And his great love (fharp as his spur) hath holp him
To's home before us. Fair and noble hoftefs,

We are your guest to-night.

Lady. Your fervants ever

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 hoft; we love him highly,
And fhall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.

SCENE IX.

[Exeunt

Changes to an apartment in Macbeth's cafle. Hautboys, torches. Enter divers Servants with dishes and fervice over the ftage. Then Macbeth.

[well

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere It were done quickly: if th' affaffination Could trammel up the confequence, and catch With its furceafe, fuccefs; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all-Here. But here, upon this bank and fhelve of Time, We'd jump the life to come.- -But, in thefe cafes, "We ftill have judgment here, that we but teach "Bloody inftructions; which, being taught, return "To plague th' inventor. Even-handed Juftice "Returns th' ingredients of our poifon'd chalice "To our own lips. He's here in double trust : "Firit, as I am his kinfman and his subject,

"Strong both against the deed: then, as his hoft,
"Who should against his murth'rer fhut the door,
"Not bear the knife myself. Befides, this Duncan
"Hath borne his faculties † fo 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;
"And Pity, like a naked new-born babe,

66

Striding the blaft, or heav'n's cherubin hors'd 66 Upon the fightless courfers of the air,

X 2

* faculties, for office, exercise of power, &c.

«Shall

"Shall blow the horrid deed in ev'ry eye;

"That tears fhall drown the wind-I have no fpur To prick the fides of my intent, but only

Vaulting Ambition, which o'erleaps itself,

And falls on th' other fide

SCENE X. Enter Lady Macbeth.

How now? what news?

Lady. He's almost supp'd; why have you left the chamber?

Mach. Hath he afk'd for me?

Lady. Know you not he has?

Mach. We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all forts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not caft afide so soon.

Lady. Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dress'd yourfelf? hath it flept fince?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale
At what it did fo freely? from this time
Such I account thy love. Art thou afraid
To be the fame in thine own ac and valour,
As thou art in defire? wouldst thou have that,
Which thou esteem'ft the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own efteem?
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i' th' adage *.
Macb. Pr'ythee, peace;

I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none.

Lady. What beast was't then

That made you break this enterprize to me!
When you durft do it, then you were a man;
And to be more than what you were, you would
Be fo much more than man. Nor time, nor place,
Did then cohere †, and yet you would make both :
'They've made themselves; and that their fitnefs now
Does unmake you. I have given fuck, and know

How

*The adage alluded to is, The cat would catch fise, but she dare net vet ber feet.

+ cobere, for fuit, fit.

How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me-
I would, while it was fmiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I but fo fworn
As you have done to this.

Macb. If we fhould fail,-
Lady. We fail !

But fcrew your courage to the fticking place,

And we'll not fail.

When Duncan is asleep,

(Whereto the rather fhall this day's hard journey:
Soundly invite him), his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and waffel fo convince †,
That memory (the warder of the brain)
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reafon
A limbeck only; when in fwinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
Th' unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His fpungy officers, who fhall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?

Macb. Bring forth men-children only!
For thy undaunted metal fhould compofe
Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,
When we have mark'd with blood those fleepy twoś
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have done't?

Lady. Who dares receive it other,

As we fhall make our griefs and clamour roar.
Upon his death?

Macb. I'm fettled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with faireft show:

Falfe face muft hide what the falfe heart doth know.

X. 3

convince, for intoxicate,

[Exeunt

ACT.

A hall in Macbeth's caftle.

Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch before him.

Ban. How

OW goes the night, boy?

Fle. The moon is down: I have not heard the clock. Ban. And the goes down at twelve.

Fle. I take't, 'tis later, Sir.

Ban. Hold, take my fword. There's hufbandry in

heav'n,

Their candles are all out.

-Take thee that too.

A heavy fummons lies like lead upon me,

And yet I would not fleep: Merciful pow'rs!
Reftrain in me the curfed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repofe.

Enter Macbeth, and a Servant with a torch.

Give me my fword. Who's there?

Mach. A friend.

Ban. What, Sir, not yet at reft? the King's a-bed. He hath to-night been in unufual pleasure,

And fent great largess to

your officers;

This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hoftefs, and's fhut up
In measureless content.

Macb. Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the fervant to defect;
Which elfe fhould free have wrought.

Ban. All's well.

I dream'd last night of the three weyward fifters:
To you they've fhew'd fome truth.

Macb. I think not of them;

Yet, when we can intreat an hour to serve,

Would fpend it in fome words

If you would grant the time.

Ban. At your kind leifure.

upon that business,

Macb. If you fhall cleave to my confent †, when 'tis, It fhall make honour for

Ban. So I lose none

confent, for will.

you.

In

In feeking to augment it, but ftill keep

My bofom franchis'd and allegiance clear,
I fhall be counfell'd.

Macb. Good repose the while!

Ban. Thanks, Sir; the like to you.

[Exeunt Banquo and Fleance.

SCENE II..

Mach. Go, bid thy miftrefs, when my drink is ready, She ftrike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Exit Serv. Is this a dagger that I fee before me,

'The handle tow'rd my hand? come, let me clutch
'I have thee not, and yet I fee thee still.
'Art thou not, fatal vifion, fenfible

To feeling as to fight? or art thou but
'A dagger of the mind, a falfe creation
'Proceeding from the heat-oppreffed brain ?
'I fee thee yet, in form as palpable
'As this which now I draw.-

[thee,

'Thou marshal'ft me the way that I was going; 'And fuch an inftrument I was to:ufe.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other fenfes, 'Or elfe worth all the rest————I see thec ftill; And on the blade of th' dudgeon, gouts of blood, 'Which was not fo before.-There's no fuch thing. It is the bloody bufinefs, which informs

'Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er one half the world
'Nature feems dead, and wicked dreams abufe
'The curtain'd fleep; now witchcraft celebrates
'Pale Hecate's offerings: and wither'd Murther,
'(Alarum'd by his centinel, the wolf,

'Whofe howl's his watch), thus with his ftealthy pace, "With Tarquin's ravishing ftrides, tow'rds his defign Moves like a ghoft.-Thou found and firm-fet earth, 'Hear not my fteps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very ftones prate of my where-about *

;

And take the present horror from the time, Which now fuits with it.--Whilft I threat, he lives t

i. e. tell where I am.

--he lives-

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

I go, &c.

[A bell rings.

I