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Dun.

Lady M.

Enter Lady Macbeth. See, see! our honour'd hostess! The love that follows us, sometime is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you shall bid God yield' us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble. 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.2 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

compt,3

To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, Still to return your own.

Dun.

Give me your hand:

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

[Exeunt. SCENE VII.-The same. 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:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off:
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

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? Would'st 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: 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, and yet you would make both: They have made themselves, and that their fitness

now

If we should fail,

Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know
How tender 'tis, to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn, as you
Have done to this.
Macb.
Lady M.
We fail!
But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey
Soundly invite him,) his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel' so convince,"
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shal! be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: When in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spongy officers; who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?1o

Macb.

Bring forth men children only! For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be received," When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers, That they have done't? Lady M. Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death? I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

Macb.

That tears shall drown the wind.--I have no spur Away, and mock the time with fairest show;

To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,

And falls on the other.-How now, what news?

Enter Lady Macbeth.

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

Mach. Hath he ask'd for me?
Lady M.
Know you not, he has?
Macb.We will proceed no further in this business:
(1) Reward.

(2) i. e. We as hermits shall ever pray for you. (3) Subject to account.

(4) An officer so called from his placing the dishes the table.

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MACBETH.

Ban. And she goes down at twelve.
Fle.
I take't, 'tis later, sir.
Ban. Hold, take my sword :-There's husbandry'
in heaven,

323

Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
clock.
The very stones prate of my where-about,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it.-Whiles I threat, he lives;
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
[A bell rings.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell,
That summons thee to heaven, or to hell. [Exit.
SCENE II.-The same. Enter Lady Macbeth.
Lady M. That which hath made them drunk,
hath made me bold:

Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep: Merciful powers!
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repose!-Give me my sword ;-
Enter Macbeth, and a servant with a torch.
Who's there?

Macb. A friend.

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

Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed: It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman,

He hath been in unusual pleasure, and
Sent forth great largess to your offices:
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up

In measureless content.

Macb.

Being unprepar'd,
Our will became the servant to defect;
Which else should free have wrought.
Ban.

All's well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
To you they have show'd come truth.
Mach.
I think not of them;
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
Would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.
Ban.
Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent,-when
At your kind'st leisure.
'tis,

It shall make honour for you.
Ban.

So I lose none,

In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchis'd, and allegiance clear,

I shall be counsel'd.

Macb.

Good repose, the while!

Ban. Thanks, sir; The like to you! [Ex. Ban.
Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is
ready,

She strike upon the bell. Get thee to-bed. [Ex. Ser.
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
To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but
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,' 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 likes a ghost.-Thou sure and firm set earth,

(1) Thrift.
(2) Bounty.
(3) The rooms appropriated to servants,

Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
That death and nature do contend about them,
Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd
their possets,

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, Confounds us:-Hark!-I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had don't.-My husband? Enter Macbeth.

Macb. I have done the deed :-Didst thou not hear a noise?

Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crick. Did not you speak?

Macb.

ets cry.

Lady M.

Macb.

Lady M. Ay.

Macb. Hark!

When?

Now.

As I descended?

Who lies i'the second chamber?
Lady M.

Macb. This is a sorry sight.

Donalbain.

Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. [Looking on his hands. Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and

one cried, murder !

That they did wake each other; I stood and heard
them :

But they did say their prayers, and address'd them
Again to sleep.

Lady M.

There are two lodg'd together. Macb. One cried, God bless us! and, Amen, the

other;

As they had seen me, with these hangman's hands.
Listening their fear, I could not say, amen,
When they did say, God bless us.

Lady M.
Consider it not so deeply.
Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce,
amen?

Stuck in my throat.
I had most need of blessing, and amen

Lady M. These deeds must not be thought
After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no

more!

Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep;
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleaves of care,
Chief nourisher in life's feast ;-
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,'

(4) Conclude,
(7) As if,

(5) Haft.
(6) Drops,
(8) Sleave is unwrought silk,

824

Lady M.
What do you mean? ver at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too
Mach. Still it cried, Sleep no more to all the cold for heil. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had
thought to have let in some of all professions, that
house :
Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor go the primrose way to the everlasting bone.
Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more! [Knocking.] Anon, anon; I pray you, remember
Opens the gate.
Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, the porter.

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."

Macb.

I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again, I dare not.

Infirm of purpose!

Lady M.
Give me the daggers: The sleeping and the dead,
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood,
That fears à painted devil. If he do bleed,
I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,
For it mus', seem their guilt.

