I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. 80 A way, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Court of Macbethi's castle. Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE bearing a torch before him. Ban. How goes the night, boy? ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. Is this a dagger which I see before me, I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. 40 Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, the clock. Ban. Fle. And she goes down at twelve. Their candles are all out. Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch. Who's there? Macb. A friend. Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, 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, lives: Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear I Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell a-bed: Lady M. SCENE II. The same. Enter LADY MACBETH. That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; What hath quench'd them hath given me fire. It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms That death and nature do contend about them, Macb. [Within] Who's there? what, ho! Lady M. Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done 't. Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep, What do you mean? Macb. Still it cried 'Sleep no more!' to all the house: 41 'Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.' Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think Infirm of purpose! Lady M. Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; For it must seem their guilt. Macb. [Exit. Knocking within. Whence is that knocking? 118 How is't with me, when every noise appals me? What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes. will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from miny hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red. Re-enter LADY MACBETH. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear a knocking At the south entry: retire we to our chamber: Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, 70 Macb. To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself. [Knocking within. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! [Exeunt. Knocking within. Enter a Porter. Porter. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in 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 within.] 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 within.] 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 within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX. 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? 30 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 Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes. I have almost slipp'd the hour. Macb. The labour we delight in physics pain. This is the door. Re-enter MACBETH and LENNOX, with Ross. Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. You are, and do not know't: Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done 't: ' Their hands and faces were all badged with blood; So were their daggers, which unwiped we found Upon their pillows: They stared, 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. Wherefore did you so? III Macd. The expedition of That had a heart to love, and in that heart That most may claim this argument for ours? Don. [Aside to Mal.] What should be spoken here, where our fate, Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us? Let's away; Our tears are not yet brew'd. 129 Mal. [Aside to Don.] Nor our strong sorrow Upon the foot of motion. * Mach. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' the hall together. All. 140 Well contented. [Exeunt all but Malcolm and Donalbain. Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them: To show an unfelt sorrow is an office The nearer bloody. SCENE IV. Outside Macbeth's castle. Enter Ross and an old Man. 150 Within the volume of which time I have seen Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night Ah, good father, Hath trifled former knowings. Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day, 'Tis unnatural, 10 Old M. Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last, A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd. Ross. 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, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would Ross. Is't known who did this more than bloody deed? Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain. Ross. What good could they pretend? Macd. Alas, the day! 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. Ross. 'Gainst nature still! Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up 30 Thine own life's means! Then 'tis most like Ross. Where is Duncan's body? Macd. Carried to Colmekill, The sacred storehouse of his predecessors, And guardian of their bones. Ross. Will you to Scone? Well, I will thither. Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife. 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 40 That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! [Exeunt. Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and, I fear, But that myself should be the root and father If he had been forgotten, Ban. Mach. Ride you this afternoon? Ban. Ay, my good lord. 20 Macb. We should have else desired your good advice, Which still hath been both grave and prosperous, In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. Why, see you not? Is't far you ride? Macb. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot: And so I do commend you to their backs. [Exit Banquo. 40 Let every man be master of his time [Exeunt all but Macbeth, and an attendant. Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men Our pleasure? Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. Macb. Bring them before us. [Exit Attendant. 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; 50 And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, 60 When first they put the name of king upon me, To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! 70 Rather than so, come fate into the list, Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers. 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, 80 How you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, Who wrought with them, and all things else that might To half a soul and to a notion crazed Our point of second meeting. Do you find curs, grave Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves are clept That writes them all alike: and so of men. Ιου Sec. Mur. I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world Have so incensed that I am reckless what I do to spite the world. Both Mur. 120 That every minute of his being thrusts Sec. Mur. Though our livesMacb. Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most I will advise you where to plant yourselves; Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' the time, 130 |