[Asule. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! And in his commendations I am fed ; It is a banquet to me. Let us after him, SCENE V. Inverness. [Flourish. Exeunt. A Room in Macbeth's Castle. and Enter Lady MACBETH, reading a letter. Lady M. They met me in the day of success; I have learned by the perfeciest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues if rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be ture; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness, To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great; Art not without ambition; but without One of my fellows had the speed of him; Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more Than would make up his message. Give him tending, Lady M. He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarse, [Exit Attendant. That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men But be the serpent under it. He that s coming SCENE VI. The same. Before the Castle. Hautboys. Servants of Macbeth attending. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENOX, MACDUFF, ROSSE, 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 coigne of vantage, but this bird hath made His pendent bed, and procreant cradle: Where they Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air Is delicate. Lady M. All our service In every point twice done, and then done double, Where's the thane of Cawdor? And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him Lady M. 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. Give me your hand: Dun. Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess. [Exeunt. It were done quickly: If the assassination Who should against his murderer shut the door, Enter Lady MACBETH. Lady M. He has almost supp'd; Why have you left the chamber? Macb. Hath he ask'd for me? To be the same in thine own act and valour, Macb. Pr'ythee, peace : I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none. Lady M. What beast was it then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so 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 suck; and know How tender 'tis, to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn, as you Have done to this. Macb. Lady M. If we should fail, We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, Macb. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but Enter Lady MACBETH. 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, That death and nature do contend about them, Macb. [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 them. 1 Had he not resembled My father as he slept I had done't. My husband? Enter MACBET 1. Macb. This is a sorry sight. Donalbain. [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 address'd them There are two lodg'd together. Macb. One cried, God bless us! and, Amen, the other; As they had seen me, with these hangman's hands. Lady M. I had most need of blessing, and amen Lady M. Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Glamis hath murder'd sleep: and therefore Cawdor Wake Duncan with thy knocking; Ay, 'would thou could'st! Enter a Porter [Knocking within. Ports. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there, i' the name of Belzebub? 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.] 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: 0, come in equivocator. [Knocking.] 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.] Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking.] Anon, anon; I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That do lie so late? you 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 ? 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. 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? Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes, What is't you say? the life? Len. Mean you his majesty ? Dear Duff, I pr'ytl:ee, contradict thyself, And say, it is not so. Re-enter MACBETH and LENOX. Macb. Had I but died an hour before this coance, I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant, There's nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead; Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. Don. What is amiss? You are, and do not know it: Mal. Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood, They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, Macd. Wherefore did you so? Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man : Macd. Look to the lady. Mal. Help me hence, lo Why do we hold our tongues, Macd. Approach the chamber, and destroy your That most may claim this argument for ours? sight With a new Gorgon : - Do not bid me speak; Malcolm! Banquo! As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprights, To countenance this horror! [Bell rings. Don. What should be spoken here, Where our fate, hid within an augre-hole, Mal. The foot of motion. Ban. Nor our strong sorrow on Look to the lady: - And when we have our naked frailties hid, And so do I. So all. Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i'the hall together. All. Well contented. [Exeunt all but MAL. and DoN. Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them : To show an unfelt sorrow, is an office |