The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 321

Enter Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, and Soldiers.

MENTEITH. The English power is near, led on by Malcolm, His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff.

Revenges burn in them, for their dear causes Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm Excite the mortified man.

ANGUS. Near Birnam Wood Shall we well meet them; that way are they coming.

CAITHNESS. Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother?

LENNOX. For certain, sir, he is not; I have a file Of all the gentry. There is Seward's son And many unrough youths that even now Protest their first of manhood.

MENTEITH. What does the tyrant?

CAITHNESS. Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.

Some say he's mad; others, that lesser hate him, Do call it valiant fury; but, for certain, He cannot buckle his distemper'd cause Within the belt of rule.

ANGUS. Now does he feel His secret murthers sticking on his hands, Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach; Those he commands move only in command, Nothing in love. Now does he feel his t.i.tle Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe Upon a dwarfish thief.

MENTEITH. Who then shall blame His pester'd senses to recoil and start, When all that is within him does condemn Itself for being there?

CAITHNESS. Well, march we on To give obedience where 'tis truly owed.

Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal, And with him pour we, in our country's purge, Each drop of us.

LENNOX. Or so much as it needs To dew the sovereign flower and drown the weeds.

Make we our march towards Birnam. Exeunt marching.

SCENE III.

Dunsinane. A room in the castle.

Enter Macbeth, Doctor, and Attendants.

MACBETH. Bring me no more reports; let them fly all!

Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm?

Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have p.r.o.nounced me thus: "Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee." Then fly, false Thanes, And mingle with the English epicures!

The mind I sway by and the heart I bear Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

Enter a Servant.

The devil d.a.m.n thee black, thou cream-faced loon!

Where got'st thou that goose look?

SERVANT. There is ten thousand- MACBETH. Geese, villain?

SERVANT. Soldiers, sir.

MACBETH. Go p.r.i.c.k thy face and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver'd boy. What soldiers, patch?

Death of thy soul! Those linen cheeks of thine Are counselors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?

SERVANT. The English force, so please you.

MACBETH. Take thy face hence. Exit Servant.

Seyton-I am sick at heart, When I behold- Seyton, I say!- This push Will cheer me ever or disseat me now.

I have lived long enough. My way of life Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not.

Seyton!

Enter Seyton.

SEYTON. What's your gracious pleasure?

MACBETH. What news more?

SEYTON. All is confirm'd, my lord, which was reported.

MACBETH. I'll fight, 'til from my bones my flesh be hack'd.

Give me my armor.

SEYTON. 'Tis not needed yet.

MACBETH. I'll put it on.

Send out more horses, skirr the country round, Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armor.

How does your patient, doctor?

DOCTOR. Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, That keep her from her rest.

MACBETH. Cure her of that.

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Raze out the written troubles of the brain, And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?

DOCTOR. Therein the patient Must minister to himself.

MACBETH. Throw physic to the dogs, I'll none of it.

Come, put mine armor on; give me my staff.

Seyton, send out. Doctor, the Thanes fly from me.

Come, sir, dispatch. If thou couldst, doctor, cast The water of my land, find her disease And purge it to a sound and pristine health, I would applaud thee to the very echo, That should applaud again. Pull't off, I say.

What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug Would scour these English hence? Hearst thou of them?

DOCTOR. Ay, my good lord, your royal preparation Makes us hear something.

MACBETH. Bring it after me.

I will not be afraid of death and bane Till Birnam Forest come to Dunsinane.

DOCTOR. [Aside.] Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Profit again should hardly draw me here. Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Country near Birnam Wood. Drum and colors.

Enter Malcolm, old Seward and his Son, Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross, and Soldiers, marching.

MALCOLM. Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand That chambers will be safe.

MENTEITH. We doubt it nothing.

SIWARD. What wood is this before us?

MENTEITH. The Wood of Birnam.

MALCOLM. Let every soldier hew him down a bough, And bear't before him; thereby shall we shadow The numbers of our host, and make discovery Err in report of us.

SOLDIERS. It shall be done.

SIWARD. We learn no other but the confident tyrant Keeps still in Dunsinane and will endure Our setting down before't.

MALCOLM. 'Tis his main hope; For where there is advantage to be given, Both more and less have given him the revolt, And none serve with him but constrained things Whose hearts are absent too.

MACDUFF. Let our just censures Attend the true event, and put we on Industrious soldiers.h.i.+p.

SIWARD. The time approaches That will with due decision make us know What we shall say we have and what we owe.

Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, But certain issue strokes must arbitrate.

Towards which advance the war.

Exeunt Marching.

SCENE V.

Dunsinane. Within the castle.

Enter Macbeth, Seyton, and Soldiers, with drum and colors.