“Speak!” “Demand!” “We’ll answer,” said the witches. “Say if you would rather hear it from our mouths or from our masters?”
“Call them; let me see them.”
The first witch flung some additional horrible charms into the cauldron, and then the three chanted together:
“Come, high or low; Thyself and office deftly show!”
There was a flash of light, a roll of thunder, and in the midst of a cloud of blue steam there rose from the cauldron the Apparition of an armed Head.
“Tell me, thou unknown power——” began Macbeth.
“He knows thy thought,” said the first witch; “hear his speech, but say thou nought.”
“Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife! Dismiss me. Enough.”
“Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks,” said Macbeth, as the Apparition sank from view. “Thou hast spoken my fear aright; but one word more——”
“He will not be commanded,” said the witch. “Here is another, more potent than the first.”