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition; Nor would we deign him burial of his men, Till he disbursed, at St. Colmes' inch, Ten thousand dollars to our general use. DUN. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest:-Go, pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. ROSSE. I'll see it done. DUN. What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won. [Exeunt SCENE III-A Heath. Thunder. Enter the three Witches. . 1 WITCH. Where hast thou been, sister? 2 WITCH. Killing swine. 3 WITCH. Sister, where thou? 1 WITCH. A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap, And mounch'd, and mounch'd, and mounch'd:-"Give me," quoth I: "Aroint thee, witch!" the rump-fed ronyon cries. Her husband 's to Aleppo gone, master o' the Tiger: 2 WITCH. I'll give thee a wind. 1 WITCH. Th' art kind. 3 WITCH. And I another. 1 WITCH. I myself have all the other; And the very ports they blow, All the quarters that they know I' the shipman's card. I'll drain him dry as hay: Sleep shall neither night nor day 2 WITCH. Show me, show me. 1 WITCH. Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wrack'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: Peace! the charm's wound up. Enter MACBETH and BANQUO. [Drum within. MACB. So foul and fair a day I have not seen. BAN. How far is 't call'd to Forres?-What are these, 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 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 here after. BAN. Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear Things that do sound so fair?-I' the name of truth, Are yc fantastical, or that indeed Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner You greet with present grace, and great prediction 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! |