He hath been in unusual pleasure, and By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up Macb. Being unprepar'd, Our will became the servant to defect, All's well. I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd their That death and nature do contend about them, Macb. [Within.] Who's there?--what, ho! I think not of them: He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, Ban. It shall make honour for you. So I lose none I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, 3 Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, I go, and it is done: the bell invites me. SCENE II.-The Same. [A bell rings. Lady M. Ay. Macb. Hark! When ? Now. As I descended? Who lies i' the second chamber? Donalbain. Macb. This is a sorry sight. cried, "murder !” That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them; There are two lodg'd together. As they had seen me with these hangman's hands. When they did say God bless us. Consider it not so deeply. I had most need of blessing, and amen These deeds must not be thought "Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor You do unbend your noble strength, to think I'll go no more : Lady M. That which hath made them drunk hath I am afraid to think what I have done; made me bold: [Peace! Look on 't again, I dare not. What hath quench'd them hath given me fire.-Hark! 1 Root of box-wood, of which dagger handles were made. 2 sleep in f. e. 3 sides in folio. Pope made the change. 4 Unwrought Give me the daggers. The sleeping, and the dead, Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, And show us to be watchers.-Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts. Macb. To know my deed, 't were best not know myself. Macd. Is thy master stirring ?— Enter MACBETH,3 in his night-gown. Good-morrow, both. Mach. The labour we delight in physics pain. This is the door. Macd. I'll make so bold to call, For 't is my limited service. Len. Goes the king hence to-day? He does [Exit MACDUFF. he did appoint so. Macb. Len. The night has been unruly where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, [Knock. Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death, Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou And prophesying with accents terrible couldst ! [Exeunt. Of dire combustion, and confus'd events, SCENE III.-The Same. Enter a Porter. [Knocking within. Porter. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock. Who's there, 'the name of Beelzebub ?-Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enough about you; here you'll sweat for 't. [Knocking.] Knock, knock. Who's there, in the other devil's name ?-'Faith, here's an equívocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O! come in, equivocator. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock. Who's there?-Faith, here's an English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose, [Knocking.] Knock, knock. Never at quiet!, What are you?-But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no farther I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking.] Anon, anon: I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late? 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 provoke ? 1 Macb. 'T was 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. Len. What's the matter? Macb. What is 't you say? the life? Macd. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight Lady M. What's the business, Enter BANQUO unready.* O, gentle lady! Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes it provokes 'T is not for you to hear what I can speak: the desire, but it takes away the performance. There- The repetition, in a woman's ear, fore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets Would murder as it fell.-O Banquo! Banquo! him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and Our royal master's murder'd ! disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand Lady M. to in conclusion, equivocates him a-sleep, and, giving What! in our house? him the lie, leaves him. Macd. I believe, drink gave thee the lie last night. Woe, alas! Ban. Too cruel, any where. Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself, 1 So the old copies; some mod. eds. read: the green-one red. 2 Used, as often, as an augmentative. 3 The rest of this direction is not in f. e. 4 This word is not in f. e. 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 are dead; 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 badg'd with blood So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found Upon their pillows: they star'd, and were distracted. No man's life 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 so? Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man: The expedition of my violent love Out-ran the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan, His silver skin lac'd with his golden blood and Even like the deed that 's done. On Tuesday last, And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature That most may claim this argument for ours? Don. What should be spoken Here, where our fate, hid in an auger-hole, May rush, and seize us? Let's away: our tears Rosse. And Duncan's horses (a thing most strange and certain) Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Ban. Look to the lady. [Lady MACB. is borne out. Suspicion of the deed. And when we have our naked frailties hid, And question this most bloody piece of work, To know it farther. Fears and scruples shake us : Rosse. 'Gainst nature still : Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up Thine own life's means !-Then, 't is 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 Colme-kill; The sacred store-house of his predecessors, And guardian of their bones. Rosse. Will you to Scone ? Macd. No, cousin; I'll to Fife. Rosse. Well, I will thither. Macd. Well, may you see things well done there :adieu Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! Rosse. Farewell, father. Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those, That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! 1 Not in f. e. 2 Intention. 3 So old copies; most mod eds. read: travelling. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Fores. A Room in the Palace. Enter BANQUO. Ban. Thou hast it now, king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, But that myself should be the root, and father And set me up in hope' But, hush! no more. Macb. Here's our chief guest. If he had been forgotten, Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, And all things unbecoming. And I'll request your presence. Ban. Lay your highness' Command upon me, to the which my duties Are with a most indissoluble tie For ever knit. Macb. Ride you this afternoon? Ban. Ay, my good lord. My genius is rebuk'd, as, it is said, Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters, Was it not yesterday we spoke together? Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice | How you were borne in hand; how cross'd; the instru (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 Ban. My lord, I will not. Fail not our feast. Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd [Exit BANQUO. Let every man be master of his time Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. But to be safely thus.-Our fears in Banquo ments; Who wrought with them; and all things else, that might, 1 Mur. You made it known to us. 1 Mur. That writes them all alike; and so of men. 2 Mur. Reigns that which would be fear'd; 't is much he dares; Have so incens'd, that I am reckless what To mend it, or be rid on 't. Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy. 2 Mur. True, my lord. Macb. So is he mine; and in such bloody distance, That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life. And though I could With bare-fac'd power sweep him from my sight, And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, For certain friends that are both his and mine, Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall Whom I myself struck down and thence it is, That I to your assistance do make love, Masking the business from the common eye For sundry weighty reasons. 2 Mur. Perform what you command us. 1 Mur. We shall, my lord, Though our lives Macb. Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour, at most, I will advise you where to plant yourselves, SCENE II.-The Same. Another Room. [Exit. Lady M. Is Banquo gone from court? Serv. Ay, madam, but returns again to-night. Lady M. Say to the king, I would attend his leisure For a few words. Serv. Lady M. Nought's had, all's spent, How now, my lord! why do you keep alone, Macb. We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it : Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave; Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison, Come on: Lady M. Lady M. You must leave this. Macb. O! full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife. Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance live. Lady M. But in them nature's copy 's not eterne. And with thy bloody and invisible hand, Which keeps me pale !-Light thickens; and the crow Good things of day begin to droop and drowse, 1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us? Macbeth. |