THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

Act 2 Scene 4

(Enter Ross with an Old Man)
l1l	Old Man	 Threescore and ten I can remember well,
l2l		Within the volume of which time I have seen
l3l		Hours dreadful and things strange, but this sore night
l4l		Hath trifled former knowings.
	Ross	Ha, good father,
l5l		Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
l6l		Threatens his bloody stage. By th’ clock ’tis day,
l7l		And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
l8l		Is ’t night’s predominance or the day’s shame
l9l		That darkness does the face of earth entomb
l10l		When living light should kiss it?
	Old Man	’Tis unnatural,
l11l		Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last
l12l		A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,
l13l		Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.
l14l	Ross	And Duncan’s horses—a thing most strange and certain—
l15l		Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
l16l		Turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
l17l		Contending ’gainst obedience, as they would
l18l		Make war with mankind.
	Old Man	’Tis said they ate each other.
l19l	Ross	They did so, to th’ amazement of mine eyes
l20l		That looked upon ’t.
		(Enter Macduff)
		 Here comes the good Macduff.
l21l		How goes the world, sir, now?
	Macduff	Why, see you not?
l22l	Ross	Is ’t known who did this more than bloody deed?
l23l	Macduff	Those that Macbeth hath slain.
	Ross	Alas the day,
l24l		What good could they pretend?
	Macduff	They were suborned.
l25l		Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,
l26l		Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them
l27l		Suspicion of the deed.
	Ross	’Gainst nature still.
l28l		Thriftless ambition, that will raven up
l29l		Thine own life’s means! Then ’tis most like
l30l		The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
l31l	Macduff	He is already named and gone to Scone
l32l		To be invested.
l33l	Ross	Where is Duncan’s body?
l34l	Macduff	Carried to Colmekill,
l35l		The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
l36l		And guardian of their bones.
	Ross	Will you to Scone?
l37l	Macduff	No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
	Ross	Well, I will thither.
l38l	Macduff	Well, may you see things well done there. Adieu,
l39l		Lest our old robes sit easier than our new.
l40l	Ross	Farewell, father.
l41l	Old Man	God’s benison go with you, and with those
l42l		That would make good of bad, and friends of foes.
		(Exeunt severally)
	[[ACT INTERVAL]]