Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: tle. Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter. Lady M. 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 burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves -air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, be fore, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thec. Lay it to thy heart, and fare zwell. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great; The illness should attend it. What thou would'st highly, That would'st thou holily; would'st not play false, That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have it; Enter an Attendant. Atten. The king comes here to-night. Thou'rt mad to say it: Atten. So please you, it is true; our thane is coming: One of my fellows had the speed of him; Than would make up his message. Lady M. Give him tending, He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarse, [Exit Attendant. That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes ; Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry, Hold, hold! Great Glamis! worthy Caw dor! Enter Macbeth. Greater than both, by the all-hail hercafter! Thy letters have transported me beyond 'I his ignorant present, and I feel now Shall sun that morrow see! But be the serpent under it. He that's coming To alter favour ever is to fear: Only look up clear; [Exeunt. A Room in the Castle. SCENE FIL-The same. Hautboys and torches. Enter and pass over the stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then enter Macbeth. Mach. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: if the assassination So clear in his great office, that his virtues Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur Lady M. Was the hope drunk, Like the poor cat i' the adage? Pr'ythee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none. What beast was it then, That made you break this enterprize to me? Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, ACT II. [Excunt. SCENE I-The same. Court within the Castle. En ter Banquo and Fleance, and a Servant, with a torch before them. Banquo. HOW goes the night, boy? Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. Ban. And she goes down at twelve. Fle. I take't, 'tis later, sir. Ban. Hold, take my sword:-There's husbandry in heaven, Their candles are all out. -Take thee that too. Enter Macbeth, and a Servant with a torch. Ban. Thanks, sir; The like to you! [Exit Ban. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. 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, Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, [A Bell rings I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Lady M. What do you mean? You do unbend your noble strength, to think SCENE II-The same. Enter Lady Macbeth. Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, hath What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire:- It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd their possets, That death and nature do contend about them, Mach [Within.] Who's there?-what, he; Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, And 'tis not done:-the attempt and not the deed, Confounds us:-Hark!-I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't-My husband? Enter Macbeth. Macb. I have done the deed:- Didst thou not hear a noise? I'll go no more :- Lady M. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead, Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a knocking At the south entry:-retire we to our chamber: Lady M. Mach. Lady M. Ay. Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us, Mac. Hark!-Who lies i'the second chamber? And show us to be watchers:-Be not lost Lady M. Donalbain. So poorly in your thoughts. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! ay, 'would thou couldst! [Exeunt. SCENE III-The same. Enter a Porter. [Knocking within.] Port. Here's a knocking. indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knoek: Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer that hanged him. self 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, i'the other devil's name?-'Faith, here's an equivocator, 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 further; 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? Part. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second evek: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macd. What three things does drink especially proroke? 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. Mard. 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 leg sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Maed. Is thy master stirring? Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes. Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece? Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence The life o'the building. Macb. What is't you say? the life? Len. Mean you his majesty ? 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! Enter Banquo. Our royal master's murder'd! What, in our house? Woe, alas! 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, There's nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead; Enter Malcolm and Donalbain. Don. I'll bring you to him. The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood Macd. I know, this is a joyful trouble to you; But yet, 'tis one. Mach. The labour we delight in, physics pain. This is the door. Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd. They star'd, and were distracted: no man's life Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, Mach. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man: Outran the pauser reason.Here lay Duncan, And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature, Courage, to make his love known? Lady M. Help me hence, ho! Why, see you not? Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than bloody deed? Maed. Those that Macbeth hath slain. What good could they pretend? Macd. Alas, the day! They were suborn'd: Mal. This murderous shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse; And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, But shift away: There's warrant in that theft Which steals itself when there's no mercy left. [Exeunt. 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 ACT III. SCENE I.-Fores. A Room in the Palace. Enter Banquo. Banquo. THOU hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird 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, Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore night And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more. |