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:

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,
Stands 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
[Witches vanish.

you.

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,
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?

3 By Sinel's death,] The father of Macbeth.

4

eaten of the insane root,] The insane root is the root which makes insane, and which the commentators have not discovered.

Enter ROSSE and ANGUS.

Rosse. The king hath happily receiv'd, The news of thy success: and when he rea Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight, His wonders and his praises do contend, Which should be thine, or his: Silenc'd w 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 Strange images of death. As thick as tale, Came post with post; and every one did bea Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence, And pour'd them down before him.

Ang. We are 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 ho He bade me, from him, call thee thane of C In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine.

Ban.

What, can the devil speak

Macb. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why c

dress me In borrow'd robes? Ang.

Who was the thane, lives But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was

* His wonders and his praises do contend,

Which should be thine, or his: &c.] i. e. private admira your deeds, and a desire to do them public justice by comn tion, contend in his mind for pre-eminence. Or, -Ther contest in his mind whether he should indulge his desire of lishing to the world the commendations due to your herois whether he should remain in silent admiration of what no could celebrate in proportion to its desert.

6

- As thick as tale,] Meaning, that the news came as as a tale can travel with the post.

Enter Rosse and Avers

ing hath happily receir'd success: and when he read ature in the rebels' fight, his praises do contend, thine, or his: Silene'd wit e rest o'the self-same day, e stout Norweyan ranks, what thyself didst make, Heath. As thick as talt, ; and every one did berr ngdom's great defence, n before him.

Wear

r royal master, thanks: sight, not pay thee. arnest of a greater bon call thee thane of Ca

most worthy thane!

can the devil speak tre awdor lives; Why do

as the thane, lives par ears that life Whether he was

end,

i. e. private adminativ blic justice by commen inence. Or,-There ndulge his desire of p due to your hernisa, ration of what no wa

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.

Glamis, and thane of Cawdor:

The greatest is behind. -Thanks for your pains.—
Do 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,"

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
In deepest consequence.-
Cousins, a word, I pray you.

Macb.

Two truths are told,

As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. I thank you, gentlemen.-
This supernatural soliciting1

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

1- trusted home,] i. e. entirely, thoroughly relied on, or perhaps we should read thrusted home.

8 Might yet enkindle you-] Enkindle, for to stimulate you to

seek.

9 Two truths are told, &c.] How the former of these truths has been fulfilled, we are yet to learn. Macbeth could not become Thane of Glamis, till after his father's decease, of which there is no mention throughout the play. If the Hag only announced what Macbeth already understood to have happened, her words could scarcely claim rank as a prediction.

This supernatural soliciting-] Soliciting for information.

WARBURTON. Soliciting is rather, in my opinion, incitement, than information. JOHNSON.

Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:

My thought, whose murder yet is but fantast
Shakes so my single state of man, that funct
Is smother'd in surmise; and nothing is,

But what is not.*

Ban.

Look, how our partner's ra

Macb. If chance will have me king, why, c may crown me,

Without my stir.
Ban.

New honours come upon h Like our strange garments; cleave not to

mould,

But with the aid of use.
Macb.

Come what come ma

Time and the hour runs through the roughest c
Ban. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your

S

sure.

Macb. Give me your favour: -my dull b was wrought

- seated - i. e. fixed, firmly placed.

- single state of man,] Dr. Johnson says, that thes

state of man seems to be used by Shakspeare for an individua opposition to a commonwealth, or conjunct body. But Mr. Stee thinks that the single state of Macbeth may signify his weak debile state of mind.

4

function

Is smother'd in surmise; and nothing is,

But what is not.] All powers of action are oppressed crushed by one overwhelming image in the mind, and nothin present to me but that which is really future. Of things r about me I have no perception, being intent wholly on that wh has yet no existence. JOHNSON.

5 Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.] i. e. ti and occasion will carry the thing through, and bring it to son determined point and end, let its nature be what it will.

6-favour:] i. e. indulgence, pardon.

Mrs. MONTAGU

With things forgotten." Kind gentlemen, your

pains

Are register'd where every day I turn
The leaf to read them.--Let us toward the king.-
Think upon what hath chanc'd; and, at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak
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, DONAL-
BAIN, 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
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 in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 'twere a careless trifle.

To find the mind's construction in the face: 8

7

- my dull brain was wrought

With things forgotten.] My head was worked, agitated, put