Mess. So please you, it is true: our thane is | Where they most breed and haunt, I have coming; One of my fellows had the speed of him, more Than would make up his message. Lady M. He brings great news. 40 Give him tending: Exit Messenger. The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top full Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings 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 murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, 50 And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry Hold, hold!' And when goes hence? Macb. To-morrow, as he purposes. Lady M. Shall sun that morrow see. O! never 61 Your face, my thane, is as a book where men But be the serpent under 't. He that's coming Only look up clear; Enter DUNCAN, MAL SCENE VI.-The Same. Before the Castle. Hautboys and torches. COLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENNOX, MACDUFF, ROSS, 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, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve By his lov'd mansionry that the heaven's breath Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze, Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle: observ'd The air is delicate. Dun. Enter Lady MACBETH, 9 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 'ild 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. 20 Dun. Where's the Thane of Cawdor? To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess, Your servants 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 host: we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess. 30 Exeunt. 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 Who should against his murderer shut the door, 20 So clear in his great office, that his virtues Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know If we should fail,— We fail. But screw your courage to the sticking-place, 60 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 wassail 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 70 His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell? Macb. Bring forth men-children only; 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 I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: 20 If you would grant the time. 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. Macb. Good repose the while! Ban. Thanks, sir: the like to you. Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE. Macb. 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, I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. SCENE II. - The Same. Enter Lady MACBETH. 60 Macbeth does murder sleep,' the innocent sleep, What do you mean? 40 Macb. Still it cried 'Sleep no more!' to all the house : Exit. Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore 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, about it: He is 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. Mach. Within. Who's there? what, ho! 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 'em. 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? 14 Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more !' Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, You do unbend your noble strength to think I'll go no more: 50 Exit. Knocking within. mine eyes. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Lady M. I heard the owl scream and the Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will crickets cry. Did not you speak? rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Re-enter Lady MACBETH. 61 Lady M. My hands are of your colour, but I To wear a heart so white. Knocking within SCENE III.-The Same. Knocking within. Enter a Porter. Porter. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate he should have old turning the key. Knocking within. Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty : come in time; have napkins enough about you; here you'll sweat for 't. Knocking within. Knock, knock! Who's there, i' the other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O! come in, equivocator. Knocking within. Knock, knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. Knocking within. Knock, knock! never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devilporter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. Knocking within. Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late? Port. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock; and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macd. What three things does drink especially provoke ? 31 Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery; it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. 41 Macd. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. Port. That it did, sir, i' the very throat o' me: but I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. Macd. Is thy master stirring? Enter MACBETH. He does he did appoint so. Len. The night has been unruly: where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death, And prophesying with accents terrible Clamour'd the livelong night: some say the earth Macb. What is 't you say the life! With a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak; Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes. They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life Was to be trusted with them. Macb. O yet I do repent me of my fury, Macd. Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man : nature 120 To show an unfelt sorrow is an office The nearer bloody. Mal. 150 This murderous shaft that's shot Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way Is to avoid the aim: therefore, to horse; And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that theft Which steals itself when there's no mercy left. Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Without the Castle. Old Man. Threescore and ten I can remember well; Within the volume of which time I have seen Ah! good father, Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's act, Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock 'tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. Is 't night's predominance, or the day's shame, That darkness does the face of earth entomb, When living light should kiss it? Old Man. 'Tis unnatural, Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last, A falcon, towering in her pride of place, 11 Ross. And Duncan's horses, a thing most strange and certain, Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make War with mankind. | Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up |