Macduffis fled to England.
Macduff, I will surprize,
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Then the Liars and Swearers are Fools: for there
are Lyars and Swearers enow, to beate the honest men,
and hang vp them.
If he were dead, youl'd weepe for him: if you
would not, it were a good signe, that I should quickely
haue a new Father.
Then the Liars and Swearers are Fools: for there
are Lyars and Swearers enow, to beate the honest men,
and hang vp them.
If he were dead, youl'd weepe for him: if you
would not, it were a good signe, that I should quickely
haue a new Father.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<div type="scene" n="2">
<head rend="italic center">Scena Secunda.</head>
<head type="supplied">[Act 4, Scene 2]</head>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter Macduffes Wife, her Son, and Rosse.</stage>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1616">What had he done, to make him fly the Land?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-ros">
<speaker rend="italic">Rosse.</speaker>
<l n="1617">You must haue patience Madam.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1618">He had none:</l>
<l n="1619">His flight was madnesse: when our Actions do not,</l>
<l n="1620">Our feares do make vs Traitors.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-ros">
<speaker rend="italic">Rosse.</speaker>
<l n="1621">You know not</l>
<l n="1622">Whether it was his wisedome, or his feare.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1623">Wisedom? to leaue his wife, to leaue his Babes,</l>
<l n="1624">His Mansion, and his Titles, in a place</l>
<l n="1625">From whence himselfe do's flye? He loues vs not,</l>
<l n="1626">He wants the naturall touch. For the poore Wren</l>
<l n="1627">(The most diminitiue of Birds) will fight,</l>
<l n="1628">Her yong ones in her Nest, against the Owle:</l>
<l n="1629">All is the Feare, and nothing is the Loue;</l>
<l n="1630">As little is the Wisedome, where the flight</l>
<l n="1631">So runnes against all reason.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-ros">
<speaker rend="italic">Rosse.</speaker>
<l n="1632">My deerest Cooz,</l>
<l n="1633">I pray you schoole your selfe. But for your Husband,</l>
<l n="1634">He is Noble, Wise, Iudicious, and best knowes</l>
<l n="1635">The fits o'th'Season. I dare not speake much further,</l>
<l n="1636">But cruell are the times, when we are Traitors</l>
<l n="1637">And do not know our selues: when we hold Rumor</l>
<l n="1638">From what we feare, yet know not what we feare,</l>
<l n="1639">But floate vpon a wilde and violent Sea</l>
<l n="1640">Each way, and moue. I take my leaue of you:</l>
<l n="1641">Shall not be long but Ile be heere againe:</l>
<l n="1642">Things at the worst will cease, or else climbe vpward,</l>
<l n="1643">To what they were before. My pretty Cosine,</l>
<l n="1644">Blessing vpon you.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1645">Father'd he is,</l>
<l n="1646">And yet hee's Father‑lesse.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-ros">
<speaker rend="italic">Rosse.</speaker>
<l n="1647">I am so much a Foole, should I stay longer</l>
<l n="1648">It would be my disgrace, and your discomfort.</l>
<l n="1649">I take my leaue at once.</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic rightJustified" type="exit">Exit Rosse.</stage>
<cb n="2"/>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1650">Sirra, your Fathers dead,</l>
<l n="1651">And what will you do now? How will you liue<c rend="italic">?</c>
</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1652">As Birds do Mother.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1653">What with Wormes, and Flyes?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1654">With what I get I meane, and so do they.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1655">Poore Bird,</l>
<l n="1656">Thou'dst neuer Feare the Net, nor Lime,</l>
<l n="1657">The Pitfall, nor the Gin.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1658">Why should I Mother?</l>
<l n="1659">Poore Birds they are not set for:</l>
<l n="1660">My Father is not dead for all your saying.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1661">Yes, he is dead:</l>
<l n="1662">How wilt thou do for a Father?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1663">Nay how will you do for a Husband?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1664">Why I can buy me twenty at any Market.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1665">Then you'l by 'em to sell againe.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1666">Thou speak'st withall thy wit,</l>
<l n="1667">And yet I'faith with wit enough for thee.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1668">Was my Father a Traitor, Mother?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1669">I, that he was.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1670">What is a Traitor?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1671">Why one that sweares, and lyes.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1672">And be all Traitors, that do so.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1673">Euery one that do's so, is a Traitor,</l>
<l n="1674">And must be hang'd.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1675">And must they all be hang'd, that swear and lye?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1676">Euery one.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1677">Who must hang them?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1678">Why, the honest men.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<p n="1679">Then the Liars and Swearers are Fools: for there
<lb n="1680"/>are Lyars and Swearers enow, to beate the honest men,
<lb n="1681"/>and hang vp them.</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1682">Now God helpe thee, poore Monkie:</l>
<l n="1683">But how wilt thou do for a Father?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<p n="1684">If he were dead, youl'd weepe for him: if you
<lb n="1685"/>would not, it were a good signe, that I should quickely
<lb n="1686"/>haue a new Father.</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1687">Poore pratler, how thou talk'st?</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter a Messenger.</stage>
<sp who="#F-mac-mes">
<speaker rend="italic">Mes.</speaker>
<l n="1688">Blesse you faire Dame: I am not to you known,</l>
<l n="1689">Though in your state of Honor I am perfect;</l>
<l n="1690">I doubt some danger do's approach you neerely.</l>
<l n="1691">If you will take a homely mans aduice,</l>
<l n="1692">Be not found heere: Hence with your little ones</l>
<l n="1693">To fright you thus. Me thinkes I am too sauage:</l>
<l n="1694">To do worse to you, were fell Cruelty,</l>
<l n="1695">Which is too nie your person. Heauen preserue you,</l>
<l n="1696">I dare abide no longer.</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic rightJustified" type="exit">Exit Messenger</stage>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1697">Whether should I flye?</l>
<l n="1698">I haue done no harme. But I remember now</l>
<l n="1699">I am in this earthly world: where to do harme</l>
<l n="1700">Is often laudable, to do good sometime</l>
<l n="1701">Accounted dangerous folly. Why then (alas)</l>
<l n="1702">Do I put vp that womanly defence,</l>
<l n="1703">To say I haue done no harme?</l>
<l n="1704">What are these faces?</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter Murtherers.</stage>
<sp who="#F-mac-mur">
<speaker rend="italic">Mur.</speaker>
<l n="1705">Where is your Husband?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-lmf">
<speaker rend="italic">Wife.</speaker>
<l n="1706">I hope in no place so vnsanctified,</l>
<l n="1707">Where such as thou may'st finde him.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-mur">
<speaker rend="italic">Mur.</speaker>
<l n="1708">He's a Traitor.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1709">Thou ly'st thou shagge‑ear'd Villaine.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-mur">
<speaker rend="italic">Mur.</speaker>
<l n="1710">What you Egge?</l>
<l n="1711">Yong fry of Treachery<c rend="italic">?</c>
</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-mac-smf">
<speaker rend="italic">Son.</speaker>
<l n="1712">He ha's kill'd me Mother,</l>
<l n="1713">Run away I pray you.</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic rightJustified" type="exit">Exit crying Murther.</stage>
<pb facs="FFimg:axc0756-0.jpg" n="146"/>
<cb n="1"/>
</div>