SCENE IV. [Country near Birnam wood]_ACT V_THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH_ELIZABETHAN DRAMA

Directory:ELIZABETHAN DRAMA I

SCENE IV. [Country near Birnam wood]

Drum and colours. Enter MALCOLM, old SIWARD and his Son, MACDUFF, MENTEITH, CAITHNESS, Angus, [Lennox, Ross,] and SOLDIERS, marching

MAL. Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand

That chambers will be safe.

MENT. We doubt it nothing.

SIW. What wood is this before us?

MENT. The wood of Birnam.

MAL. 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〖The scouts.〗

Err in report of us.

SOLDIERS. It shall be done.

SIW. We learn no other but the confident tyrant

Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure

Our setting down before〖Besieging.〗 ’t.

MAL. ’Tis his main hope;

For where there is advantage to be given,

Both more and less〖Great and small.〗 have given him the revolt,

And none serve with him but constrained things

Whose hearts are absent too.

MACD. Let our just censures〖Let our opinions await the outcome.〗

Attend the true event, and put we on

Industrious soldiership.

SIW. 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.

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