Exit. Knocking within.
Macb.
Whence is that knocking?
How is't with me, when every noise appals ine?
What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out 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,'
Making the green one red.

Re-enter Lady Macbeth.

Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I

shame

To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a
knocking

At the south entry:-retire we to our chamber:
A little water clears us of this deed:
How easy is it then! Your constancy
Hath left you unattended.-[Knocking.] Hark!

more knocking:

Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers :-Be not lost
So poorly in your thoughts.

Macb. To know my deed,-'twere best not
know myself.

[Knock.

Enter Macduff and Lenox.

Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went 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 lic; 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.
Enter Macbeth.

Len. Good-morrow, noble sir!
Macb.
Good-morrow, both!
Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane?
Macb.
Not yet.
Macd. He did command me to call timely on him:
I have almost slipp'd the hour.

Macb.
I'll bring you to him.
Macd. I know, this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet, 'tis one.

Macb. The labour we delight in, physics' pain.
This is the door.

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Len.

Wake Duncan with thy knocking! Ay, 'would From hence to-day?

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[Erit Macd, Goes the king

Macb. He does:-he did appoint it so. Len. The night has been unruly: Where we lay, SCENE III.-The same. Enter a Porter. Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say, Lamentings heard i'the air; strange screams of death;

[Knocking within.]

Macb.

'Twas a rough night. Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel fellow to it.

Porter. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man And prophesying, with accents terrible, were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turn-of dire combustion, and confus'd events, ing the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: New hatch'd to the woful time. The obscure bird Who's there, the name of Belzebub? Here's a Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the carth farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of Was feverous, and did shake. plenty: Come in time; have napkins enough about you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knocking.] Knock,! knock: Who's there, i'the other devil's name?-A '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: Ne

(1) To incarnardine is to stain of a flesh-colour,
(2) Frequent. (3) Handkerchiefs,

(4) Cock-crowing,
(5) i, e. Affords a cordial to it.

Re-enter Marduff.

Macd. O horror! horror! horror! Tongue, nor
heart,

Cannot conceive, nor name thee!"
Macb. Len.
What's the matter?
Macd. Confusion now hath made his master-
piece!

(6) Appointed service.

(7) The use of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to deny more strongly, is common Jin our author,

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?
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 sprites,
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.

O, gentle lady

'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!

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Ban.

Wo, alas!

Too cruel, any where. Dear Duff, I pr'ythec, 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 mere 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 seein'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.

Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury,

That I did kill them.

Macd.

Wherefore did you so?

Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious,

Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man:
The expedition of my violent love

Out-ran the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin lac'd with his golden blood;
And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature,
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 re-
frain,

That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage, to make his love known?

(1) Covered with blood to their hilt.

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Mal.

This murderous shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse; But shift away: There's warrant in that theft Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Without the castle. Enter Rosse and an Old Man.

Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember well:

Within the volume of which time, I have seen
Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore
night
Hath trifled former knowings.

Rosse.

Ah, good father, Thou see'st, the heavens, as troubled with man's act,

Threaten his bloody stage; by the clock, 'tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp:
Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame,
That darkness does the face of earth intomb,
When living light should kiss it?
Old M.
'Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last,
A falcon, tow'ring 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,)

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Enter Macduff,

How goes the world, sir, now?
Macd.

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better

Why, see you not?I must become a borrower of the night,
For a dark hour, or twain.
Macb.

Rosse. Is't known who did this more than
bloody deed?

Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.
Rosse.

Alas, the day!
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 ravin up
Thine own life's means!-Then 'tis most like,
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.
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,
And guardian of their bones.

Rosse.

Will you to Scone?
Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife.
Rosse.

Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well, may you see things well done
there;-adieu!

Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!
Rosse. Father, farewell.

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. ter Banquo.

En

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

As the weird's 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 somded. Enter Macbeth, as king; Lady
Macbeth, as queen; Lenox, Rosse, Lords, La-
dies, 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
For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon?
Ban.

Ay, my good lord. Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice

(Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,)
In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.
Is't far you ride?

(1) Intend to themselves. (2) Commit.
(2) Nobleness. (4) For defiled.

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Macb. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs.
[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?
Allen. They are, my lord, without the palace-
gate.

Macb. 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
To act in safety. There is none, but he,
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is said,
Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If it be so,
For Banquo's issue have.I fil'd" my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance!"
there?-

-Who's

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.
Now to the door, and stay there till we call.
[Exit Attendant.
Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1 Mur. It was, so please your highness.

Macb.
Well then, now
Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know,
That it was he, in the times past, which held you
So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent self: this I made good to you
In our last conference; pass'd in probation with

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