I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan: for it is a knell
That summons thee to Heaven, or to hell.

[Exit.

[Thunder and Lightning.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

Lady. 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 bell-man,
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.

Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-what, ho!

Lady. 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?

Enter MACBЕТН.

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

Lady. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry.

Did not you speak?

Macb. When?

Lady: Now.

Macb. As I descended?

Lady. Ay.

Maco. Hark!-Who lies i' the second chamber? Lady. Donalbain.

Macb. This is a sorry sight.

Lady. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and one cry'd, "Murder!"

That they did wake each other; I stood and heard

them:

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. Consider it not so deeply.
Mach. But wherefore could not I
I had most need of blessing, and amen

Stuck in my throat.

pronounce,

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

amen?

Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, " 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. Who was it, that thus cry'd? Why, worthy

thane,

You do unbend your noble strength, to think
So brain-sickly 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.

Lady. Infirm of purpose!

Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead,
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood,
That fears a painted devil,-If he do bleed,

I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. [Exit LADY MACBETH. [Knocking within.

Macb. Whence is that knocking!

How is't with me, when every noise appalls me?

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.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

Lady. 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.—[Knock.]-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.

Wake, Duncan, with this knocking! Oh, 'would

thou could'st!

[Exeunt.-Knock.

Enter MACDUFF, LENOX, and SEYTON.

Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late?

Sey. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock.

Macd. Is thy master stirring ?

Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes.

Enter MACBETH, and exit SEYTON,

Len. Good-morrow, noble sir!

Macb. Good-morrow, both!

Macd. Is the King stirring, worthy thane?

Mach. 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.

Macd. I'll make so bold to call,

For 'tis my limited service.

[Exit MACDUFF.

Len. Goes the King hence to-day?
Macb. He does: he did appoint so.

Len. The night has been unruly: Where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say, Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death, And prophesying, with accents terrible,

Of dire combustion, and confus'd events,

New-hatch'd to the woeful time: The obscure bird Clamour'd the livelong night; some say, the earth Was feverous, and did shake.

Macb. "Twas a rough night.

Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel A fellow to it.

Enter MACDuff.

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

Cannot conceive, nor name thee!

Macb. and Len. What's the matter?

Macd. Confusion now hath made his master-piece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope

The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence

The life o' the building.

Macb. What is it 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 sprights,
To countenance this horror!-

[The Bell rings out.

Enter BANQUO and ROSSE.

O, Banquo, Banquo,

Our royal master's murder'd!

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.

Mal. 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.