ACT III. SCENE 1.

Enter BANQUo.

THO
HOU hast it now; King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,

Thou playd'st 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.

10

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH as King; Lady MAC BETH, LENOX, RossĖ, Lords, and Attendants.

Mac. Here's our chief guest.

Lady. "If he had been forgotten,

"It had been as a gap in our great feast, "And all things unbecoming."

Mac. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir,

And I'll request your presence.

Ban. *Lay your highness'

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

Are with a most indissoluble tye

For ever knit.

Mac. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban. Ay, my good lord.

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Mac. We should have else desir'd your good advice

(Which

(Which ftill 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

'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better", I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour or twain.

Mac. Fail not our feast.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

30

Mac. "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 causé 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. Mac. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot; 41 And so I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell..

Let every man be master of his time?

[Exit BANQUO.

'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, and Lords.

Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men our pleasure?

Ser. They are, my lord, without the palace-gate. Mac. Bring them before us.

thing;

-To be thus is no

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,
My genius is rebuk'd; *as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me, 60
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac'd 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 fill'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,

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, *come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance !—Who's there

Re-enter Servant, with two Murderers.

༡༠

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call. [Exit Servant.

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

Mur. It was, so please your highness.

Mac.

Mac. Well then, now

Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know, That it was he, in the times past, which held you 80 So under fortune; "which, you thought had been "Our innocent self: this I made good to you "In our last conference, past in probation with you;' "*How you were borne in hand; how crost;

instruments;

the

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

"To half a soul, and to a notion craz'd

"Say, Thus did Banquo.

66 1 Mur. You made it known to us."

Mac. "I did so; and went further, which is now "Our point of second meeting." Do you find 90 Your patience so predominant in your nature, That you can let this go? *Are you so gospell'd, To pray for this good man, and for his issue, Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave, And beggar'd yours for ever?

1 Mur. We are men, my liege.

100

Mac. Ay, in the catalogue you go for men ; As hounds, and greyhounds, mungrels, spaniels, curs, Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped' All by the name of dogs; the valued file* Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle, The house-keeper, the hunter, every one According to the gift which bounteous nature Hath in him clos'd; whereby he does receive - Particular addition, from the bill

"That

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MACBETH.

"That writes them all alike:" and so of men.
Now, if you have a station in the file,
Not in the worst rank of manhood, say it;
And I will put that business in your bosoms,
Whose execution takes your enemy off;
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.

2 Mur. I am one," my liege,

"Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
"Have so incens'd, that I am reckless what
"I do, to spite the world.

66 1 Mur. And I another,"

*So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune, That I would set my life on any chance,

To mend it, or be rid on't,

Mac. Both of you

Know, Banquo was your enemy.

Mur. True, my lord.

110

120

130

Mac. 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.

Mur