Macb. And thane of Cawdor too; went it not so ?Without my stir. Enter Rosse and Angus. Rosse. 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, 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, Strange images of death. As thick as tale,1 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, To give thee, from our royal master, thanks; To herald thee into his sight, not pay thee. Rosse. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, Ban. In borrow'd robes ? Macb. Ban. That, trusted home, Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange: And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles, to betray us In deepest consequence. Cousins, a word, I pray you. Macb. New honours come upon him Like our strange garments; cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use. sure. Macb. Give me your favour:-my dull brain was wrought With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains The leaf to read them.-Let us toward the king.- Ban. Very gladly. Macb. Till then, enough.-Come, friends. [Ere. SCENE IV.-Fores. A room in the Palace. Flourish. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, and attendants. Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commission yet return'd? Mal. My liege, They are not yet come back. But I have spoke With one that saw him die: who did report, That very frankly he confess'd his treasons; Implor'd your highness' pardon; and set forth A deep repentance: nothing in his life Became him, like the leaving it: he died As one that had been studied in his death, To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd, 10 As 'twere a careless trifle. There's no art, To find the mind's construction in the face:"1 He was a gentleman on whom I built Dun. An absolute trust.-O worthiest cousin! Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Rosse, and Angus. To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadst less deserv'd. Two truths are told, In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.-Are to your throne and state, children, and servants; This supernatural soliciting4 Cannot be ill; cannot be good: If ill, My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Ban. (1) As fast as they could be counted. (2) Title. (3) Stimulate. (4) Encitement. (6) Firmly fixed. Which do but what they should, by doing every thing (11) We cannot construe the disposition of the (8) Time and opportunity. (10) Owned, possessed. (5) Temptation. jecture. (12) Exuberant. (7) The powers of action are oppressed by con- mind by the lineaments of the face. Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter, Macb. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you: On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, [Aside. a For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Attend. So please you, it is true; our thane is One of my fellows had the speed of him ; That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan dor! Enter Macbeth. My dearest love, SCENE V.-Inverness. A room in Macbeth's castle. Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter. Lady M. They met me in the day of success; Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter ! and I have learned by the perfectest report,2 they Thy letters have transported me beyond have more in them than mortal knowledge. When This ignorant present,10 and I feel now I burned in desire to question them further, they The future in the instant. made themselves-air, into which they vanished. Macb. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came Duncan comes here to-night. missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This Shall sun that morrow see! have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose May read strange matters:-To beguile the time, the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent and farewell. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great; Lady M. flower, O, never, But be the serpent under it. He that's coming The illness should attend it. What thou would'st great Glamis, That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do, Enter an Attendant. Only look up clear; [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-The same. Before the castle. Servants of Macbeth attending. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Rosse, Angus, and attendants. Hautboys. Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Ban. The temple-haunting martlet, does Attend. The king comes here to-night. Is not thy master with him? who, were't so, (1) Full as valiant as described. (3) Messengers. Diadem. (5) Supernatural. (6) Murderous. (7) Pity. (8) Wrap as in a mantle. (9) Knife anciently meant a sword or dagger. (10) i. e. Beyond the present time, which is, according to the process of nature, ignorant of the future. (11) Look, countenance. (12) Conven. 'nt corner, 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. Your servants ever Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt,' Lady M. 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, [Exeunt. He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Letting I dare not wait upon I would, Macb. Pr'ythee, peace « I dare do all that may become a man; What beast was it then, now Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know SCENE VII.-The same. A room in the castle. Hautboys and torches. 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 If we should fail, 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?10 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? Macb. I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. 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 And falls on the other.-How now, what news? False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I.-The same. Court within the castle. Enter Banquo and Fleance, and a servant, with a torch before them. Ban. How goes the night, boy? (5) Winds; sightless is invisible. (6) In the same sense as cohere. (7) Intemperance. (8) Overpower. (9) Sentinel. (10) Murder. (11) Apprehended. Ban. And she goes down at twelve. Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too. Ban. Thanks, sir; The like to you! [Ex. Ban. She strike upon the bell. Get thee to-bed. [Ex. Ser. The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going; Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire :--- It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, 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 ets cry. Did not you speak? Macb. Lady M. Macb. Lady M. Ay. Macb. Hark! — When? Now. As I descended? Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Lady M. What do you mean? | ver at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too Macb. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had house: thought to have let in some of all professions, that Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfie. Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more! [Knocking.] Anon, anon; I pray you, remember Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, the porter. worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think Macb. I'll go no more: Infirm of purpose! Lady M. Exit. Knocking within. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Making the green one red. Re-enter Lady Macbeth. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us, Opens the gate. Enter Macduff and Lenox. in 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 vokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it proTherefore, 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. Len. Good-morrow, noble sir! Macb. Macb. The labour we delight in, physics' pain. Macd. I'll make so bold to call, Macb. To know my deed,-'twere best not For 'tis my limited service. know myself. [Knock. Len. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! Ay, would From hence to-day? thou could'st! [Exeunt. Macb. [Erit Macd. Goes the king 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 death; [Knocking within.] Macb. Porter. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man And prophesying, with accents terrible, were porter of hell-gate, he should have old2 turn-Of de 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 earth 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?'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. (4) Cock-crowing. Re-enter Marduff. Macd. O horror! horror! horror! Tongue, nor Cannot conceive, nor name thee!" (6) Appointed service. (7) The use of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to deny more strongly, is common lin our author. |