30

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 pro

voke?
Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep and urine.

Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes ; it
provokes the desire, but it takes away the per-
formance: therefore much drink may be said to
be an equivocator with lechery : it makes him
and it mars him ; 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 on me : but

I requited him for his lie, and, I think, being
too strong for him, though he took up my leg

sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macd. Is thy master stirring?

40

Enter Macbeth.
Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.

Not yet.

'tis one.

Len. Good morrow, noble sir.
Macb.

Good morrow, both.
Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane ?
Macb.

50 Macd. He did command me to call timely on him :

I had almost slipp'd the hour. Macb.

I'll bring you to him. Macd. I know this is a joyful trouble to you ; But

yet 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. 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, 60
Lamentings heard i' the air, strange screams of

death,
And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatch'd to the woful 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.

Re-enter Macduff.
Macd. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart

Cannot conceive nor name thee. Macb.

What's the matter? 70
Len.
Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece.

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.

[Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox.

Awake, awake!
Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason !
Banquo and Donalbain !

Malcolm ! awake! 80
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself! up, up, and see
The great doom's image!

doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo ! As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites,

To countenance this horror. Ring the bell.

[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.

90

Enter Banquo.

O Banquo, Banquo!
Our royal master's murder’d.
Lady M.

Woe, alas!
What, in our house?
Ban.

Too cruel

any

where. Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so.

Re-enter Macbeth and Lennox, with Ross.
Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance,

I had lived 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't:
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 seem'd, had done 't :

Their hands and faces were all badged with blood;
So were their daggers, which unwiped we found
Upon their pillows:
They stared, and were distracted; no man's life 110

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 Macb. Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,

Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man :
The expedition of my violent love
Outrun the pauser reason.

Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin laced with his golden blood,

80 ?