Who, almost dead for breath, had fcarcely more
Than would make up his message.
LADY M. Give him tending,
He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarse,
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unfex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direft cruelty! make thick my blood,
Stop up the accefs and paffage to remorse;
That no compunctious vifitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect, and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring minifters,
Wherever in your fightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell!
That my keen knife fee not the wound it makes;
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry, Hold, bold!-Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!
Enter MACBETH.
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !
Thy letters have transported me beyond
This ignorant present, and I feel now
The future in the inftant.
MACB. My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.
LADY M. And when goes hence?
MACB. To-morrow, as he purposes.
LADY M. O, never
Shall fun that morrow fee!
Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men
May read strange matters:-To beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue : look like the innocent flower,
But be the ferpent under it. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you fhall put
This night's great business into my despatch;
Which fhall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and masterdom.
MACB. We will speak further.
LADY M. Only look up clear;
To alter favour ever is to fear:
Leave all the reft to me.
SCENE VI. The fame. Before the Caftle.
Hautboys. Servants of MACBETH attending.
Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENOX, MACDUFF, ROSSE, ANGUS, and Attendants. DUN. This castle hath a pleasant feat; the air Nimbly and fweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle fenfes.
BAN. This guest of fummer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,
By his lov'd manfionry, 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
Moft breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air
Is delicate.
Enter Lady MACBETH.
DUN. See, fee! our honour'd hoftefs!
The love that follows us, fometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you shall bid God yield us for your pains,
In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and fingle business, to contend
Against thofe honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
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 hoftess,
We are your guest to-night.
LADY M. 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.
DUN. Give me your hand :
Conduct me to mine hoft; we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.
SCENE VII. The fame. A Room in the Caftle.
Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a fewer, and divers fervants with dishes and fervice. Then enter MACBETH.
MACB. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: If the affaffination
Could trammel up the confequence, and catch,
With his furceafe, fuccefs; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and fhoal of time,-
VOL. III.
We'd jump the life to come.-But, in these cases,
We still have judgement here; that we but teach
Bloody inftructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poifon'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 fhould against his murderer 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,
Striding the blaft, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the fightless 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 fides 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 almoft fupp'd; Why have you
the chamber?
MACB. Hath he afk'd for me?
LADY M. Know you not, he has?
MACB. 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 glofs, Not caft afide fo foon.
LADY M. Was the hope drunk,
Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept fince?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard
To be the fame in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in defire? Would't thou have that
Which thou esteem'st 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' the adage?
MACB. Pr'ythee, peace:
I dare do all that may become a man ;
Who dares do more, is none.
LADY M. What beaft was it 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 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 fuck; and know
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 fo fworn, as you
Have done to this.
MACB. If we should fail,.
LADY M. We fail!
But fcrew your courage to the fticking-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 waffel fo convince,
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