He brings great news.

[Exit Messenger.

The raven himself is hoarse

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood,
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's

breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murdering

ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances

You wait on nature's mischief!

night,

40

56

Come, thick

And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry Hold, hold!'

·

Enter MACBETH

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !
Thy letters have transported me beyond

This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant.

42. mortal, murderous. 45. remorse, pity. 47. fell, cruel.

Duncan comes here to-night.

Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth.

Shall sun that morrow see!

My dearest love,

And when goes hence? 60

O, never

Macbeth. To-morrow, as he purposes.

Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters.

To beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,

Your hand, your tongue : look like the inno

cent flower,

But be the serpent under't.

He that's coming

Must be provided for: and you shall put

This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. Macbeth. We will speak further.

Lady Macbeth.

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Leave all the rest to me.

Only look up clear;

[Exeunt.

70

SCENE VI. Before Macbeth's castle

Hautboys and torches. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENNOX, MACDUFF, Ross, ANGUS, and Attendants

Duncan. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air

73. favour, countenance.

ments. I. seat, situation.

Scene VI. Hautboys, wind instru

Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

Banquo.

This guest of summer,
The temple-hunting martlet, does approve

By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,

Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have ob-

Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach

Were poor and single business to contend
Against those honours deep and broad where-

with

4. martlet, martin, swallow. 4. approve, prove, show. 5. mansionry, abode. 6. jutty, projection. 10. delicate, delicious. 13. bid, pray. 13. God'ild, God reward.

Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,

We rest your hermits.

Duncan.

Where's the thane of Cawdor? 20
We coursed 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 Macbeth.

Your servants ever

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in

compt,

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

Duncan.

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

SCENE VII. Macbeth's castle

Hautboys and torches.

30

[Exeunt.

Enter a Sewer, and divers Ser

vants with dishes and service, and pass over the
stage. Then enter MACBETH

Macbeth. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere

well

21. coursed, chased. 22. purveyor, forerunner. 26. in compt, accountable. 27. audit, reckoning. Scene VII. Sewer, chief butler.

1

It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surceas
cease 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'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgement here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which being taught return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice 10
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 horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind. I have no

spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only

3. trammel up, entangle as in a net.

always.

20

7. jump, risk.

8. still,

clear, blameless.

25. That, so that.

8. that, because. 11. Commends, presents. 17. facul

7

ties, royal prerogatives.

18.