2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he delivers
Our offices, and what we have to do,
To the direction just.
1 Mur.

Then stand with us.
The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day :
Now spurs the lated traveller apace,
To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.
3 Mur.

Hark! I hear horses.
Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, hoa !
2 Mur.

Then 'tis he; the rest That are within the note of expectation, Already are i’ the court. 1 Mur.

His horses go about. 3 Mur. Almost a mile; but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk. Enter Banquo and FLEANCE, a Servant with a torch preceding

them. 2 Mur.

A light, a light! 3 Mur.

'Tis be. 1 Mur. Stand to't. Ban. It will be rain to-night. 1 Mur.

Let it come down.

[Assaults BANQUO. Ban. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly; Thou may'st revenge.-0 slave!

[Dies. FLEANCE and Servant escape. 3 Mur. Who did strike out the light? 1 Mur.

Was't not the way ? 3 Mur. There's but one down; the son is fled. 2 Mur. We have lost best balf of our affair. 1 Mur. Well, let's away, and say how much is done.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A Room of Slate in the Palace.

A Banquet

· prepared.

Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, RossE, LENOX, Lords and

Attendants.
Macb. You know your own degrees, sit down: at first
And last, the hearty welcome.

( The note of expectation, i. e, who are expected at Macbeth's supper.

(2) Fleance escaped into Wales, where he married the daughter of the prince of that country, and had by her a son named Walter, who afterwards was made High Steward of Scotland, and assumed the title of Walter the Steward. From him was descended the royal line of STEWART.

Lords.

Thanks to your majesty.
Macb. Ourself will mingle with society,
And play the humble host.
Our hostess keeps ber state; but, in best time,
We will require her welcome.

Lady M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends ;
For my heart speaks, they are welcome.

Enter first Murderer to the door. Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks : Both sides are even : Here I'll sit i' the midst : Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure The table round. There's blood upon thy face.

[To the Murderer, aside. Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within.' Is he despatch'd ?

Mur. My lord, bis throat is cut; that I did for him.

Macb. Thou art the best o' the cut-throats: Yet he's good,, That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it, Thou art the nonpareil. Mur.

Most royal sir, Fleance is 'scap'd.

Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock :
As broad and general as the casing air:
But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in
To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?

Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,
With twenty trenched gashes on his head;
The least a deatb to nature.
Macb.

Thanks for that:
There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's fled,
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
No teeth for the present.-Get thee gone; to-morrow
We'll hear, ourselves again.

[Exit Murderer. Lady M.

My royal lord,
You do not give the cheer; the feast is sold 2
That is not often vouch'd while 'tis a making,
'Tis given with welcome: To feed, were best at home;
From thence, the sauce to meat is ceremony,
Meeting were bare without it.

(1) 'Tis better thee without, than he within. The meaning of this seems to be, It is better that the blood of Banquo should be without (on the outside of) thee, than within him.

(2) The feast is sold, i.e. is uncheerful, as if it were sold and paid for, and not gratuitous.

Macb.

Sweet remembrancer!-
Now, good digestion wait on appetite,
And health on both!
Len.

May it please your highness, sit?
Enter the Ghost of BANQUO and sits in MACBETH's place.
Macb. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd,
Were the grac'd person of our Banquo present;
Who may I rather challenge for unkindness
Than pity for mischance!
Rosse.

His absence, sir,
Lays blame upon his promise. Please it your highness
To grace us with your royal company?
Macb. The table's full.
Len. Here is a place reserv'd, sir. •
Macb. Where?
Len.

Here, my good lord. What is 't that moves
your highness?
Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords.

What, my good lord ? Macb. Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me.

Rosse. Gentlemen, rise'; his highness is not well.

Lady M. Sit, worthy friends :- my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: 'pray you, keep seat;
"l'he fit is momentary; upon a thought
He will again be well: If much you note bim,
You shall offend him, and extend his passion;2
Feed, and regard him not.- Are you a man?

Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on thai
Which might appal the devil.
Lady M.

O proper stuff!
This is the very painting of your fear:
This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said,
Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts, 3
(Impostors to true fear,) would well become
A woman's story, at a winter's fire,
Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make such faces? When all's done,
You look but on a stool.

Macb. Prithee, see there! behold! look! lo! how say you?
Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.-
If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send

(1) Upon a thought, i.e. immediately, as quick as thought. (2) Extend his passion, i.e. prolong his fit.

(3) 0, these flaws and starts, &c. i. e. O, these sudden gusts and outbreaks, (mere impostors when compared to true fear.).

Those that we bury, back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites.

(Ghost vanishes. Lady M.

What! quite unmann'd in folly?
Macb. If I stand here, I saw him.
Lady M.

Fie, for shame!
Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time,
Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal;
Ay, and since too, murthers have been perform'd
Too terrible for the ear: the times have been,
That when the brains were out the man would die,
And there an end: but now, they rise again,
With twenty mortal murthers on their crowns,
And push us from our stools : This is more strange
Than such a murther is.
Lady M.

• My worthy lord,
Your noble friends do lack you.
Macb.

I do forget :-
Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends;
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing
To those that know me. Come, love and health to all;
Then I'll sit down :-Give me some wine, fill full :-

Enter Ghost.
I drink to the general joy of the whole table,
And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss;
Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,'
And all to all.

Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. [Ghost rises again.
Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth bide

thee!
Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
Thou hast no speculation in those eyes
Which thou dost glare with!
Lady M.

Think of this, good peers,
But as a thing of custom : 'tis no other;
Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

Vach. What man dare, I dare:
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,
The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger,
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble; Or, be alive again,
And dare me to the desert with thy sword;
Iftrumbling I inhibit thee, protest me
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow!

[Ghost disappears.

(1) W skirst, la desire to drink.
2) Is dat d ie refuse thee, forbid thee,

Unreal mockery, hence!—Why, se:being gone,
I am a man again.- Pray you, sit still.
Lady M. You have displaced the mirth, broke the good

meeting,
With most admir'd disorder.
Macb.

Can such things be,
And overcome us like a summer's cloud,
Without our special wonder? You make me strange
Even to the disposition that I owe,
When now I think you can behold such sights,
And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks,
When mine are blanch'd with fear.
Rosse.

What sights, my lord?
Lady M. I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse;
Question enrages him: at once, good night :-
Stand not upon the order of your going,
But go at once.

Good night, and better health
Attend his majesty!
Lady M. A kind good night to all.

[Exeunt Lords and Attendants.
Macb. It will have blood; they say, blood will hare blood :
Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak;
Augurs, and understood relations, have
By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth
The secret'st man of blood.—What is the night?

Lady M. Almost at odds with morning, which is which.

Macb. How say'st thou, that Macduff denies his person, At our great bidding?

Lady M. O Did you send to him, sir ?
Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send :
There's not one of them, but in his house
I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow
(And betimes I will) unto the weird sisters :
More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know,
By the worse means, the worst: for mine own good,
All causes shall give way; I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far, that, should I wade no more,

.

(1) And overcome us like a summer's cloud. He does not mean that these things are like a summer's cloud; on the contrary, he asks if it be possible that such fearful things should happen and be only like a passing summer's cloud. (2)

You make me strange Even to the disposition that I oweYou produce madness in me: or it may mean, you show me that I have hitherto been a stranger to my real disposition, which I supposed to be courageous, but which now fails me.

(3) Understood relations, i.e. the understanding of the relation of cause and effect.