SCENE II.-The same. Enter Lady MACBETH. 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. Mach. 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, Confounds us:-Hark!—I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't.-My husband! Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast ;— Lady M. What do you mean? Mach. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the house : Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more! Lady M. Who was it, that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brainsickly of things:-Go, get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand.Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: Go, carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. I am afraid to think what I have done; Lady M. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead, [Exit. Knocking within. mine eyes! Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnardine, Re-enter Lady MACBETH. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear s knocking At the south entry :-retire we to our chamber: Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, Mach. To know my deed,-'twere best not know myself. CKnock Wake Duncan with thy knocking! Ay, 'would thou could'st! SCENE III.-The same. [Exeunt. Enter a Porter. [Knocking within Porter. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man 1 were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer, that hang'd himself on the expectation of plenty: Come in time; have napkins enough about you; here you'll sweat fort. [Knocking. Knock, knock: Who's there, i'the other devil's name? 'Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: 0, come in, equivocator. Knocking. Knock, knock, knock: Who's there? 'Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: Come in, tailor here you may roast your goose. [Knocking. Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are you? -But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devilporter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. Knocking. Anon, anon; I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went A fellow to it. to bed, That you do lie so late? Port. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macd. What three things does drink especially provoke. Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: Therefore much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. Macd. I believe, drink gave thee the lie last night. Port. That it did, sir, i'the very throat o' me: But I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macd. Is thy master stirring?— Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes. Re-enter MACDuff. Macd. O horror! horror! horror! Tongue, nor heart, Cannot conceive, nor name thee! Macd. Confusion now hath made his master piece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope Macb. What is't you say? the life? Macd. 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, [Bell rings. To countenance this horror! Enter Lady MACBETH. Lady M. What's the business, "Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : Would murder as it fell.-O Banquo! Banquo! Enter BANQUO. Qur royal master's murder'd! What, in our house? Ban. Too cruel, any where.— Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself, And say, it is not so. Re-enter MACBETH and LENOX. And when we have our naked frailties hid, Mach. And so do I. All. So all. Mach. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, Mach. Had I but died an hour before this And meet i'the hall together. chance, I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant, Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. Don. What is amiss? Mach. 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: They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life Was to be trusted with them. Mach. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them. Macd. Wherefore did you so? Mach. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man : Out-ran the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan, ture, For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers, Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers Unmannerly breech'd with gore: Who could refrain, That had a heart to love, and in that heart Lady M. Help me hence, ho! Mal. Why do we hold our tongues, Mal. Nor our strong sorrow on The foot of motion. Ban. Look to the lady: [Lady Macbeth is carried out. All. Well contented. Enter MACDUFF. How goes the world, sir, now? Macd. Why, see you not? Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone, To be invested. Rosse. Where is Duncan's body? Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill; The sacred storehouse of his predecessors, Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than And guardian of their bones. bloody deed? Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain. What good could they pretend? Macd. They were suborn'd: Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's two sons, Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them Suspicion of the deed. Rosse. 'Gainst nature still : Thriftless ambition, that wilt raven up Thine own life's means!-Then, 'tis most like, The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth, Rosse. Will you to Scone? Macd. Well, may you see things well done there;-adieu! Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those, That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Fores. A room in the palace. Enter BANQUO. Ban. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Gla mis, all, As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear, But that myself should be the root, and father Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; Mach. Here's our chief guest. It had been as a gap in our great feast, And all things unbecoming. 'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night, Macb. Fail not our feast. Mach. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd In England, and in Ireland; not confessing Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call Let every man be master of his time, Mach. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, Till seven at night: to make society And I'll request your presence. Ban. Let your highness Command upon me; to the which, my duties Mach. Ride you this afternoon? Macb. We should have else desir'd your good (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. Is't far you ride? Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 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. Mach. Bring them before us.-Exit Atten.] To be thus, is nothing; But to be safely thus:-Our fears in Banquo Stick deep; and in his royalty 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 Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the When first they put the name of king upon me, They hail'd him father to a line of kings: Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers. Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know, you So under fortune; which, you thought, had been you, How you were borne in hand; how cross'd; the instruments; Who wrought with them; and all things else, To half a soul, and a notion craz'd, 1 Mur. You made it known to us. Particular addition, from the bill That writes them all alike: and so of men. 2 Mur. I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world 1 Mur. And I another, So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune, Mach. Both of you Know, Banquo was your enemy. Macb. So is he mine; and in such bloody That every minute of his being thrusts 2 Mur. We shall, my lord, Mach. Your spirits shine through you. With- I will advise you where to plant yourselves. Mach. I did so; and went further, which is Whose absence is no less material to me now Our point of second meeting. Do you find 1 Mur. We are men, my liege. Mach. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men; As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are All by the name of dogs: the valued file Than is his father's, must embrace the fate 2 Mur. We are resolv'd, my lord. It is concluded:-Banquo, thy soul's flight, SCENE II.-The same. Another room. Enter Lady MACBETH and a Servant. For a few words. |