Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they My father is not dead, for all your saying. [father? Son. Then you'll buy 'em to sell again. With wit enough for thee. Son. Was my father a traitor, mother? Son. What is a traitor? L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies. L. Macd. Every one that does so, is a traitor, and must be hang'd. Son. And must they all be hang'd, that swear and lie? L. Macd. Every one. Son. Who must hang them? L. Macd. Why, the honest men. New widows howl; new orphans cry; new sor- Mal. What I believe I'll wail: Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the 25 honest men, and hang them up. L. Macd. Now God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father? Son. If he were dead, you'd weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign that I should 30 quickly have a new father. L. Macd. Poor prattler! how thou talk'st! Mes. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you Though in your state of honour I am perfect'. L. Mucd. Whither should I flv? [faces? What you have spoke, it may be so, perchance. Macd. I am not treacherous. [don; A good and virtuous nature may recoil, In an imperial charge. But I shall crave your parThat which you are, my thoughts cannot transpose: Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell: 35 Though all things foul would wear the brows of Yet grace must still look so. [grace, Macd. I have lost my hopes. Mal. Perchance, even there, where I did find 40 Why in that rawness' left you wife, and child, Let not my jealousies be your dishonours, Macd. Bleed, bleed, poor country! For goodness dares not check thee!—wear thou -What are these 50 His title is affear'd-Fare thee well, lord: L. Macd. I hope, in no place so unsanctified, Where such as thou may'st find him. Mur. He's a traitor. Son. Thou ly'st, thou shag-ear'd villain. Young fry of treachery? Mal. Be not offended: 55I speak not as in absolute fear of you. I think, our country sinks beneath the yoke: It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash That is, though I am perfectly acquainted with your rank. 2i. e. not to acquaint you with, or give you warning of, your danger. 3i. e. protect from utter destruction the privileges of our birth-right. i. e. to befriend. Without previous provision, without due preparation. "Mr. Pope says affear'd is a law term for confirm'd. Mr. Tollet proposes to read, "The title is affeer'd," and explains the passage thus: "Poor country, wear thou thy wrongs, the title to them is legally settled by those who had the final judication of it. Afeerers had the power of confirming or mode rating fines and amercements." 11 There Act 4. Scene 3.] MACBETH. There would be hands uplifted in my right; Macb. What should he be? Mal. It is myself I mean; In whom I know That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth Macd. Not in the legions Of horrid hell, can come a devil more damn'd, Mal. I grant him bloody, Macd. Boundless intemperance Mal. With this, there grows, Macd. This avarice Sticks deeper; grows with more pernicious root Mal, But I have none: the king-becoming graces, 5 Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should All unity on earth. Macd. Oh Scotland! Scotland! Mal. If such a one be fit to govern, speak: Macd. Fit to govern! No, not to live.-O nation miserable, By his own interdiction stands accurs'd, Mal. Macduff, this noble passion, Child of integrity, hath from my soul Wip'd the black scruples, reconcil'd my thoughts 35 No less in truth, than life: my first false speaking 45 50| silent? Macd. Such welcome and unwelcome things at Tis hard to reconcile. Enter a Doctor. Mal. Well; more anon.-Comes the king forth, Doct. Ay, sir: there are a crew of wretched souls, Mal. I thank you, doctor. Macd. What's the disease he means? [Exit. A most miraculous work in this good king; 60 Which often, since my here-remain in England, 'I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven, 2 i. e. plenty. 3i. e. ready at a time. + The author That is, passionate, violent, hasty. of The Revisal conceives the sense of the passage to be this: And may the success of that goodness, which is about to exert itself in my behalf, be such as may be equal to the justice of my quarrel. i. e. over-powers, subdues. Himself Himself best knows: but strangely visited people,| The healing benediction. With this strange virtue, Macd. See, who comes here? Mal. My countryman ; but yet I know him not. Macd. It it be mine, Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it. Rosse. Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever, 10 Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound, That ever yet they heard. Macd. Hum! I guess at it. Mal. I know him now: Good God, betimes re- 15 Were, on the quarry of these murder'd deer The means that make us strangers! Rosse. Sir, amen. Macd. Stands Scotland where it did? Rosse. Alas, poor country; Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot [move [goes it Macd. Be not a niggard of your speech; How Mal. Be it their comfort, Rosse. 'Would I could answer This comfort with the like! But I have words, 20 To add the death of you. Mal. Merciful heaven ! What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows; Rosse. Wife, children, servants, all Macd. And I must be from thence! 25 My wife kill'd too? Rosse. I have said. Mal. Be comforted: Let's make us med'cines of our great revenge, 30 Macd. He has no children.—All my pretty ones? 135 40 What, all my pretty chickens, and their dam, Mal. Dispute it like a man. But I must also feel it as a man: [on, I cannot but remember such things were, eyes, 45 Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it. Mal. This tune goes manly. Come, go we to the king; our power is ready; 6 3 To 'Meaning the coin called an angel, the value of which was ten shillings. 