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As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine-
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well

And set me up in hope?

But hush, no more. 1Ο

Sennet sounded. Enter Macbeth, as king; Lady Macbeth, as queen; Lennox, Ross, Lords, Ladies, and

Attendants.

Macb. Here's our chief guest.

Lady M.

If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all-thing unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir,
And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Let your highness

my duties

Command upon me, to the which

Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban. Ay, my good lord.

Macb. We should have else desired your good advice,
Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,

In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.
Is 't far you ride?

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time

20

Macb.

'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night

For a dark hour or twain.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Fail not our feast.

30

Macb. We hear our bloody cousins are bestow'd
In England and in Ireland, not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: but of that to-morrow,
When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon 's.
Macb. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot,

And so I do commend you to their backs.
Farewell.

[Exit Banquo. 40

Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night; to make society

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with
you!

[Exeunt all but Macbeth and an Attendant.
Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men
Our pleasure?

Attend. They are, my lord, without the palace-gate.

Macb. Bring them before us.

But to be safely thus:

[Exit Attendant.

To be thus is nothing;

our fears in Banquo

50

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he

dares,

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear and under him
My Genius is rebuked, as it is said

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then prophet-like
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,

Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If't be so,
For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them, and mine eternal jewel

Given to the common enemy of man,

бо

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! 70

Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,

And champion me to the utterance! Who's there?

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.

[Exit Attendant.

Well then, now

Was it not yesterday we spoke together? First Mur. It was, so please your highness. Macb. Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know That it was he in the times past which held you So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self: this I made good to you In our last conference; pass'd in probation with

you,

80

How you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments,

Who wrought with them, and all things else that

might

To half a soul and to a notion crazed

Say Thus did Banquo.'

You made it known to us.

First Mur.
Macb. I did so; and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find
Your patience so predominant in your nature,

That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd,
Το pray for this good man and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave 90
And beggar'd yours for ever?

First Mur.

We are men, my liege. Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men ;

As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves, are clept
All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The housekeeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him closed, whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill

That writes them all alike: and so of men.
Now if you have a station in the file,
Not i' the worst rank of manhood, say it,
And I will put that business in your bosoms
Whose execution takes your enemy off,
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.

Sec. Mur.

100

I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Have so incensed that I am reckless what

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