Roffe. They did fo; to the amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't.

Enter Macduff.

Here comes the good Macduff.

How goes the world, Sir, now?

Maid. Why, fee you not?

Roffe. Is't known, who did this more than bloody deed? Mard. Thofe, that Macbeth hath flain,

Roffe. Alas, the day!

What good could they pretend?

Macd. They were fuborn'd;

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the King's two fons,
Are ftol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Sufpicion of the deed.

Roffe. 'Gainft nature ftill ;-
Thriftless ambition! that will 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 invefted.

Roffe. Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colmes-bill,

The facred ftorehouse of his Predeceffors,

And guardian of their bones.

Roffe. Will you to Scone?

Macd. No, coufin, I'll to Fife.

Roffe. Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well, may you fee things well done there, (adieu;) Left our old robes fit easier than our new!

Roffe. Farewel, father.

Old M. God's benifon go with you, and with thofe That would make good of bad, and friends of foes.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT III.

SCENE, an Apartment in the Palace.

T

Enter Banquo.

Hou haft it now; King, Cawdor, Glamis, all
The weird women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou plaid'ft moft foully for't: yet it was faid,
It should not ftand in thy pofterity;

But that myself fhould be the root, and father
Of many Kings. If there come truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their fpeeches fhine)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And fet me up in hope? but, hush, no more.

Trumpets found. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady Macbeth, Lenox, Roffe, Lords and Attendants.

Macb. Here's our chief gueft.

Lady. If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all things unbecoming.

Mach. To-night we hold a folemn fupper, Sir,

And I'll request your prefence.

Ban. Lay your Highness'

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

Are with a moft indiffoluble tye

For ever knit.

Mach. Ride you this afternoon ?

Ban. Ay, my good Lord.

Macb. We should have elfe defir'd

Your good advice (which ftill hath been both grave And profperous) in this day's council; but

We'll take to-morrow. Is it far you ride?

Ban. As far, my Lord,

'Twixt this and fupper.

as will fill up the time Go not my horfe the better,

I muft become a borrower of the night
For a dark hour or twain.

Macb. Fail not our feast,

Ban. My Lord, I will not.

Macb. We hear, our bloody coufins are beftow'd.
In England, and in Ireland; not confeffing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With ftrange invention; but of that to-morrow;
When therewithal we fhall have caufe of state,
Craving us jointly. Hie to horfe: adieu,

Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
Ban. Ay, my good Lord; our time does call upon us.
Macb. I with your horfes fwift, and fure of foot:
And fo I do commend you to their backs.

Farewel.
[Exit Banquo
Let ev'ry man be mafter of his time (20)
'Till feven at night; to make fociety

The fweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

'Till fupper-time alone: 'till then, God be with you. [Exeunt Lady Macbeth, and Lords.

Manent Macbeth, and a Servant.

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

Ser. They are, my Lord, without the palace-gate.
Macb. Bring them before us-To be thus, is nothing
[Exit Servant.
But to be fafely thus. Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that, which would be fear'd. 'Tis much he dares,

(20) Let ev'ry man be mafter of his time

Till feven at night, to make fociety

The freeter welcome: We will keep ourself

'Till fupper time alone.] I am furpriz'd, none of the editors fhould quarrel with the pointing. How could ev'ry man's being mafter of his own time 'till night, make fociety then the fweeter? for, fo, every man might have gone into company in the mean while, and pall'd himself for the night's entertainment. My regulation, I dare warrant, retrieves the poet's meaning. "Let every man (fays the King,) be mafter of his own time 'till feven o' clock: and that I may have the ftronger enjoyment of your companies then, I'll abstain from all company 'till fupper-time."

66

And

And to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wifdom that doth guide his valour
To act in fafety. There is none but he,
Whofe being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as it is faid,
Antony's was by Cafar. He chid the fifters,
'When firft they put the name of King upon me,
And bade them fpeak 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 fcepter in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No fon of mine fucceeding. If 'tis fo,
For Banquo's iffue have I 'fil'd my mind:
For them, the gracious Duncan have I murder'd:
Put rancours in the veffel of my peace
Only for them: and mine eternal jewel
Giv'n to the common enemy of man,

To make them Kings: the feed of Banquo Kings:
Rather than fo, come fate into the lift,

And champion me to th' utterance!-who's there?
Enter Servant, and two Murderers.

Go to the door, and ftay there, 'till we call. [Exit Ser.
Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
Mur. It was, fo please your Highness.

Macb. Well then, now

You have confider'd of my fpeeches? know,
That it was he, in the times paft, which held you
So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent felf; this I made good to you

In our laft conf'rence, paft in probation with you:
How you were borne in hand, how croft; the inftruments,
Who wrought with them: and all things elfe, that might
To half a foul, and to a notion craz'd,

Say, thus did Banquo.

1 Mur. True, you made it known.

Macb. I did fo; and went further, which is now
Our point of fecond meeting. Do you find
Your patience fo predominant in your nature,

04

That

That you can let this go? are you fo gospell'd,
Το pray for this good man and for his iffue,
Whofe heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever?

1 Mur. We are men, my Liege.

Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,
As hounds, and greyhounds, mungrels, fpaniels, curs,
Showghes, water-rugs, and demy-wolves are cleped
All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Diftinguishes the fwift, the flow, the subtle,
The houfe-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 writes them all alike: and fo of men.
Now, if you have a ftation in the file,

And not in the worst rank of manhood, fay it;
And I will put that bufinefs in your bofoms,
Whofe execution takes your enemy off;
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but fickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.

2 Mur. I am one,

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

1 Mur. And I another,

So weary with difafters, tugg'd with fortune,
That I would fet my life on any chance,

To mend it, or be rid on't.

Macb. Both of you

Know, Banque was your enemy.

Mur. True, my Lord.

Macb. So is he mine: and in fuch bloody distance, That every minute of his being thrufts

Against my near'ft of life; and though I could
With bare-fac'd power fweep him from my fight,
And bid my will avouch it; yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine,
Whofe loves I may not drop; but wail his fall,

Whom