Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;
Be bright and jovial among your guests to-night.

Macb. So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you.
Let your remembrance apply to Banquo:
Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue :
Unsafe the while, that we must lave our honours
In these flattering streams, and make our faces
Vizards to our hearts, disguising what they are.
Lady M. You must leave this.

Macb. O! full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife.
Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance live.

Lady M. But in them nature's copy 's not eterne.
Macb. There's comfort yet; they are assailable:
Then, be thou jocund. Ere the bat hath flown
His cloister'd flight; ere to black Hecate's summons
The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums,
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadful note.

Lady M.

What's to be done?

Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,

Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day,

And with thy bloody and invisible hand,
Cancel, and tear to pieces that great bond
Which keeps me pale!

Light thickens; and the crow

Makes wing to the rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowse,

Whiles night's black agents to their preys do rouse.
Thou marvell'st at my words; but hold thee still;
Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill.
So, pr'ythee, go with me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Same. A Park, with a road leading to the Palace.

Enter Three Murderers.

1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us?

3 Mur.

Macbeth.

2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he delivers Our offices, and what we have to do,

To the direction just.

1 Mur.

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:

Now spurs the lated traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.

3 Mur.

Hark! I hear horses.

Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho! 2 Mur.

That are within the note of expectation

Already are i' the court.

1 Mur.

Then, 't is he: the rest

His horses go about,

3 Mur. Almost a mile; but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk.

2 Mur.

3 Mur.

1 Mur.

Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, with a torch.
A light, a light!

Stand to 't.

Ban. It will be rain to-night.

1 Mur.

'Tis he.

Let it come down.

[Assaults BANQUO.

[Dies. FLEANCE escapes.

Ban. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!

Thou may'st revenge. O slave!

3 Mur. Who did strike out the light?

1 Mur.

Was 't not the way?

3 Mur. There's but one down: the son is fled.

2 Mur. We have lost best half of our affair.

1 Mur. Well, let's away, and say how much is done.

SCENE IV.

A Room of State in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

A Banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, Lady MACBETH, ROSSE, LENOx, Lords, and Attendants.

Macb. You know your own degrees; sit down: at first And last, the hearty welcome.

Lords.

Thanks to your majesty.

Macb. Ourself will mingle with society,

And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state; but in best time

We will require her welcome.

Lady M. Pronounce it for me, Sir, to all our friends; For my heart speaks, they are welcome.

Enter first Murderer, to the door.

Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks. Both sides are even: here I'll sit i' the midst.

Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure
The table round. There's blood upon thy face.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within.
Is he despatch'd?

Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.
Macb. Thou art the best o' the cut-throats;

Yet he is good, that did the like for Fleance:

If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil.

Mur.
Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,

Most royal Sir, Fleance is 'scap'd.

As broad, and general as the casing air;

But now,

I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in

To saucy doubts and fears.

- But Banquo 's safe?

Mur. Ay, my good lord, safe in a ditch he bides,

With twenty trenched gashes on his head ;
The least a death to nature.

Macb.

Thanks for that.

There the grown serpent lies: the worm, that's fled,
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,

-

No teeth for the present.
We'll hear ourselves again.
Lady M.

Get thee gone: to-moorow

[Exit Murderer.

My royal lord,

You do not give the cheer: the feast is sold,

That is not often vouch'd while 't is a making;

'T is given with welcome. To feed were best at home; From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony,

Meeting were bare without it.

Macb.

Sweet remembrancer!

Now, good digestion wait on appetite,
And health on both!

Len.

May it please your highness sit?

[The Ghost of BANQUO enters, and sits in MACBETH'S place.

Macb. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd, Were the grac'd person of our Banquo present;

Who may I rather challenge for unkindness,

Than pity for mischance!

Lays blame upon his promise. Please it your highness
To grace us with your royal company?

What, my good lord?

Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords.
Macb. Thou canst not say, I did it: never shake
Thy gory locks at me.

Rosse. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well.
Lady M. Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus,

And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat.
The fit is momentary; upon a thought

He will again be well. If much you note him,
You shall offend him, and extend his passion;
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man?
Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that
Which might appal the devil.

Lady M.

O, proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear:

This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said, Led you to Duncan. O! these flaws, and starts, (Impostors to true fear) would well become

A woman's story at a winter's fire,

Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself!

Why do you make such faces? When all 's done,
You look but on a stool.

Macb. Pr'ythee, see there! behold! look! lo! how say you?— Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.

If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send
Those that we bury back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites.

Lady M.

[Ghost disappears.

What! quite unmann'd in folly?

Fie! for shame!

Macb. If I stand here, I saw him.

Lady M.

Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i' th' olden time,

Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal;

Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd
Too terrible for the ear: the times have been,

That when the brains were out the man would die,

And there an end; but now, they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools. This is more strange
Than such a murder is.

Lady M.

Your noble friends do lack you.

Macb.

My worthy lord,

I do forget.

Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends;