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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 half of our affair.

1 Mur. Well, let 's away, and say how much is done.

SCENE IV.

A Room of state in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

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.

Lords.

Thanks to your majesty.

Macb. Ourself will mingle with society,

And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state; but, in best time,

Was 't not the way?] i. e. the best means we could take to evade discovery. Steevens.

Rather, to effect our purpose.

Ritson.

You know your own degrees, sit down at firs,t

And last, the hearty welcome.] I believe the true reading is:
You know your own degrees, sit down.-To first

And last the hearty welcome.

All, of whatever degree, from the highest to the lowest, may be assured that their visit is well received. Johnson.

9 Our bostess keeps her state; &c.] i e. continues in her chair of state at the head of the table. This idea might have been borrowed from Holinshed, p. 805: "The king (Henry VIII) caused the queene to keepe the estate, and then sat the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the king, who would not sit, but walked from place to place, making cheer," &c.

To keep state is a phrase perpetually occurring in our ancient dramas, &c. So Ben Jonson, in his Cynthia's Revels:

"Seated in thy silver chair

"State in wonted manner keep."

Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wild Goose Chase:

"What a state she keeps! how far off they sit from her!" Many more instances, to the same purpose, might be given.

Steevens.

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.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

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

Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him. Macb. Thou art the best 'o cut-throats: Yet he 's

good,

That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,

Thou art the nonpareil.

Mur.

Fleance is 'scap'd.

Most royal sir,

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,

A state appears to have been a royal chair with a canopy over it. So, in King Henry IV, P. I:

"This chair shall be my state."

where

Again, in Sir T. Herbert's Memoirs of Charles I: “ being set, the king under a state" &c. Again, in The View of France, 1598: " - espying the chayre not to stand well under the state, he mended it handsomely himself." Malone.

1 'Tis better thee without, than be within.] The sense requires that this passage should be read thus:

'Tis better thee without, than him within.

That is, I am better pleased that the blood of Banquo should be an thy face than in his body.

The author might mean, It is better that Banqua's blood were on thy face, than be in this room. Expressions thus imperfect are common in his works. Johnson.

I have no doubt that this last was the author's true meaning Malone.

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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 half of our affair.

1 Mur. Well, let 's away, and say how much is

done.

[Exeunt,

SCENE IV.

A Room of state 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.8

Lords.

Thanks to your majesty.

Macb. Ourself will mingle with society,

And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state; but, in best time,

Was 't not the way?] i. e. the best means we could take to evade discovery. Steevens.

Rather, to effect our purpose.

Ritson.

You know your own degrees, sit down at firs,t

And last, the hearty welcome.] I believe the true reading is:
You know your own degrees, sit down.—To first

And last the hearty welcome.

All, of whatever degree, from the highest to the lowest, may be assured that their visit is well received. Johnson.

9 Our hostess keeps her state; &c.] i e. continues in her chair of state at the head of the table. This idea might have been borrowed from Holinshed, p. 805: "The king (Henry VIII) caused the queene to keepe the estate, and then sat the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the king, who would not sit, but walked from place to place, making cheer," &c.

To keep state is a phrase perpetually occurring in our ancient dramas, &c. So Ben Jonson, in his Cynthia's Revels:

"Seated in thy silver chair

"State in wonted manner keep."

Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wild Goose Chase:

"What a state she keeps! how far off they sit from her!" Many more instances, to the same purpose, might be given.

Steevens.

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.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

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

Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for hint. Macb. Thou art the best 'o cut-throats: Yet he 's

good,

That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,
Thou art the nonpareil.

Mur.

Fleance is 'scap'd.

Most royal sir,

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,

A state appears to have been a royal chair with a canopy over it. So, in King Henry IV, P. I:

"This chair shall be my state."

where

Again, in Sir T. Herbert's Memoirs of Charles I: “ being set, the king under a state" &c. Again, in The View of France, 1598: " espying the chayre not to stand well under the

state, he mended it handsomely himself." Malone.

1 'Tis better thee without, than be within.] The sense requires that this passage should be read thus:

'Tis better thee without, than him within.

That is, I am better pleased that the blood of Banque should be an thy face than in his body.

The author might mean, It is better that Banqua's blood were on thy face, than be in this room. Expressions thus imperfect are common in his works. Johnson.

I have no doubt that this last was the author's true meaning Malone.

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With twenty trenched gashes on his head;
The least a death to nature.

Thanks for that:

Macb. There the grown serpent lies; the worm,3 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 Mur.

Lady M.
My royal lord,
You do not give the cheer: the feast is sold,a

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.

Macb.

Sweet remembrancer!

Now, good digestion wait on appetite,"
And health on both!

Len

May it please your highness sit? [The Ghost of BAN. rises, and sits in MACB.'s place. Macb. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd,

2

trenched gashes-] Trencher, to cut. Fr. So, in Arden of Feversham, 1592:

"Is deeply trenched on my blushing brow."

Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

3

like a figure

"Trenched in ice." Steevens.

the worm,] This term, in our author's time, was applied to all of the serpent kind. Malone.

-1 the feast is sold, &c.] Mr. Pope reads:- the feast is cold, and not without plausibility. Such another phrase occurs in The Elder Brother of Beaumont and Fletcher:

“You must be welcome too :-the feast is flat else.” But the same expression as Shakspeare's is found in The Romaunt of the Rose:

"Good dede done through praiere,

"Is sold and bought too dere." Steevens.

The meaning is, That which is not given cheerfully, cannot be called a gift, it is something that must be paid for. Johnson. It is still common to say, that we pay dear for an entertainment, if the circumstances attending the participation of it prove irksome to us. Henley.

· 5 Now, good digestion wait on appetite,] So, in King Henry VIII:

"A good digestion to you all." Steevens.

• The Ghost of Banquo rises,] This circumstance of Banquo' ghost seems to be alluded to in The Puritan, first printed in

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