2 i. e. common. doff is to do off, to put off. The folio reads latch them, and perhaps rightly, as to latch (in the North country dialect) signifies the same as to catch. "A grief that hath a single owner. Quarry is a term used both in hunting and falconry, and in both sports it means either the game that is pursued, or the game after it is killed. Swoop is the descent of a bird of prey on his game. i. e. contend with your sorrow like a man. i. e. all pause. 10 i. e. encourage us their instruments against the tyrant. SCENE I. ACT V. Enter a Doctor of Physic, and a Waiting-Gentle woman. Have two nights watched with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walk'd? 5 Gent. Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon it, read it, afterwards seal 10 it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep. Doct. A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watching. In this slumbry agitation, besides her 15 walking, and other actual performances, what, at any time, have you heard her say? Gent. That, sir, which I will not report after her. Doct. You may, to me; and 'tis most meet you should. Gent. Neither to you, nor any one; having no witness to confirm my speech. 20 Enter Lady Macbeth with a Taper. Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; 25 stand close. Doct. How came she by that light ? Gent. Why, it stood by her; she has light by her continually; 'tis her command. Doct. You see, her eyes are open. Doct. What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands. Doct. Go to, go to; you have known what you should not. Gent. She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that: Heaven knows what she has known. Lady. Here's the smell of the blood still; alf the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh! oh! Doct. What a sigh is there? the heart is sorely charg'd. Gent. I would not have such a heart in my bosom, for the dignity of the whole body.. Doct. Well, well, well,— Gent. Pray God, it be, sir. Doct. This disease is beyond my practice: Yet I have known those which have walk'd in their sleep, who have died holily in their beds. Lady. Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale:-I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried; he cannot come out of his grave. Doct. Even so ? Lady. To bed, to bed; there's knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand; What's done, cannot be undone: To bed, [Exit Lady. to bed, to bed. [deeds Doct. Will she go now to bed? Gent. It is an accustom'd action with her, to seem thus washing her hands; I have known her 35 continue in this a quarter of an hour. Lady. Yet here's a spot. Doct. Hark, she speaks: I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly. 140 Lady. Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!-One; Two; Why, then 'tis time to do't;-Hell is murky1-Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afraid? what need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?-Yet who would have 45 thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? Doct. Do you mark that? Lady. The thane of Fife had a wife; Where is [Exeunt. Drum and Colours. Enter Menteth, Cathness, Ment. The English power is near, led on by fing. Shall we well meet them; that way are they com- brother? Len. For certain, sir, he is not: I have a file she now-What, will these hands ne'er be 50 Of all the gentry; there is Siward's son, And many unrough youths, that even now 1 Mr. Steevens with great acuteness observes on this passage, that Lady Macbeth is acting over in a dream the business of the murder of Duncan, and encouraging her husband as when awake; and cer tainly imagines herself here talking to Macbeth, who (she supposes) has just said, Hell is murky, (i. e. hell is a dismal place to go to in consequence of such a deed) and repeats his words in contempt of his cowardice; Hell is murky!-Fie, fie, my lord, fie! a soldier and afraid? i. e. astonished, confounded. * By the mortified man, is meant, a religious; one who has subdued his passions, is dead to the world, has abandoned it, and all the affairs of it: an Ascetic. i. e. smooth-faced, unbearded youths. Ment. Ang. Now he does feel His secret murders sticking on his hands; Ment. Who then shall blame His pester'd senses to recoil, and start, Cath. Well, march we on, To give obedience where 'tis truly ow'd: And with him pour we, in our country's purge, Len. Or so much as it needs, To dew the sovereign flower, and drown the weeds. [Exeunt, marching. SCENE III. 5 10 15 How does your patient, doctior? Doct. Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, Macb. Cure her of that: 20 Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd; 25 Enter Macbeth, Doctor, and Attendants. Enter a Servant. The devil damn thee black, thou cream-fac'd Ser. There is ten thousand Macb. Geese, villain? Ser. Soldiers, sir. [loon! Doct. Therein the patient Macb. Throw physick to the dogs, I'll none of it-- Doct. Ay, my good lord; your royal preparation 40 Makes us hear something. Macb. Bring it after me. I will not be afraid of death and bane, Doct. Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, 45 Profit again should hardly draw me here. [Exe. SCENE IV. Macb. Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, When I behold-Seyton, I say!-This push And that which should accompany old age, As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, 4 155 60 Drum and Colours. Enter Malcolm, Siward, Mal. Cousins, I hope, the days are near at hand, Ment. We doubt it nothing, Siw. What wood is this before us? Mal. Let every soldier hew him down a bough, Sol. It shall be done. Siw. We learn no other, but the confident tyrant 1i. e. physician. 2 To sag, or swag, is to sink down by its own weight, or by an overload. 'Loon signifies a base fellow. 5 i. e. fool. The meaning is, they infect others who see them with cowardice, "Sear is dry. 'To skirr signifies to scour, to ride hastily. water was the phrase in use for finding out disorders by the inspection of urine. To cast the Keeps |