It is the bloody business, which informs Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell [A bell rings. That summons thee to heaven, or to hell. [Exit. SCENE II. The same. Enter LADY MACBETH. Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold; What hath quenched them, hath given me fire.— Hark!-peace! It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it: The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms 1 Steevens proposed to substitute the word "sleeper" for "sleep," and to erase the word "now," in order to render the measure harmonious. 2 The old copy reads sides: Pope made the alteration. Johnson objects to the epithet ravishing strides. But a stride was not always an action of violence, impetuosity, or tumult. Thus in The Faerie Queene, b. iv. c. viii., "With easy steps so soft as foot could stride." 3 Macbeth would have nothing break through the universal silence that added such horror to the night, as well suited with the bloody deed he was about to perform. Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged their possets, That death and nature do contend about them, Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-what, ho! Lady M. Alack! I am afraid, they have awaked, 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. Macb. I have done the deed.-Didst thou not hear a noise? Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets [Looking on his hands. Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and one cried, murder! That they did wake each other; I stood and heard them: But they did say their prayers, and addressed them Lady M. There are two lodged together. Macb. One cried, God bless us! and, amen, the 1 other; As1 they had seen me, with these hangman's hands. 1 As for as if. Listening their fear,' I could not say, amen, Lady M. Consider it not so deeply. Mach. But wherefore could not I pronounce, amen? I had most need of blessing, and amen Stuck in my throat. Lady M. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad. Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Lady M. What do you mean? Macb. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the house. Glamis hath murdered sleep; and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more-Macbeth shall sleep no more! Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think Macb. I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again, I dare not. Lady M. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping, and the dead, Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood, That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, 1 i. e. listening to their fear; the particle omitted. 2 Sleave is unwrought silk, sometimes, also, called floss silk. It appears to be the coarse, ravelled part separated by passing through the slaie (reed comb) of the weaver's loom; and hence called sleaved or sleided silk. Sleeveless, which has puzzled the etymologists, may be that which cannot be sleaved, sleided, or unravelled; and therefore useless: thus a sleeveless errand would be a fruitless one. VOL. III. 26 I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, Macb. [Exit. Knocking within. Whence is that knocking? How is't with me, when every noise appals me? Making the green-one red.2 2 Re-enter LADY MACBETH. Lady M. My hands are of your color; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a knocking At the south entry;-retire we to our chamber. A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended.3-[Knocking.] Hark! more knocking: Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, So poorly in your thoughts. Macb. To know my deed,-'twere best not know myself.1 [Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst ! 1 To incarnardine is to stain of a red color. 2 In the old copy the line stands thus: "Making the Green one, Red." [Exeunt. The punctuation in the text was adopted by Steevens at the suggestion of Murphy. Malone prefers the old punctuation. Steevens has well defended the arrangement of his text, which seems to deserve the preference. 3 "Your constancy hath left you unattended.”—-Vide note on Xing Henry V. Act v. Sc. 2. 4 This is an answer to Lady Macbeth's reproof. "While I have the thoughts of this deed, it were best not know, or be lost to myself." |
