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Enter Banguo.

Our royal master's murther'd.

Lady. Woe, alas !

What, in our houfe?

Ban. Too cruel, any where.
Macduff, I pr'ythee contradict thyfelf,
And say it is not so.

Enter Macbeth, Lenox, and Roffe.

Macb. Had I but dy'd an hour before this chance, I had liv'd a bleffed time: for, from this inftant, There's nothing ferious in mortality;

All is but toys; renown and grace is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.

Enter Malcolm and Donald Bane.

Don. What is amifs?

Mach. You are, and do not know't :

The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is ftopt; the very fource of it is ftopt.

Macd. Your royal father's murther’d.

Mal. Oh, by whom !

Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't; Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood; So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found Upon their pillows; they ftar'd and were distracted ; No man's life was to be trufted with them.

Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them.

Macd. Wherefore did you fo?

Mach. Who can be wife, amaz'd, temp'rate and fuLoyal and neutral † in a moment? no man. "The expedition of my violent love

"Outrun the paufer, reafon. Here lay Duncan ; "His filver fkin lac'd with his golden blood,

[rious,

"And his gafh'd ftabs look'd like a breach in nature, "For ruin's wafteful entrance; there the murtherers, "Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers VOL. VI. "Unmanly

ferious, for valuable.

Y

neutral, for unconcerned, indifferent.

"Unmanly reech'd with gore; who could refrain, "That had a heart to love, and in that heart

"Courage, to make's love known?

Lady. Help me hence, ho!

Macd. Look to the Lady.

Mal. Why do we hold our tongues,

[Seeming to faint.

That moft may claim this argument for ours?
Don. What fhould be fpoken here,
Where our fate, hid with an augre-hole,

May rush, and feize us? Let's away, our tears
Are not yet brew'd.

Mal. Nor our ftrong forrow on

The foot of motion.

Ban. Look to the Lady;

[Lady Macbeth is carried out.

And when we have our naked frailties hid,

That fuffer in expofure, let us meet,

And question this moft bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us.
In the great hand of God I ftand, and thence,
Against the undivulg'd pretence † I fight
Of treas'nous malice.

Macb. So do I.

All. So all.

Mach. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' th' hall together.

All. Well contented. [Fxe. all but Mal. and Don. Mal. What will you do? let's not confort with them: To fhew an unfelt forrow, is an office

Which the falfe man does cafy. I'll to England.
Don. To Ireland, I; our feparated fortune
Shall keep us both the fafer; where we are,
There's daggers in mens' smiles; the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.

Mal. This murtherous fhaft that's shot,
Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way

Is to avoid the aim.

Therefore to horfe e;

And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,

But fhift away; there's warrant in that theft,

Which fteals itself when there's no mercy left. [Exeunt.

† pretence, for act

SCENE

SCENE VI. The outfide of Macbeth's cafile.

Enter Roffe, with an Old man.

Old M. Threefcore and ten I can remember well, Within the volume of which time I've feen

Hours dreadful, and things ftrange; but this fore night Hath trifled former knowings.

Roffe. Ah, good father,

Thou feeft, the heav'ns, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten this bloody ftage † : by th' clock, 'tis day;
And yet dark night ftrangles the travelling lamp:
Is't night's predominance, or the day's fhame,

That darkness does the face of earth intomb,
When living light should kils it?

Old M. 'Tis unnatural,

Even like the deed that's done.

"On Tuesday laft,

"A faulcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,

"Was by a mouling owl hawk'd at, and kill'd.”
Roffe. And Duncan's horfes, (a thing molt ftrange and
certain!),

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turn'd wild in nature, broke their italls, flung out,
Contending 'gainft obedience, as they would

Make war with man.

Old V. 'Tis faid they ate each other.

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

Enter Macduff.

Here comes the good Macduff.

How oes the world, Sir, now?

Macd. Why, fee you not?

Roffe. Is't known who did this more than bloody

Macd. Thofe that Macbeth hath flain.

Roffe. Alas, the day!

What good could they pretend?

Macd. They were fuborn'd;

Malcolm, and Donald Bane, the King's two fons,
Are ftoln away and fled; which puts upon them
Sufpicion of the deed.

+flage, for act.

Y 2

[deed?

Roffe.

Roffe. 'Gainft nature ftill

Thriftlefs Ambition! that wilt ravin up

Thine own life's means. -Then 'tis moft like
The fovereignty 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 Colmefkill,

The facred ftore-houfe 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 those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes.

ACT III. SCENE I.

An apartment in the palace.

Enter Bangao.

[Exeunt.

THOU haft it now; King, Cawdor, Glamis, all

The weyward women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou play'dft moft foully for't. Yet it was faid,
It should not stand in thy pofterity;

But that myself should 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.

Mach. Here's our chief guest.

tfbine, for profper.

Lady.

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
Are with a moft indiffoluble tie

For ever knit.

Mach. Ride you this afternoon?
Ban. Ay, my good Lord.

my dutics

Macb. We fhould 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, as will fill up the time
'Twixt this and fupper. Go not my horse the better,
I must become a borrower of the night

For a dark hour or twain.

Macb. Fail not our feaft.

Ban. My Lord, I will not.

Macb. We hear our bloody coufins are bestow'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 cause 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.

Let every man be master of his time

Till feven at night; to make fociety.

[Exit Banquo.

The fweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

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

SCENE II. Manent Macbeth and a Servant.

Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men

Our pleasure ?

Ser. They are, my Lord, without the palace-gate.

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