"MACBETH'S FORTUNE."
Performers: Three Witches, Hecate, Armed Head, Bloody Child, Crowned Child, Eight Kings, Ghostly Speaker, Macbeth, Banquo's Ghost, Clowns, Authors, Tramps, etc.
PROLOGUE.
[Standing on stage — outside the curtain — left side.]
And now I will unclasp a secret book,
And to your quick-conceiving discontents
I'll read you matter deep and dangerous,
As full of peril and adventurous spirit
As to o'er-walk a current roaring loud
On the unsteadfast footing of a spear.
[Curtains open on Scene I., a cavern. In middle a boiling caldron. Loud thunder. Enter three Witches in ghostly attire, leaning on crutches, and with long snake-like tresses hanging about their faces. They move forward toward caldron. Loud and long thunder. Witches look around and at one another and shudder. Then mewing of cat. Again roar of thunder followed by mewing of cat. Witches shudder and shake their heads. A still louder crash of thunder followed by quick and sharp flash of lightning and deep and awful cat-mewing. Looking at sky and in distance, Witches shake heads.]
First Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
[She approaches and looks into caldron solemnly shaking her head. Sound of whining of pig. Witches glance hastily at one another and in direction of sound. Again whining of pig. Second Witch approaches caldron and shudders. Other two look at each other and shake heads. Again whining of pig. Witches all approach caldron and each in turn stirs contents with stick, and shaking her head steps back and looks in direction of sound. Whining sound is heard again, and they stand dumb.]
