With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains The prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Are register'd where every day I turn
Not, unaccompanied, inveft him only,
The leaf to read them.-Let us toward the king.-But figns of nobleness, like ftars, shall shine
Think upon what hath chanc'd; and, at more time, On all defervers.-From hence to Inverness,

The interim having weigh'd it, let us fpeak

Our free hearts each to other.

Ban. Very gladly.

Macb. 'Till then, enough.-Come, friends.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

And bind us further to you.

[you:

Macb. The prince of Cumberland 4!-That is a

Flourish. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, On which I muft fall down, or elfeo'er-leap, [Afide.

and Attendants.

For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires!

King. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Let not light see my black and deep defires: Thofe in commiffion yet return'd ?

Mal. My liege,

They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that faw him die: who did report,
That very frankly he confefs'd his treasons ;
Implor'd your highness' pardon; and fet forth
A deep repentance: nothing in his life
Became him, like the leaving it; he dy'd
As one that had been ftudied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 'twere a careless trifle.

King. There's no art,

To find the mind's conftruction 2 in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An abfolute truft.-O worthieft coufin!

Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Roffe, and Angus.
The fin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me: Thou art fo far before,
That swifteft wing of recompence is flow

To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadft lefs deferv'd;" ferr'd me to the coming on of time, with, Hail,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! only I have left to fay,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
Mach. The fervice and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itfelf. Your highness' part
and our duties

"king that foalt be! This have I thought good to "deliver thee, my deareft partner of greatnefs; "that thou might'ft not lofe the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promis'd "thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewel." Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and fhalt be [ture; Are to your throne and state, children, and fervants; What thou art promis'd:-Yet do I fear thy naWhich do but what they should, by doing every❘ It is too full o' the milk of human kindness, Safe toward your love and honour 3. [thing To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness fhould attend it. What thou would'st That would't thou holily; would'ft not play falfe, And yet would'ft wrongly win: thou'd'it have, great Glamis,

King. Welcome hither:

I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing.-Noble Banquo,
That haft no lefs deferv'd, nor must be known
No lefs to have done fo, let me enfold thee,
And hold thee to my heart.

Ban. There if I grow,
The harveft is your own.

King. My plenteous joys,

Wanton in fulness, feek to hide themselves
In drops of forrow.-Sons, kinfimen, thênes,
And you whofe places are the neareft, know,
We will establish our eftate apon

Our eldert, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter,

[highly,

That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
And that which rather thou doft fear to do,
Than wifheit fhould be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my fpirits in thine ear;
And chaftife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round 6,
Which fate and metaphyfical 7 aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.What is your
tidings?

That is, inftructed in the art of dying. 2 i. e. the frame or difpofition of the mind, whether it is determined to good or ill. 3 i. c. We do but perform our duty when we contract all our views to your fervice. 4 Mr. Steevens obferves, that "the crown of Scotland was originally not hereditary. When a fucceffor was declared in the life-time of a king (as was often the cafe), the title of Prince of Cumberland was immediately beftowed on him as the mark of his deugnation. Cumberland was at that time held by Scotland of the crown of England, as a fief." 5 i. c. By the

beft intelligence,

1. e, the diadem. 7 Met phyfical is here put for fupernatural.

Enter

Lady. Give him tending,

He brings great news. The raven himfelf is hoarfe,
[Exit Mef.

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. 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 remorie;
That no compunctious vifitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect, and it 2! Come to my woman's breafts,
And take my milk for gall 3, you murd'ring
minifters,

Wherever in your fightless fubstances [night,
You wait on nature's mifchief 4! Come, thick
And pall thee in the dunncit 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 7!--Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

Enter Macbeth.

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !
Thy letters have tranfported me beyond
This ignorant present time, and I feel now
The future in the inftant.

Macb. My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady. And when goes hence?

Mach. To-morrow, as he purposes.
Lady. Oh, never

Shall fun that morrow fee!

Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men
May read ftrange 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 bufinefs into my dispatch;
Which thall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and mafterdom.
Mach. We will speak further.
Lady. Only look up clear;

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, De-
nalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Roffe, Angus,
and Attendants.

King. This caftle hath a pleasant feat; the air
Nimbly and fweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle 9 fenfes.

