Lady M.

To alter favour9 ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Before the Castle. Hautboys. Servants of Macbeth attending. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENOX, MACDUFF, ROSSE, ANGUS, and Attendants. Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses. Ban.

This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve, By his lov'd mansionry, that the heaven's breath, Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze, buttress, Nor coigne of vantage', but this bird hath made His pendent bed, and procreant cradle: Where they Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air Is delicate.

Dun.

Enter Lady MАСВЕТН,

See, see! our honour'd hostess! The love that follows us, sometime is our trouble,

Which still we thank as love.
How you shall bid God yield
And thank us for your trouble.
Lady M.

Herein I teach you, us for your pains,

All our service

In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and single business, to contend
Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We rest your hermits.
Dun.

Where's the thane of Cawdor?
We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well;

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him
To his home before us: Fair and noble hostess,
We are your guest to-night.
Lady M.

Your servants ever Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt3, To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, Still to return your own.

Give me your hand.

Dun. Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII. A Room in the Castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then enter MACBETH.

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come. But, in these cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust:

Look, countenance.

2 Reward.

1 Convenient corner. Subject to accompt.

An officer so called from his placing the dishes on the table.

Lady M. He has almost supp'd: Why have you left the chamber?

Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady M. Know you not, he has? Macb. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late'; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon. Lady M. Was the hope drunk, Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time, Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour, As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem; Letting I dare not wait upon I would, Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macb.

Pr'ythee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man
Who dares do more, is none.
Lady M.
What beast was it then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man ;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place,
Did then adhere 6, and yet you would make both :
They have made themselves, and that their fitness

torch before them.

Ban. How goes the night, boy?

Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

A dagger of the mind; a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
Mine eyes are made the fools o'the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still;

And on thy blade, and dudgeon 7, gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business, which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half world
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse.
The curtain'd sleep; now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set

Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold:

What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire:
Hark! Peace!

It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern'st good night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd
their possets,

That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live or die.

Macb. [Within] Who's there? — what, ho!
Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd,
And 'tis not done: - the attempt, and not the deed,
7 Haft, handle.
F Drops.

Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence The life o' the building.

Macb.

What is't you say? the life?
Len. Mean you his majesty?
Maci. Approach the chamber, and destroy your
sight

With a new Gorgon : - Do not bid me speak;
See, and then speak yourselves. -Awake! awake!
[Exeunt MACBETH and LENOX.
Ring the alarum-bell: - Murder, and treason!
Banquo, and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself! Up, up, and see
The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprights,
To countenance this horror.
[Bell rings.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. What's the business, That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley The sleepers of the house? speak, speak,Macd.

'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell.

O Banquo! Banquo!

Dear Duff, I pr'ythee contradict thyself,
And say, it is not so.

Re-enter MACBETH and LENOX.

Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant, There's nothing serious in mortality : All is but toys: renown, and grace is dead: The wine of life is drawn, and the meer lees Is left this vault to brag of.

Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. Don. What is amiss?

Macb. You are, and do not know it : The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd. Macd. Your royal father's murder'd. Mal.

O! by whom?

Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't:

Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood, So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found Upon their pillows:

Macb. All.

And so do I.

So all. Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' the hall together.

To show an unfelt sorrow, is an office

Which the false man does easy: I'll to England.
Don. To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.

Mal.
This murderous shaft that's shot,
Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way
Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse;
And let us not be dainty of leave taking,
But shift away: there's warrant in that theft,
Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Without the Castle.

Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp : Is it night's predominance, or the day's shame, That darkness does the face of earth intomb, When living light should kiss it?

'Tis unnatural,

Old M. Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, and kill'd.

Rosse. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain,)

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make War with mankind.

Old M. 'Tis said, they eat each other. Rosse. They did so; to the amazement of mine

eyes,

That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Mac

duff:

Enter MACDUuff.

How goes the world, sir, now?

Macd.
Why, see you not?
Rosse. Is't known who did this more than bloody
deed?

Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.

SCENE I. - Fores. A Room in the Palace.

Enter BANQUO.

Ban. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,

As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; Lady
MACBETH, as Queen; LENOX, ROSSE, Lords,
Ladies, and Attendants.

Macb. Here's our chief guest.
Lady M.

If he had been forgotten,
It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all things unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

Are with a most indissoluble tie

I must become a borrower of the night, For a dark hour or twain.

Macb.

Fail not our feast.
Ban. My lord, I will not.
Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd
In England, and in Ireland; not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: But of that to-morrow;
When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state,
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: Adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon us.
Macb. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs.
Farewell.
[Exit BANQUO.
Let every man be master of his time
Till seven at night; to make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you.
[Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c.
Sirrah, a word: Attend those men our pleasure?
Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate.
Macb. Bring them before us. - [Erit Atten.]
To be thus, is nothing;
But to be safely thus: - Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty 6 of nature
Reigns that, which would be fear'd: 'Tis much he
dares;

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none, but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it said,
Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of King upon me,
6 Noblenes

5 Intend to themselves.