Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air To prick the sides of my intent, but only Is delicate. Enter Lady MACBETH. Dun. See, see! our honour'd hostess: The love that follows us, sometime is our trouble, [you, Your majesty loads our house: For those of old, 327 Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself, And falls on the other.-How now, what news? Enter Lady MACBETH. Lady M. He has almost supp'd; Why have you left the chamber? Mach. Hath he ask'd for nie? Macb. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have Lady M. Was the hope drunk, Dun. Where's the thane of Cawdor? We cours'd him at the heels, and had a To be his purveyor: but he rides well; [pose 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 M. Your servants ever [compt, Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, Still to return your own. Dun. Give me your hand: Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess. [Exeunt. SCENE VII.-The same.-A Room in the Castle. Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then enter MACBETH. Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: If the assassination Could trammel upon the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow cases, turn To plague the inventor: This even-handed jusCommends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, Macb. Pr'ythee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man ; Lady M. Whet beast was it then, That made you break this enterprize 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. [place, Did then adhere,* and yet you would make Nor time, nor both: ness now They have made themselves, and that their fit- Macb. If we should fail,- But screw your courage to the sticking-place, ney Soundly invite him,) his two chamberlains Macb. Bring forth men-children only! two Of his own chamber, and us'd their very dag- Lady M. Who dares receive it other, Macb. I am settled, and bend up In the same sense as cohere. ‡ Overpower. Murder. Intemperance Sentinel. Apprehended. If you would grant the time. Ban. At your kind'st leisure. Which was not so before.-There's no such thing; It is the bloody business, which informs Thus to mine eyes.-Nów o'er the one half world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; now witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, [pace, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost.-Thou sure and firm-set earth, [fear Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for Thy very stones prate of my where-about, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it.-Whiles I threat, he lives; Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. SCENE II.-The same. Enter Lady MACBETH. [Exit. The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with suores: 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 M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, [deed, Confounds us :-Hark!-I laid their daggers ready, Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent, And 'tis not done:-the attempt, and not the when 'tis, 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, I shall be counsel'd. Macb. Good repose, the while! Ban. Thanks, Sir; The like to you! [Exit BANQUO. Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going; [bled He could not miss them.-Had he not resemMy father as he slept, I had done't.-My husband? As they had seen me, with these hangman's | knock: Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub? hands. I had most need of blessing, and Amen Lady M. These deeds must not be thought Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Lady M. What do you mean? Mach. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor You do unbend your noble strength, to think They must lie there: Go, carry them; and smear I am afraid to think what I have done; Lady M. Infirm of purpose! [dead, [Exit. Knocking within. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Re-enter Lady MACBETH. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, Macb. To know my deed,-'twere best not [Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! Ay, would thou could'st! [Exeunt. Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the Enter MACDUFF and LENOX. Macd. What three things does drink espe cially provoke? Port. Marry, Sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, Sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it 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 o'me: But I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macd. Is thy master stirring ?- Len. Good-morrow, noble Sir! Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane? Macb. He does-He did appoint it so. [say, of death; Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the Was feverous, and did shake. Macb. "Twas a rough night. Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them. Macd. Wherefore did you so? Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate and furious, Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man: A fellow to it. The expedition of my violent love [can, Out-ran the pauser reason.-Here lay DunHis silver skin lac'd with his golden blood; Tongue, And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope Mucb. What is't you say? the life? 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! [sprights, As from your graves rise up, and walk like To countenance this horror! [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,Mucd. O, gentle lady, "Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : The repetition, in a woman's ear, [quo! Would murder as it fell.-O Banquo! Ban Enter BANQUO Our royal master's murder'd! What, in our house? Bun. Too cruel, any where. Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself, Re-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, Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. Don. 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. Mal. O, by whom? Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't: [blood, Their hands and faces were all badg'd with So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we Upon their pillows: [found They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life Was to be trusted with them. *The use of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to deny more strongly, is common in our author. nature, [derers, For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murSteep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers [refrain, Unmannerly breech'd with gore:* Who could That had a heart to love, and in that heart Courage, to make his love known? Lady M. Help me hence, ho! Macd. Look to the lady. Mal. Why do we hold our tongues, That most may claim this argument for ours? Don. What should be spoken here, Where our fate, hid within an augre-hole, May rush, and seize us? Let's away; our tears Are not yet brew'd. Mal. Nor our strong sorrow on The foot of motion. Ban. Look to the lady : [Lady MACBETH is carried out. And when we have our naked frailties hid, That suffer in exposure, let us meet, And question this most bloody piece of work, To know it further. Fears and scruples shake [thence In the great hand of God I stand; and, Against the undivulg'd pretence; I fight Of treasonous malice. us: Macb. And so do I. All. So all. Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i'the hall together. All. Well contented. [Exeunt all but MAL. and DON. Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them: To show an unfelt sorrow, is an office [land. Mal. This murderous shaft that's shot, SCENE IV.-Without the Castle. Enter ROSSE and an old MAN. Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember well: Within the volume of which time, I have seen Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore night Hath trifled former knowings. .man's act, Thou see'st, the heavens, as troubled with Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day, [lamp: And yet dark night strangles the travelling Is it night's predominance, or the day's shame, * Covered with blood to their hilt. + Power. + Intention That darkness does the face of earth entomb, When living light should kiss it? Old M. 'Tis unnatural, [last, Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, and kill'd. Rosse. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain,) Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, [make Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would War with mankind. Old M. "Tis said, they eat each other. Rosse. They did so; to the amazement of mine eyes,, [Macduff: That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Enter MACDuff. How goes the world, Sir, now? Macd. Why, see you not? Rosse. Is't known who did this more than bloody deed? Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain. What good could they pretend?* Macd. They were suborn'd: Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons, Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them Suspicion of the deed. Rosse. 'Gainst nature still : Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up Thine own life's means!-Then 'tis most like, The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth. Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone, To be invested. Rosse. Where is Duncan's body? Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill; The sacred storehouse of his predecessors, Macd. Well, may you see things well done there; adieu! Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! Old M. God's benison go with you: and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Fores.-A Room in the Palace. Enter BANQUO. Bun. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Gla mis, all, As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear, Macb. Here's our chief guest. * Intend to themselves It had been as a gap in our great feast, And all things unbecoming. Mach. To night we hold a solemn supper, Sir, And I'll request your presence. Ban. Let your highness Command upon me; to the which, my duties Macb. Ride you this afternoon? Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice [rous,) (Which still hath been both grave and prospeIn 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 "Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night, Macb. Fail not our feast. Ban. My lord, I will not. 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 with you. [Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c. Sirrah, a word: Attend those men our pleasure? Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. Macb. Bring them before us.-[Exit ATTEN.] To be thus, is nothing; But to be safely thus:-Our fears in Banquo And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, When first they put the name of King upon me, And bade them speak to him; then, prophetlike, They hail'd him father to a line of kings: Put rancours in the vessel of my peace |