1st Witch.
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

2nd Witch.
Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd.

3rd Witch.
Harper cries:—'Tis time, 'tis time.

All.
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.—

1st Witch.
Toad, that under coldest stone,
Days and nights have thirty-one;
Swelter'd^{1 note} venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!

All. (going round cauldron)
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

2nd Witch.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake:
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell broth boil and bubble.

All. (going round)
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

3rd Witch.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw, and gulf,^{2 note}

Of the ravin'd^{3 note} salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock, digg'd i' the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew,
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe,
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,^{4 note}
For the ingredients of our cauldron.

All. (going round)
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and, cauldron, bubble.

1st Witch.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good. Hecate appears at back of Scene. Chorus of Witches enter, R. and L.(B)8Q0174

Hec.
O, well done! I commend your pains;
And every one shall share i' the gains.
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.

Black spirits and white,
  Red spirits and grey,
Mingle, mingle, mingle,
  You that mingle, may.

Cho.
Around, around, around, about, about;
All ill come running in, all good keep out!

Singing W. (going to cauldron)
Here's the blood of a bat.^{5 note}

Hec.
Put in that—put in that.

2nd Singing W. (going to cauldron)
Here's Lizard's brain.

Hec.
Put in a grain.

3rd Singing W. (going to cauldron)
Here's juice of toad, and oil of adder;
These will make the charm grow madder.

Cho.
Put in all these; 'twill raise a pois'nous stench!

Hec.
Hold—here's three ounces of a red-hair'd wench.

Cho.
Around, around, around, about, about;
All ill come running in, all good keep out!

Hec.
By the pricking of my thumbs,^{6 note}
Something wicked this way comes. (knocking heard)
Open locks, whoever knocks. (disappears) [Exeunt all the Witches, except the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Enter Macbeth from L. U. E.

Macbeth.
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags?
What is't you do?

All.
A deed without a name.

Macbeth.
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
(Howe'er you come to know it), answer me,
To what I ask you.

1st Witch.
Speak.

2nd Witch.
Demand.

3rd Witch.
We'll answer.

1st Witch.
Say, if thoud'st rather hear it from our mouths,
Or from our master's?

Macbeth.
Call them, let me see them.

1st Witch.
Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow:^{7 note} grease that's sweaten
From the murderer's gibbet, throw
Into the flame.

All.
Come, high, or low,
Thyself, and office, deftly^{8 note} show. Thunder. An Apparition of an armed Head rises.^{9 note}

Macbeth.
Tell me, thou unknown power,—

1st Witch.
He knows thy thought;
Hear his speech, but say thou nought.^{10 note}

App.
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff;
Beware the thane of Fife.^{11 note} Dismiss me;—Enough. (descends)

Macbeth.
Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp'd^{12 note} my fear aright:—But one word more—

1st Witch.
He will not be commanded: Here's another,
More potent than the first. Thunder. An Apparition of a bloody Child rises.

App.
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!—

Macbeth.
Had I three ears, I'd hear thee.

App.
Be bloody, bold,
And resolute: laugh to scorn the power of man,
For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.^{13 note} (descends)

Macbeth.
Then live, Macduff; What need I fear of thee?
But yet I'll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear, it lies,
And sleep in spite of thunder—What is this, Thunder. An Apparition of a Child crowned, with tree in his hand, rises
That rises like the issue of a king;
And wears upon his baby brow the round
And top of sovereignty?

All.
Listen, but speak not.

App.
Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane^{14 note}



hill
Shall come against him.^{15 note} (descends)

Macbeth.
That will never be;
Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet bodements! good!
Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing; Tell me (if your art
Can tell so much), shall Banquo's issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?

All.
Seek to know no more.

Macbeth.
I will be satisfied: deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know:—

Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this? (unearthly Music heard)^{16 note}

1st Witch.
Show!

2nd Witch.
Show!

3rd Witch.
Show!

All.
Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
Come like shadows, so depart. Eight Kings appear, and pass over the Stage in order; the last with a glass in his hand—Banquo following.

Macbeth.
Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!
Thy crown does sear mine eye-balls. And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first:—
A third is like the former:—Filthy hags:
Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!
What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?^{17 note}
Another yet? A seventh? I'll see no more:—
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass,^{18 note}