Lady M. Come on ; Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks; Be bright and jovial 'mong your guests tonight. Macb. So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you: Let your remembrance apply to Banquo; streams; And make our faces vizards to our hearts, Lady M. You must leave this. Macb. O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance, lives. Lady M. But in them nature's copy's not eterne. Macb. there's comfort yet; they are assailable; Then be thou jocund: Ere the bat bath flown His cloister'd flight; ere, to black Hecate's summons, [hums, The shard-borne beetle, + with his drowsy Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be A deed of dreadful note. [done Lady M. What's to be done? Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, t (night! Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling Skarf up the tender eye of pitiful day; And, with thy bloody and invisible hand, Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond Which keeps me pale !-Light thickens; and the 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, ho! 2 Mur. Then it is 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. Ban. O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, Thou may'st revenge. O slave! [fly: [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 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. 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, 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. Thanks for that:-There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's of Hath nature that in time will venom breed, No teeth for the present.-Get thee gone; to Len. Here's a place reserv'd, Sir. Macb. Where? Len. Here my lord. What is't that moves your highness? Macb. Which of you have done this? Macb. Thou can'st not say I did it never Thy gory locks at me. [shake Rosse. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well. Lady M. Sit, worthy friends :-my lord is often thus, [seat; And hath been from his youth: 'pray you, keep The fit is momentary; upon a thought* He will again be well: If much you note him, You shall offend him and extend his passion; † Feed, and regard him not.-Are you a man? Macb. Ay, and a bold one that dare look on Which might appal the devil. Lady M. O proper stuff! (that This is the very painting of your fear: starts (Impostors to true fear,) would well become Mach. Pr'ythee, see there! behold! look! lo! Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now i'the olden time, Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal; Ay, and since too, murders 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 murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools: This is more Than such a murder is. Lady M. My worthy lord, Your noble friends do lack you. Macb. I do forget :- [strange Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends; to all; Then I'll sit down --Give mie some wine, fill full : I drink to the general joy of the whole table, Ghost rises. Even to the disposition that I owe, Rosse. What sights, my lord? Lady M. I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse; Question enrages him: at once, goo night :- Len. Good night, and better health Lady M. A kind good night to all! [Exeunt LORDS and ATTENDANTS. Macb. It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood: Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak : Augurs, and understood relations, have By magot-pies, and choughs, and brought forth rooks, 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 denics this person, At our great bidding? Lady M. Did you send to him, Sır? Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send : There's not a one of them, but in his house I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow, (Betimes I will,) unto the weird sisters: More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know, [good, By the worst incans the worst: for mine own All causes shall give way; I am in blood Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er : Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; Which must be acted, ere they may be scann’d. ¶ Lady M. You lack the season of all natures, sleep. Macb. Come, we'll to sleep: my strange and self-abuse Is the initiate fear that wants hard use:- we Thunder. And to our dear friend Bauquo, whom Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Lady M. Think of this, good peers, Macb. What man dare, I dare: SCENE V.-The Heath. [Exeunt. Enter HECATE, meeting the three 1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecate ? you look angerly. Hec. Have I not reason, beldams as you are, In riddles and affairs of death; Meet me i'the morning: thither be Great business must be wrought ere noon: There hangs a vaporous drop profound: Shall raise such artificial sprights, He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear Is mortal's chiefest enemy. Song. [Within.] Come away, come away, &c. Hark, I am call'd; my little spirit, see, Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me. [Exit. 1 Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again. [Exeunt. SCENE VI-Fores.-A Room in the Palace. Enter LENOX and another LORD. Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts, Which can interpret further: only, I say, Things have been strangely borne: The gracious Duncan Was pitied of Macbeth :-marry, he was dead :And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late; Whom, you may say, if it please you, Fleance kill'd, For Fleance fled. Men must not walk too late. Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain, To kill their gracious father? damned fact ! How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight, In pious rage, the two delinquents tear, That were the slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep? Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too; For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive, To hear the men deny it. So that, I say, He has berue all things well: and I do think, That, had he Duncan's sons under his key, (As, an't please heaven, be shall not,) they should find What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. But, peace!-for from broad words, and cause he fail'd His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear, Lord. The son of Duncan, From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights; knives; Do faithful homage, and receive free honours, † Lord. He did and with an absolute, Sir, not I, The cloudy messenger turns me his back, I. e. A drop that has deep or hidden qualities. Honours freely bostowed. 1 For exasperated. SCENE 1.-A dark Cave.-In the middle, a Cauldron boiling. Thunder. Enter the three WITCHES. 1 Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. 2 Witch. Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd. 3 Witch. Harper cries:-'Tis time, 'tis time. All. Double, double toil and trouble; 2 Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake, All. Double, double toil and trouble; 3 Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf; All. Double, double toil and trouble; 2 Witch. Cool it with a baboo's blood, Then the charm is firm and good. Enter HECATE, and the other three WITCHES. Hec. Oh! well done! I commend your pains; And every one shall share i'the gains. And now about the cauldron sing Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. 332 Enter MACBETH. MACBETH. Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macb. How now, you secret, black, and mid. Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until night hags? What is't you do? All. A deed without a name. Macb. I conjure you, by that which you pro- (Howe'er you come to know it,) answer me : down; Though castles topple on heads; their warders' Though palaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure Of nature's germins tumble all together, To what I ask you. 1 Witch. Speak. 2 Witch. Demand. 3 Witch. We'll answer. Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Macb. That will never be ; [Descends. bid the tree Unfix his earth-bound root? sweet bodement ? Rebellious head, rise never, till the wood art Can tell so much,) shall Banquo's issue ever All. Seek to know no more. know:- Let me Why sinks that cauldron ? and what noise + is [Hautboys. this? 1 Witch. Show! 2 Witch. Show I 3 Witch. Show! All. Show his eyes, and grieve his heart; 1 Witch. Say, if thoud'st rather hear it from Come like shadows, so depart. Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first :- Why do you show me this ?-A fourth ?-Start, What! will the line stretch out to the crack of Another yet?-A seventh ?-I'll see no more :- me, Thunder.-An APPARITION of a Bloody Child While you perform the autique round: rises. App. Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!-- And resolute laugh to scorn the power of man, For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. Macb. Then live, Macduff'; What need I fear But yet I'll make assurance double sure All. Listen, but speak not. App. Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no That this great king may kindly say, [Music. The WITCHES dance, and vanish. Stand aye accursed in the calender!- Enter LENOX. Macb. Came they not by you? Len. No, indeed, my lord. Mach. Infected be the air whereon they ride; And damn'd all those that trust them!-I did The flighty purpose never is o'ertook, The castle of Macduff I will surprise; Come, bring me where they are. [Exeunt. SCENE 11.-Fife.-A Room in MACDUFF's Castle. Enter Lady MACDUFF, her SON, and Rosse. L. Macd. What had he done, to make bin fly the land ? Rosse. You must have patience, madam. His flight was madness: When our actions do not, Our fears do make us traitors. + Rosse. You know not, Whether it was his wisdom, or his fear. L. Macd. Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes, His mansion, and his titles, in a place not; He wants the natural touch: ‡ for the poor wren Rosse. My dearest coz, I pray you, school yourself: But, for your hus-I He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows further: But cruel are the times, when we are traitors, And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour From what we fear, yet know not what we fear; But float upon a wild and violent sea, Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward To what they were before.-My pretty cousin, Blessing upon you! L. Macd. Father'd he is, and yet he's fatherless. Rosse. I am so much a fool, should I stay longer, It would be my disgrace, and your discomfort : I take my leave at once. [Exit ROSSE. L. Macd. Sirrah, your father's dead; And what will you do now? How will you live? Son. As birds do, mother. L. Macd. What, with worms and flies? Son. With what I get, I mean; and so do they. L. Macd. Poor bird! thoud'st never fear the net, nor lime, The pit-fall nor the gin. Son. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for. My father is not dead, for all your saying. Son. Nay, how will you do for a husband? market. Son Then you'll buy 'em to sell again. L. Macd. Thon speak'st with all thy wit; and yet i'faith, With wit enough for thee. Son. Was my father a traitor, mother? L. Macd. Why, one that swears and lies. L. Macd. Every one that does so, is a traitor, and must be hanged. Son. And must they all be hanged, that swear and lie? L. Macd. Every one. Son. Who must hang them? L. Macd. Why, the honest men. Son. Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enough to beat the honest men, and hang up them. L. Macd. Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father? Son. If he were dead, you'd weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father. L. Macd. Poor prattler! how thou talk'st. Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known, Though in your state of honour I am perfect. + ones. Heaven pre To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage; To do worse to you, were fell cruelty, Which is too nigh your person. serve you! dare abide no longer. [Exit MESSENGER, L. Macd. Whither should I fly I have done no harm. But I remember now am in this earthy world; where, to do harm, Is often laudable; to do good, sometime, Accounted dangerous folly: Why then, alas ! Do I put up that womanly defence, To say I have done no harm ?--What are these faces ? sorrows L. Macd. Yes, he is dead; how wilt thou do Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds As if it felt with Scotland, and yell'd out Like syllable of dolour. Mal. What I believe, I'll wail; I am perfectly acquainted with your rank. Birthright. new |