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dress Macbeth by those titles which he is afterwards led to usurp, by his ambition ;

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 shall be king

hereafter.

Act i. sc. 3.

And they raise that illusive appearance, and utter that ambiguous prophecy, which, after he had perpetrated the murder of Duncan, hastened his destruction, by inspiring him with a vain security: this is the intention avowed by Hecate;

Upon the corner of the moon

There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground:
And that distill'd by magick slights,
Shall raise such artificial sprights,
As by the strength of their illusion,
Shall draw him on to his confusion :
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear :
And you all know, security

Is mortals' chiefest enemy.

Act iii. sc. 5.

And in conformity to this intention is the prophecy subsequently uttered to Macbeth, which has the desired effect of in

spiring him with that security which occasioned his fall.

MACB. How now, you secret, black, and midnight

WITCHES.
MACB.

hags,

What is't you do?

A deed without a name.
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
(Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me;
To what I ask you.

1. WITCH.

2. WITCH.

3. WITCH.

Speak.

Demand.

We'll answer.

MACB.

Say if thou'dst rather hear it from our

mouths,

Or from our masters'?`

Call them, let me see them.

1. WITCH. Pour in sow's blood that hath eaten

ALL.

Her nine farrow; grease, that's sweaten
From the murd'rer's gibbet, throw

Into the flame.

Come, high, or low

Thyself and office deftly show.

(Thunder. An apparition of an armed head rises.)

MACB.

1. WITCH.

Appar.

Tell me, thou unknown pow'r,

He knows thy thought;

Hear his speech, but say thou nought.

Macbeth Macbeth! Macbeth! beware
Macduff;

Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me:

enough.

[Descends.

MAGB. Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution

thanks;

Y

1.

Thou hast harp'd my fear aright:- but one

word more:

1. WITCH. He will not be commanded: here's another More potent than the first.

(Thunder. An apparition of a bloody child rises.)
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!-

APPAR.

MACB.

Be bloody, bold, and resolute: laugh to scorn
The pow'r of man; for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
[Descends.
Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee?
But yet I'll make assurance doubly sure,
And take a bond of fate; thou shalt not live;—

(Thunder. An apparition of a child crowned, with a tree in his hand, rises.)

APPAR.

MACB.

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 hill
Shall come against him.

[Descends.

That will never be:

Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet bode-

ments! good!

Rebellious head, rise never, till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac'd Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time, and mortal custom.-

Act iv. sc. 1.

Such are the principal incidents which constitute the machinery of " Macbeth ;"

and justify the adoption of such imagery in that drama. Our immediate object is to ob serve its influence on the natural train of events in the fable: and here it is first deserving of remark, that while the mysteriousness in which the predictions, thus uttered, are involved, and the curiosity excited to discover how they may be likely to termi nate, imparts more intrigue to the plot and greater interest to the story; the natural train of the incidents, as consisting of events arising out of each other by means probable or necessary, is not disturbed or impeded.

This seems generally evident on reviewing the passages already adduced. From them it appears, that the witches perform nothing themselves, they advise nothing to be undertaken, and afford no aid in any thing that is purposed, which at all contributes to advance or retard the action. The magical rites which they employ, and the obscure prophecies which they utter, have no direct tendency of this kind. But the same position will be more satisfactorily established by an induction of particular passages, made for the purpose of shewing how entirely the action is forwarded without the aid of preternatural interference.

For this purpose, it may be in the first place observed, that of all that the witches disclose, it is the declaration of a known fact alone which operates on Macbeth, and disposes him to action. Before they hail him thane of Cawdor, the spectator is acquainted, that he was to be saluted with this title, according to the intention expressed by his sovereign.

DUNCAN. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest :-Go, pronounce his

death,

And with his former title greet Macbeth.

Act i. sc. 2.

While the messengers are employed in carrying this intention into execution, and conveying the intelligence to Macbeth, the interview takes place between him and the witches; and it is this circumstance of all that they relate which chiefly attracts his notice;

MACB. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: By Sinel's death, I know, I'm 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,

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