Thy letters have transported me beyond This ignorant present, and I feel now The future in the instant.
Macb. My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night. Lady. And when goes hence? Macb. To-morrow, as he purposes. Lady. O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men May read strange matters:—To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it. He that's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night's great business into my despatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. Macb. We will speak further.
Lady. Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.
The Gates of Inverness Castle.
Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.
Enter King Duncan, Banquo, Malcolm, DoNalbain, Macduff, Lenox, Rosse, and At
King. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses.
Ban. This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve, By his loved mansionry, that the Heaven's breath Smells wooingly here: no jutty frieze,
Buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed, and procreant cradle : Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed, The air is delicate.
Enter Lady Macbeth, Seyton, and Two Ladies. King. See, see! our honour'd hostess!
The love, that follows us, sometime is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you shall bid Heaven yield us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.
In every point twice done, and then done double, Were poor and single business, to contend Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith Your majesty loads our house: For those of old, And the late dignities hcap'd up to them, We rest your hermits.
King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?
We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well;
And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him To his home before us: Fair and noble hostess, We are your guest to-night.
Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt, To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,
Still to return your own.
King. Give me your hand;
Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess.
[Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.-Exeunt.
Macbeth's Castle at Inverness.
Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly, if the assassination ļ Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his success, surceaseThat but this blow Might be the be-all, and the end-all, here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time !— We'd jump the life to come.—But, in these cases, We still have judgment here, that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust : First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.—Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongu'd, against The deep damnation of his taking-off:— I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,
And falls on the other—How now! what news?
Lady. He has almost supp'd; Why have you left
Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?
Lady. Know you not, he has?
Macb. We will proceed no further in this business : He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn, now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.
Lady. Was the hope drunk,
| Wherein you dress'd yourself! hath it slept since ? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time, Such I account thy love.—Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act. and valour, As thou art in desire? Would'st thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem,— Letting I dare not wait upon I would, Like the poor cat i' the adage? Macb. 'Prythee, peace :
I dare do all that may become a man, Who dares do more, is none.
Lady. What beast was it then,
That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more than man, Nor time, nor place, Did then adhere, and yet you would make both : They have made themselves, and that their fitness
Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know How tender 'tis, to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I but so sworn As you have done to this.
Macb. If we should fail?
Lady. We fail:
But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him,) his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassel so convince, That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limbeck only: When in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie, as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spungy officers; who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?
Math. Bring forth men children only! For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd, When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers, That they have done't?
Lady. Who dares receive it other,
As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death?
Macb. I am settled, and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.—
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
Macbeth's Castle at Inverness.
Enter Banquo and Fleance, with a Torch.
Ban. How goes the night, boy?
Fie. The moon is down; I have not heard the
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