Ban. Were such things here as we do speak about?
Or have we eaten on the insane root 84
That takes the reason prisoner?
Macb. Your children shall be kings.
Ban. You shall be king.
Macb. And Thane of Cawdor too; went it not so?
Ban. To the self-same tune and words. Who's here? 88
Enter Ross and Angus.
Ross. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth,
The news of thy success; and when he reads
Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight,
His wonders and his praises do contend 92
Which should be thine, or his. Silenc'd with that,
In viewing o'er the rest o' the self-same day,
He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,
Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make 96
Strange images of death. As thick as tale
Came post with post, and every one did bear
Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence,
And pour'd them down before him.
Ang. We are sent 100
To give thee from our royal master thanks;
Only to herald thee into his sight,
Not pay thee.
Ross. And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: 105
In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!
For it is thine.
Ban. What! can the devil speak true?
84 insane root: root supposed to produce insanity
92, 93 Cf. n.
97 images of death: corpses; cf. n.
As thick as tale: as fast as the telling; cf. n.
98 post: courier
104 earnest: pledge, part payment in advance
106 addition: title
