Lady M.

Only look up clear;

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. The same. Before the Castle.

Hautboys. Servants of Macbeth attending.

Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENOX,
MACDUFF, ROSSE, ANGUS, and Attendants.

Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air

Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle senses.

Ban.

This guest of summer,

Love
Jetty-

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,
By his lov'd mansionry that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observ'd,
The air is delicate.

Dun.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

See, see our honour'd hostess!

The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you shall bid God-eyld us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady M.

All our service
In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and single business, to contend
Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,

We rest your hermits.

Dun.

Where's the thane of Cawdor?

We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose

To be his purveyor: but he rides well;

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him

To his home before us: Fair and noble hostess,

We are your guest to-night.

Lady M.

Your servants ever

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt, serm'a ka

To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,

Still to return your own.

Dun.

Give me your hand;

[Exeunt.

Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.

SCENE VII. The same. A Room in the Castle. Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then enter MACBETH.

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly: If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come.--But in these cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He 's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murtherer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off:
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind.-I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,

And falls on the other.-How now, what news?

Enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. He has almost supp'd: Why have you left the chamber?
Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady M.

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 sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Nor cast aside so soon.

Lady M.

Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,

1

And live a coward in thine own esteem;
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Mach.

Prithee, peace:

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

What beast was 't then,

Lady M.
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man ;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place,
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both :
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now
Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me :

I would, while it was smiling in my face,

Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn,

As you have done to this.

Macb
Lady M.

If we should fail,—

But screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we 'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey
Soundly invite him,) his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel so convince,
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: When in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?

Macb.

Bring forth men-children only,

We fail.

For thy undaunted mettle should compose
Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,
When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have done 't?

metai

Who dares receive it other,

Lady M.
As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his death?

Mach.

I am settled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show :

False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-The same.

Court within the Castle.

Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE with a torch.

Ban. How goes the night, boy?

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

Fle.
I take 't, 'tis later, sir.
Ban. Hold, take my sword.-There's husbandry in heaven,
Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep: Merciful powers
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repose !-Give me my sword;-

Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch.
Who's there?

Macb. A friend.

Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a bed: He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largess to your offices:

This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
In measureless content.

Mach.

Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the servant to defect;

Which else should free have wrought.

Ban.

All's well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
To you they have show'd some truth.
Macb.

I think not of them.

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.

Ban.

At your kind'st leisure.

Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent,-when 'tis, It shall make honour for you.

Ban.

So I lose none,
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchis'd, and allegiance clear,
I shall be counsell'd.

Mach.
Ban. Thanks, sir; the like to you!

Good repose, the while!

[Exit BANQUO and FLEANCE.

Mach. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,

She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

Is this a dagger which I see before me,

[Exit Servant.

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going,
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still;
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing.
It is the bloody business which informs

Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep: witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murther,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost.-Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,

Which now suits with it.--Whiles I threat he lives:
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven, or to hell.

SCENE II.-The same.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

[A bell rings.

[Exit.

-Lady M. That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold: What hath quench'd them hath given me fire :

Hark! Peace! It was the owl that shriek'd,

:

The fatal bellman which gives the stern'st good night.

He is about it: The doors are open;

And the surfeited grooms do mock their charge with snores :

I have drugg'd their possets,

That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live, or die.

Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-what, hoa!
Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd,
And 'tis not done :—the attempt, and not the deed,
Confounds us :-Hark -I laid their daggers ready,
He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled
My father as he slept I had done 't-My husband!

Enter MACBETH.

Mach. I have done the deed :-Didst thou not hear a noise? Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry.

Did not you speak?