Enter Macduff.

MACBETH.

Act III.

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,
For a dark hour, or twain.
must become a borrower of the night,

How goes the world, sir, now?
Macd.
Rosse. Is't known who did this more than
Why, see you not? I
bloody deed?

Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.

Rosse.

Alas, the day!

What good could they pretend?1
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,
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. Father, farewell.

Old M. God's benison go with you; and with

those

That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

АСТ III.

[Exeunt.

Ban. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis,
all,

As the weird's women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them
(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.
Enter Macbeth, as king; Lady
Macbeth, as queen; Lenox, Rosse, Lords, La-
dies, and attendants.

Macb.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Fail not our feast.

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 us.

Farewell.

Macb. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot;
And so I do commend you to their backs.
[Exit Banquo.
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 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
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,
Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is said,
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 it be so,
For Banquo's issue have I fil'd' 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,
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
And champion me to the utterance !Who's
there?-

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.
Now to the door, and stay there till we call.
[Exit Attendant.

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1 Mur. It was, so please your highness.
Macb.
Well then, now
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,

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

Who wrought with them; and all things else, that
might,

(5) Challenge me to extremities.
(6) Proved.
(7) Deluded.

Cancel, and tear to pieces, that great bond

Both sides are even: Here I'll sit i'the midst :

Which keeps me pale!-Light thickens; and the Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure

crow

Makes wing to the rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.
Thou marvell'st at my words; but hold thee still
Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill:
So, pr'ythee, go with me.

[Exeunt.

The table round.-There's blood upon thy face.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he despatch'd?

Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for

him.

Macb. Thou art the best o'the cut-throats: Yet he's good,

SCENE III.-The same. A park or lawn, with That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,
a gate leading to the palace. Enter three Mur-Thou art the nonpareil.
derers.

1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us? S Mur.

Macbeth.

2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he de-
livers

Our offices, and what we have to do,
To the direction just.

1 Mur.

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:
Now spurs the lated traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.

3 Mur.

Hark! I hear horses.

Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho!
2 Mur.
Then it is he; the rest
That are within the note of expectation,1
Already are i'the court.

1 Mur.

His horses go about.

3 Mur. Almost a mile: but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk.

Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else
been perfect;

Whole as the marble, founded as the rock;
As broad, and general, as the casing air:
But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in
To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?
With twenty trenched gashes on his head;
Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,

The least a death to nature.

Macb.
Thanks for that:-
There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's fled,
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
No teeth for the present.-Get thee gone; to-mor-

Enter Banquo and Fleance, a servant with a torch From thence, the sauce to meat is ceremony:

Ban. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly; Thou may'st revenge. -O slave! [Dies. Fleance and servant escape. 3 Mur. Who did strike out the light? 1 Mur. Was't not the way? 3 Mur. There's but one down; the son is fled. 2 Mur. We have lost best half of our affair. 1 Mur. Well, let's away, and say how much is [Exeunt. SCENE IV-A room of state in the palace. A banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Rosse, Lenox, Lords, and attendants. Macb. You know your own degrees, sit down: at first

Here's a place reserv'd, sir.

Here, my lord. What is't that
moves your highness?
Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords.
Macb. Thou canst not say, I did it: never shake
What, my good lord?
Thy gory locks at me.

Rosse. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well.
Lady M. Sit, worthy friends :-my lord is often
thus,
And hath been from his youth: 'Pray you, keep
seat;

The fit is momentary; upon a thoughts

He will again be well: If much you note him,
You shall offend him, and extend his passion
Feed, and regard him not.-Are you a man?
Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that
Which might appal the devil.

(1) i. e. They who are set down in the list of (2) Continues in her chair of state. guests, and expected to supper.

(3) As quick as thought. (4) Prolong his suffering.

Lady M.

O proper stuff!
This is the very painting of your fear:
This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said,
Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws, and starts,
(Impostors to true fear,) would well become
A woman's story, at a winter's fire,
Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make such faces? When all's done,
You look but on a stool.

Macb. Pr'ythee, see there! behold! look! lo!
how say you?-

Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.-
If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send
Those that we bury, back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites. [Ghost disappears.
Lady M.
What! quite unmann'd in folly?|
Macb. If I stand here, I saw him.
Lady M.

Fie, for shame! Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i'the olden time,

Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal;
Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd
Too terrible for the ear: the times have been,
That, when the brains were out the man would die,
And there an end; but now, they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools: This is more strange
Than such a murder is.

Lady M.

My worthy lord,

Your noble friends do lack you.
Macb.

I do forget:-
Do not muse2 at me, my most worthy friends;
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing
To those that know me. Come, love and health
to all;

Then I'll sit down:- -Give me some wine, fill
full:-

I drink to the general joy of the whole table,

Ghost rises.

And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss;
Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,
And all to all.'
Lords.

Our duties, and the pledge.
Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the

earth hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
Thou hast no speculation in those eyes
Which thou dost glare with!
Lady M.

Stones have been known to move, and trees to
speak;

Augurs, and understood relations, have
By magot-pies," and choughs, and rooks, brought
forth

The secret'st man of blood.-What is the night?
Lady M. Almost at odds with morning, which
is which.

Macb. How say'st thou, that Macduff denies
his person,
At our great bidding?
Lady M.
Did you send to him, sir?
Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send :
There's not a one of them, but in his house
I keep a servant feed. I will to-morrow
(Betimes I will,) unto the weird sisters:
More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst: for mine own good,
All causes shall give way. I am in blood
Stept in so far, that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er:
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted, ere they may be scann'd.

Lady M. You lack the season of all natures, sleep.
Macb. Come, we'll to sleep: My strange and
self-abuse

Is the initiate fear, that wants hard use:-
We are yet but young in deed.

[Exeunt. SCENE V.-The heath. Thunder. Enter He cate, meeting the three Witches.

1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecate? you look angerly.

Hec. Have I not reason, bedlams, as you are

Think of this, good peers, Saucy, and overbold? How did you dare

But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other;
Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

Macb. What man dare, I dare:

Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,
The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger,
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble: Or, be alive again,
And dare me to the desert with thy sword;
If trembling I inhibit thee, protest me
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow!
[Ghost disappears.
Unreal mockery, hence !-Why, so;-being gone,
I am a man again.-Pray you, sit still.
Lady M. You have displac'd the mirth, broke
the good meeting,
With most admir'd disorder.
Macb.

Can such things be,
And overcomes us like a summer's cloud,
Without our special wonder? You make me strange
Even to the disposition that I owe,
When now I think you can behold such sights,

To trade and traffic with Macbeth,
In riddles and affairs of death;
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?
And, which is worse, all you have done
Hath been but for a wayward son,
Spiteful, and wrathful, who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.
But make amends now: Get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron,

Meet me i'the morning; thither he
Will come to know his destiny.
Your vessels, and your spells, provide,
Your charms, and every thing beside:
I am for the air; this night I'll spend
Unto a dismal-fatal end.

Great business must be wrought ere noon.
Upon the corner of the moon

There hangs a vaporous drop profound;10

(8) An individual. (9) Examined nicely.
(10) i. e. A drop that has deep or hidden quali-

ties.