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve
Ban. This gueft of fummer,
By his lov'd manfioury, that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here: no jutty frieze,

Buttrefs, nor coigne of vantage 10, but this bird
Hath made his pendant bed, and procreant cradle :
Where they moft breed and haunt, I have obferv'd,
The air is delicate.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

King. See, fee! our honour'd hostess'
The love that follows us, fometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you fhall bid God yield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

In every point twice done, and then done double,
Lady. All our fervice
Againft thofe honours deep and broad, wherewith
Were poor and fingle bufinefs, to contend
Your majesty loads our houfe: For thofe of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We reft your hermits 12.

King. 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; [him
And his great love, fharp as his fpur, hath holp
To his home before us: Fair and noble hoftefs,
We are your guest to-night.

Lady. Your fervants ever

[compt 13,

Have theirs, themfelves, and what is theirs, in
To make their audit at your highnefs' pleasure,
Still to return your own.

Conduct me to mine hoft; we love him highly,
King. Give me your hand:
And fhall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hoftefs.

SCENE VII.

[Exeunt.

Hautboys and Torches. Enter a Sewer 14, and divers
Servants with dishes and fervice over the flage.
Then enter Macbeth.

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then
'twere well

It were done quickly: If the affaffination

That is, murtherous, or deadly defigns. i. e. nor delay the execution of my purpofe. 3 i. e. Take away my milk, and put gall into the place. 4 Nature's mifchief is mifchief done to nature. 5 i. e. wrap thyfelf in a pall, which was a robe of ftate, as well as a covering thrown over the dead. 6 The word knife was anciently ufed to exprefs a fword. 7 Mr. Tollet explains this paffage thus: The thought is taken from the old military laws, which inflicted capital punishment upon "whofoever fhall ftrike ftroke at his adverfary, either in the heat or otherwife, if a third do cry hold, to the intent to part them; except that they did fight a combat in a place inclofed and then no man fhall be fo hardy as to bid hold, but the general." 8 i, e. unknowing. 9 i. c. our calm compofed fenfes. 10 Meaning, convenient corner. i.e. God reward; or, perhaps, as Dr. John13 i. c. fubject to account. 14 The office His chief mark of dift action was a towel

fon fuggefts, protect us. 12 Hermits, for beadfinen. of a fewer was to place the difhes in order at a fealt. round his arm.

Could

Could trammel up the confequence, and catch,
With his furcease, fuccefs; 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 cafes,
We still have judgment 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 1. He's here in double truft:
First, as I am his kinfman and his fubject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his hoft,
Who thould against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myfelf. 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 fightiefs couriers of the air 2,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

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 dafh'd the brains out, had I but fo fworn
As you have done to this.

Macb. If we fhould fail,-
Lady. We fail!

But fcrew your courage to the sticking place,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is afleep,
(Whereto the rather fhall his day's hard journey

That tears fhall drown the wind.-I have no spur Soundly invite him) his two chamberlains

To prick the fides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,

And falls on the other-How now! what news?

Enter Lady.

Will I with wine and waffel 4 io convince 5,
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt 7 of reaton
A limbeck only: When in fwinith fleep

Lady. He has almost supp'd; Why have you Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,

left the chamber?

Macb. Hath he afk'd for me?

Lady. Know you not, he has?

What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan ? what not put upon
His fpungy officers; who fhall bear the guilt
Of our great quell9?

Mach. Bring forth mden-children only!
For thy undaunted mettie fhould compote

Mach. We will proceed no farther in this bufinefs:
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, Nothing but males.
Not caft afide fo foon.

Lady. Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dreft yourself? hath it flept fince?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale
At what it did fo freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afraid
To be the fame in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in defire? Wouldft thou have that
Which thou efteem'ft the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem;
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i' the adage 3 ?

Will it not be receiv'd,

When we have mak'd with blood thofe fleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very dagger,
That they have done 't?

Lady. Who dares receive it other,

As we thall make our griets and clamour roar
Upon his death ?

Mach. 1 am fettled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
Falfe face muft hide what the falfe heart doth know.

[Exeunt.

