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Macbeth

Act II, Scene 4

Outside Macbeth's castle.
 
[Enter ROSS and an old Man]
 
OLD MAN
        T    T    .   T    ,          ,        ,
      Threescore and ten | I can | remem|ber well,
          ,         ,             ,     ,     2       ,
      Within | the vol|ume of / which time,| I have seen
        ,     ,              ,      ,           ,    ,    ,
      Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore night  ????
              x        ,        ,
      Hath trifled | former | knowings.     ??
 
ROSS
                                          ,            ,
                                         Ha, good* | father,
             ,            x           ,                ,    ,
      Thou seest | the heavens,| as troub|led with / man's act,
        ,              ,       ,       2      ,           ,
      Threaten | his bloo|dy stage:| by the clock,| 'tis day,
       .   T    T    T       ,              ,     2      ,
      And yet dark night | strangles | the trav|elling lamp:
        2      ,          ,     ,                ,     ,
      Is it night's | predom|inance,| or the / day's shame,
             ,         ,          ,         ,         ,
      That dark|ness does | the face | of earth | entomb,
            ,        ,                x
      When liv|ing light | should kiss it?
 
OLD MAN
                                            ,      ,  2
                                          'Tis un|natural,
       Tx    T   .    T             ,         ,        ,
      Even like the deed | that's done:| On Tues|day last,
          ,       x        ,         ,          ,
      A falc|on tower|ing in | her pride | of place,
       ,           ,       ,       ,               ,
      Was by | a mous|ing owl | hawked at,| and killed.
 
ROSS
           ,         ,      2
      And Dun|can's hors|es,
                                 ,             ,             x
                            (a thing | most strange,| and certain)  ??
        ,   2           ,          ,        ,           ,
      beauteous,| and swift,| the min|ions of | their race,
         T     T   .  T         ,              ,            ,
      Turned wild in na|ture, broke | their stalls,| flung^out,
           ,          ,       ,    2     ,       2
      Contend|ing 'gainst | obed|ience, as | they would
      <-  ,      ,              ,
        Make || war with | mankind.
 
OLD MAN
                                          ,          ,          ,     2->
                                   'Tis said,| they eat | each oth||er.
 
ROSS
            ,    __
      They did | so:   \\
        3   3   ,        ,          ,            ,         x
      To the amaze|ment of | mine^eyes | that looked | upon it.
              ,         x          ,
      Here comes | the good | Macduff.  \\
            ,          ,           ,
      How goes | the world | sir, now?
 
MACDUFF
                                             ,         ,
                                       Why* see | you not?
 
ROSS
        2     ,          ,           ,           ,       ,
      Is it known | who did | this more | than bloo|dy deed?
 
MACDUFF
        ,               ,           ,
      Those that | Macbeth | hath slain.
 
ROSS
                                           ,         ,
                                         Alas | the day,
             ,            ,         ,
      What good | could they | pretend?
 
MACDUFF
                                          ,              ,
                                        They were | suborned,
       ,     2       ,      ,          T     T    T
      Malcolm and | Donal|bain the | king's two sons
             x       ,          ,            ,      ,         2->
      Are stolen | away | and fled,| which puts | upon || them
         ,        ,         ,
      Suspi|cion of | the deed.
 
ROSS
                                        ,        ,
                               'Gainst^na|ture still,
         ,            ,         ,          ,      ,
      Thriftless | ambi|tion, that | wilt rav|en up
        T    T    T       ___           ,           ,
      Thine own life's | means:| Then 'tis | most like,
            ,        ,          ,      ,        ,
      The sove|reignty | will fall | upon | Macbeth.
 
MACDUFF
          ,      ,       ,           ,         ,
      He is | alrea|dy named,| and gone | to Scone
          ,       ,
      To be | invest|ed.
 
ROSS
                              x      ,          ,
                         Where is | Duncan's | body?
 
MACDUFF
       ,             ,    __
      Carried | to Colme|kill,  \\
           ,        ,     ,     2       ,     ,
      The sac|red store|house of his | prede|cessors,
            ,    2   ,           ,
      And guard|ian of | their bones.  \\
 
ROSS
            ,     .   T
      Will you | to Scone?
 
MACDUFF
                            T   T        ,         ,
                           No cous|in, I'll | to Fife.
 
ROSS
       __    ,         ,
      Well,| I will | thither. \\
 
MACDUFF
             ,         ,             ,           ,        ,
      Well* may | you see | things^well | done^there:| adieu  ??
                 ,    ,          ,   2    ,         ,
      Lest^our^/old robes | sit eas|ier than | our new.  ??
 
ROSS
            ,     ,
      Farewell,| father.  \\
 
OLD MAN
        ,    ,              ,          ,           ,
      God's ben/ison | go with | you, and | with those
             ,            ,        ,           ,           ,
      That would | make good | of bad,| and friends | of foes.
 
[Exeunt]

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