Hec. Prepare to flight then: Hec. I'll reach you quickly. Fire. They are all going a birding to-night. They talk of fowles i' th' aire, that fly by day: I am sure they'll be a company of fowle slutts there to night. Yf we have not mortallitie affer'd, I'll be hang'd, for they are able to putryfie, to infect a whole region. She spies me now. Hec. What Fire-Stone, our sweet son? Fire. A little sweeter then some of you; or a doong hill were too good for me. Hec. How much hast here? Fire. Nineteene, and all brave plump ones; besides six lizards, and three serpentine eggs. Hec. Deere and sweet boy: what herbes hast thou? Fire. I have some Mar-martin, and Man-dragon. Hec. Marmaritin, and Mandragora, thou wouldst say. Fire. Heer's Pannax too: I thanck thee, my pan akes I am sure with kneeling downe to cut 'em. Hec. And Selago, Hedge hisop too: how neere he goes my cuttings? /Were they all cropt by moone-light? Fire. Every blade of 'em, or I am moone-calf (Mother). Looke well to the house to night: I am for aloft. Fire. Aloft (quoth you?) I would you would breake your neck once, that I might have all quickly. Hark, hark, mother; they are above the steeple alredy, flying over your head with a noyse of musitians. Hec. They are they indeed. Help me, help me; I'm too late Ther's one comes downe to fetch his dues; Since the air's so sweet and good. Hec. Oh, art thou come, What newes, what newes? } above. I muse, I muse, Refuse, refuse. Hec. Now I am furnish'd for the flight. Fire. Hark, hark, the Catt sings a brave treble in her owne language. Hec. going up.] Now I goe, now I flie, Malkin my sweete spirit and I. Oh what a daintie pleasure tis When the moone shines faire, And sing and daunce, and toy and kiss : We fly by night, 'mongst troopes of spiritts. No howles of wolves, no yelpes of hounds; No Ring of bells, &c. } above. Fire. Well mother, I thanck your kindnes: You must be gambolling i' th' aire, and leave me to walk here like a foole and a mortall. ACT V. SCENE II. Enter Duchesse, Heccat, Firestone. Hec. What death is't you desire for Almachildes? Hec. Then I have fitted you. Here lye the guifts of both; sodaine and subtle : His picture made in wax, and gently molten Duch. In what time, pree-thee? [Exit. Hec. Perhaps in a moone's progresse. Out upon pictures! if they be so tedious, Give me things with some life. Hec. Then seeke no farther. Duch. This must be don with speed, dispatch'd this night, If it may possible. Hec. I have it for you : Here's that will do't: stay but perfection's time, And that's not five howres hence. Duch. Canst thou do this? Hec. Can I? Duch. I meane, so closely. Hec. So closely doe you meane too? Duch. So artfully, so cunningly. Hec. Worse and worse; doubts and incredulities, Can you doubt me then, daughter, That can make mountains tremble, miles of woods walk ; Of the entomb'd to burst out from their marbles; Nay, draw yond moone to my envolv'd designes? Fire. I know as well as can be when my mother's mad and our great catt angrie; for one spitts French then, and thother spitts Latten. Duch. I did not doubt you, Mother. Hec. No? what did you, My powre's so firme, it is not to be question'd. Duch. Forgive what's past and now I know th' offensivenes : That vexes art, I'll shun th' occasion ever. Hec. Leave all to me and my five sisters, daughter. It shall be convaid in at howlett-time. Take you no care. My spiritts know thir moments: Raven, or screitch-owle never fly by th' dore But they call in (I thanck 'em) and they loose not by't. They shall have semina cum sanguine, Their gorge cramd full if they come once to our house: Fire. They fare but too well when they come heather: they eate up as much tother night as would have made me a good conscionable pudding. Hec. Give me some lizard's-braine: quickly Firestone. Hec. Give me Marmaritin; some Beare-breech: when? And fetch three ounces of the red-hair'd girle I kill'd last midnight.. Fire. Whereabouts, sweet Mother? Hec. Hip; hip or flanck. Where is the Acopus? Hec. Stir, stir about; whilst I begin the charme. A charme Song, about a Vessell. Black spiritts, and white: Red spiritts, and gray; Fire-drake, Puckey, make it luckey; Round, around, around, about, about; Hec. Put in that; oh put in that. 2. Hec. 1. 2. Hec. Put in againe. The juice of toad; the oile of adder. Put in; ther's all, and rid the stench. Fire. Nay heer's three ounces of the red-hair'd wench. Hec. So, soe, enough into the vessell with it. There, 't hath the true perfection: I am so light But is a tune methinkes. Fire. A tune! 'tis to the tune of dampnation then, I warrant you; and that song hath a villanous burthen. Hec. Come my sweet sisters; let the aire strike our tune, Whilst we show reverence to yond peeping moone. [Here they daunce the Witches dance, and Exeunt. ***The following Songs are found in Sir William D'Avenant's alteration of this play, printed in 1674. The first and second of them were, I believe, written by him, being introduced at the end of the second Act, in a scene of which he undoubtedly was the author. Of the other song, which is sung in the third Act, the first words (Come away) are in the original copy of Macbeth, and the whole is found at length in Middleton's play, entitled The Witch, which has been lately printed from a manuscript in the collection of Major Pearson. Whether this song was written by Shakspeare, and omitted, like many others, in the printed copy, cannot now be ascertained. MALONE. ACT II. First Song by the Witches. 1 Witch. Speak, sister, speak; is the deed done? Above twelve glasses since have run. 3 Witch. Ill deeds are seldom slow; Nor single; following crimes on former wait: 2 Witch. He will 1 Witch. He shall 3 Witch. He must spill much more blood; And become worse, to make his title good. 1 Witch. Now let's dance. 2 Witch. Agreed. 3 Witch. Agreed. 4 Witch. Agreed. Chor. We should rejoice when good kings bleed. When cattle die, about we go; What then, when monarchs perish, should we do? Second Song. Let's have a dance upon the heath; |