This obfcure foliloquy, about the meaning of which none of the readers of Shakspeare agree, Dr. Johnfon explains thus: "If that which I am about to do, when it is once done and executed, were done and ended without any following effects, it would then be best to do it quickly; it the murder could terminate in itself, and restrain the regular courfe of confequences, if its faccess could fecure its furceafe, if being once done fucessfully, without detection, it could fix a pened to all vengeance and enquiry, fo that this blow might be all that I have to do, and this anxiety all that I have to fuffer; if this could be my condition, even here in this world, in this contracted period of temporal exiftence, on this narrow bank in the ocean of eternity, I would jump the life to come, 1 would venture upon the deed without care of any future ftate. But this is one of thefe cafes in which judgment is pronounced and vengeance inflicted upon us here in our prefent lite. We teach others to do as we have done, and are punished by our own example." 2 Couriers of air mean winds, air in motion. Sightlefs is invahtle. 3 The proverb alluded to is, "The cat loves fijk, but dares not wet her feet." 4 Waffel or Woffail is a word til in ufe in Staffordshire, and the adjoining Counties, and fignifies at prefent what is called Lambs Wool, 1. e roafted apples in ftrong beer, with fugar and fpice. Wat, however, may be here put for riot or intemperance. > i. e. overpower or fubdue. Or, the continel, 7 i. e. the receptacle. Meaning, it thall be only a velid to emit fumes or vapours. 9 Quell is murder.

ACT

ACT

SCENE I.

Enter Banquo, and Fleance, with a torch before him.

Ban.

night, boy?

HOW goes the misist, bon; I have not

heard the clock.

Ban. And he goes down at twelve.

Fle. I take 't, 'tis later, fir.

II.

Thou marshal'ft me the way that I was going;
And fuch an inftrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,

And on thy blade, and dudgeon 3, gouts + of blood,

Or elfe worth all the reft: I fee thee ftill;

Which was not fo before.-There's no fuch thing:
It is the bloody bufinefs, which informs
Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world

Ban. Hold, take my fword :-There's husban- Nature feems dead, and wicked dreams abuse

dry in heaven,

Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too.
A heavy fummons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not fleep: Merciful powers!
Reftrain in me the curfed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repofe !-Give me my ftvord ;-
Enter Macbeth, and a fervant with a torch.
Who's there?

Mach. A friend.

The curtain'd fleep; now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his fentinel, the wolf,

Whofe howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravifhing ftrides, towards his defign
Moves like a ghoft.-Thou fure and firm-fet earth,
Hear not my fteps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very ftones prate of my where-about,
And take the prefent horror from the time,

Ban. What, fir, not yet at reft? The king's a-bed: Which now fuits with it.-While I threat, he lives:

He hath been in unufual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largefs to your officers:

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

Lady. 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 fhrick'd, the fatal bell-man,
Which gives the ftern'st good-night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the furfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with fnores: I have drugg'd
their pollets 5,

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

Mach. [Within.] Who's there?-what, ho !
Lady. 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 mifs them.-Had he not refembled
My father as he flept, I had done't.—My husband ?
Enter Macbeth.

Macb. I have done the deed :-Didit thou not
hear a noife?
[cry.

Lady. I heard the owl fcream, and the crickets
Did not you fpeak?

Mach. When?

Lady. Now.

Mach. As I defcended?

Lady. Ay.

Macb. Hark-Who lies 'the fecond chamber?
Lady. Donalbain.

Matb. This is a forry fight. [Locking culis bands.

To fhut up, is to conclude. 2 Confent for will. 3 Dudgeon properly means the hift or handle of a dagger, and is ufed for that particular fort of handle which has fome ornament caved on the top of it. 4 i. e. Spots: the phrafe is borrowed from heraldry. 5 It was the general cutlom in shofe days to eat poffets juft before bed-time.

Bb

Lily.

As they had feen me, with thefe hangman's hands, Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would, thou
Liftening their fear 1. I could not fay, Amen,
When they did fay, God bleís us.

2 A fkein of filk is called a leave of filk. 3 To incarnardine, is to ftain any thing of a flesh colour, or red. 4 i. e. while I have the thoughts of this deed, it were beit not know, or be loft to, myself. 5 i. e. handkerchiefs. Meaning, a jefuit; an order fo troublefome to the ftate in queen Elizabeth and king James the firit's time; the inventors of the execrable doctrine of equivocation.