Act 1. Scene 3.1 MACBETH. Things that do sound so fair?-I' the name of truth, 1 Witch. Hail! 2 Witch. Hail! 3 Witch. Hail! 1 Witch. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not so happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be [none: So, all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! 5 10 Only to herald thee into his sight, Rosse. And for an earnest of a greater honour, Bun. What, can the devil speak true? [dress me Ang. Who was the thane, lives yet; 1 Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail ! you. Mach. Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: Ban. That, trusted home", Might yet enkindle' you unto the crown, Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, And these are of them :-Whither are they va-30 [melted nish'd? [about 35 Macb. Into the air; and what seemed corporal, [so? Macb. And thane of Cawdor too; went it not! Enter Rosse and Angus. Rosse. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, Ang. We are sent, To give thee, from our royal master, thanks; 4 [you. As happy prologues to the swelling act 、 Cannot be ill: cannot be good:-If ill, My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Macb. Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. 2 Having, we have before observed, is estate, posses1i. e. creatures of fantasy or imagination. Shakspeare here alludes to the qualities anciently asThe father of Macbeth. i. e. carried as tar sion, fortune. That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted. scribed to hemlock. Warburton thinks soliciting is here put for Enkindle, for to stimulate you to seek. Meaning, "Of things now about as it will go. information; while Johnson rather thinks it means incitement. me I have no perception, being intent wholly on that which has yet no existence." . e. was worked, agitated. With The prince of Cumberland: which honour must Not, unaccompanied, invest him only, But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine On all deservers.-From hence to Inverness, 5 And bind us further to you. [you: Macb. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful The hearing of my wife with your approach; So, humbly take my leave. [Exeunt. 10 King. My worthy Cawdor! They are not yet come back. But I have spoke King. There's no art, To find the mind's construction' in the face: Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Rosse, and Angus. Macb. The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing, pays itself. Your highness' part Is to receive our duties: and our duties Are to your throne and state, children, and servants; Which do but what they should, by doing every Safe toward your love and honour. King. Welcome hither: [thing I have begun to plant thee, and will labour Bun. There if I grow, King. My plenteous joys, Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter, [step, Macb. The prince of Cumberland'!-That is a On which I must fall down, or elseo'er-leap,[Aside. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires: 15 The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. [Exit. King. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so vaAnd in his commendations I am fed; [liant; It is a banquet to me. Let us after him, 20 Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: It is a peerless kinsman. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE V. Enter Macbeth's Wife alone, with a Letter. |25| Lady.- "They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burnt in desire to question "them further, they made themselves-air, into 30" which they vanish'd. Whiles I stood rapt in the "wonder of it, came missives from the king, who "all-hail'd me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, "before, these weird sisters saluted me, and re "ferr'd me to the coming on of time, with, Hail 35" king that shalt be! This have I thought good to "deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; "that thou might'st not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promis'd thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell." Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be [ture; What thou art promis'd :-Yet do I fear thy naIt is too full o' the milk of human kindness, 40 To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great; Art not without ambition; but without [highly, 45 The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst That would'st thou holily; would'st not play false, And yet would'st wrongly win: thoud'st have, great Glamis, [it: That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have 50 And that which rather thou dost fear to do, Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, 55 Which fate and metaphysical' aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.- -What is your tidings? 'That is, instructed in the art of dying. i. e. the frame or disposition of the mind, whether it is determined to good or ill. i. e. We do but perform our duty when we contract all our views to your service. Mr. Steevens observes, that " the crown of Scotland was originally not hereditary. When a successor was declared in the life-time of a king (as was often the case), the title of Prince of Cumberland was immediately bestowed on him as the mark of his designation. Cumberland was at that time held by Scotland of the crown of England, as a fiet." i. e. By the best intelligence. i, e. the diaden. Metaphysical is here put for supernatural. Enter Wherever in your sightless substances [night, Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter! This ignorant present time, and I feel now The future in the instant. Mach. My dearest love, Duncan comes here to-night. Lady. And when goes hence? Macb. To-morrow, as he purposes. Lady. Oh, never 30 135 1401 145 50 Ban. This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve Buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird Enter Lady Macbeth. King. See, see! our honour'd hostess !- Lady. All our service In every point twice done, and then done double, We rest your hermits". King. Where's the thane of Cawdor? We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose Lady. Your servants ever [compt Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in King. Give me your hand : Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, SCENE VII. [Exeunt. Hautboys and Torches. Enter a Sewer's, and divers Servants with dishes and service over the stage. Then enter Macbeth. Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: If the assassination 3 i. e. That is, murtherous, or deadly designs. 2 i. e. nor delay the execution of my purpose. Take away my milk, and put gall into the place. + Nature's mischief is mischief done to Nature. i. e. wrap thyself in a pall, which was a robe of state, as well as a covering thrown over the dead. The word knife was anciently used to express a sword. Mr. Tollet explains this passagethus: The thought is taken from the old military laws, which inflicted capital punishment upon "whosoever shall strike stroke at his adversary, either in the heat or otherwise, if a third do cry hold, to the intent to part them; except that they did fight in a combat in a place inclosed; and then no man shall be so hardy as to bid hold, but the general." i, e. unknowing. i. e. our calm composed senses. 10 Meaning, convenient corner. i. e. God reward; or, perhaps, as Dr. Johnson suggests, protect us. 12 Hermits, for beadsinen 13 i. e. subject to account. The office of a sewer was to place the dishes in order at a feast. His chief mark of distinction was a towel round his arin. Could Mach. Prythee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man: Lady. What beast was it then, That made you break the enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place, Did then adhere, and yet you would make both: 10 They have made themselves, and that their fitness Could trammel up the consequence, and catch Lady. He has almost supp'd; Why have you left the chamber? Macb. Hath he ask’d for me? Lady. Know you not, he has? Mach. We will proceed no farther in this business: Ludy. Was the hope drunk, Wherein you drest yourself? hath it slept since? Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, 15 25 now Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know Macb. If we should fail,- 20 But screw your courage to the sticking place, Macb. Bring forth men-children only! 40 Will it not be receiv'd, When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers, Lady. Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Mach. I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. 45 Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Excunt. This obscure soliloquy, about the meaning of which none of the readers of Shakspeare agree, Dr. Johnson explains thus: If that which I am about to do, when it is once done and executed, were done and ended without any following effects, it would then be best to do it quickly; if the murder could terminate in itself, and restrain the regular course of consequences, if its success could secure its surcease, if being once done succes fully, without detection, it could fix a period to all vengeance and enquiry, so that this blow might be all that I have to do, and this anxiety all that I have to suffer; if this could be my condition, even here in this world, in this contracted period of temporal existence, on this narrow bunk in the ocean of eternity, I would jump the life to come, I would venture upon the deed without care of any future state. But this is one of these cases in which judgment is pronounced and vengeance inflicted upon us here in our present life. We teach others to do as we have done, and are punished by our example. Couriers of air mean winds, air in motion. Sightless is invisible. 3 The proverb alluded to is, "The cat loves fish, but dares not wet her feet." Wassel or W'assail is a word still used in Staffordshire, and the adjoining counties, and signifies at present what is called Lamb's wool, i. e. roasted apples in strong beer, with sugar and spice. Wassel, however, may be put here for rist or intemperance, ' i. e. overpower or subdue. Or, the centinel. i. e. the re ceptacie. Meaning, it shall be only a vessel to emit fumes or vapours. Quellis murder. ACT Act 2. Scene 2.] SCENE I. MACBETH. ACT II. 1. Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch before him. Ban. HOW goes the night, boy? Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going; Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, Fle. The moon is down; I have not 5 And on thy blade, and dudgeon', gouts heard the clock. Ban. And she goes down at twelve. Fle. I take't, 'tis later, sir. Ban. Hold, take my sword :—there's husband ry in heaven, of Which was not so before.-There's no such thing: Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too. Macb. A friend. [bed: Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a- By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up1 Mach. Being unprepar'd, Our will became the servant to defect; Ban. All's well. I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: Macb. I think not of them: Yet, when we can intreat an hour to serve, [ness, If you would grant the time. Ban. At your kind'st leisure. Whose howl's his watch,thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost.--Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear of where-about, my Thy very stones prate And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it.-While I threat, he lives, 20 Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings. I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan ; for it is a knell Lady. That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold; 30 What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire:Hark!-Peace! ['tis, 35 Mach. If you shall cleave to my consent?, when It shall make honour for you. Ban. So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchis'd, and allegiance clear, Mach. Good repose, the while! Ban. Thanks, sir; The like to you! [Exit Ban. ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Ex.Ser. clutch thee : I have thee not; and yet I see thee still. To shut up, is to conclude. It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bell-man, [it: That death and nature do contend about them, Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-what, ho! 45 50 2 Consent for will. Macb. This is a sorry sight. [Looking on his 'Dudgeon properly means the haft or handle of a dagger, and is used for that particular sort of handle which has some ornament carved on the top i. e. spots; the phrase is borrowed from heraldry. * It was the general custom in those Lady. |