Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men
May read strange 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 serpent under it. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my despatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
Macbeth. We will speak further.
Lady Macbeth.

To alter favour9 ever is to fear:

Only look up clear;

Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-Before the Castle.

Hautboys. Servants of MACBETH attending. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENOX, MACDUFF, ROSSE, ANGUS, and ATTENDANTS.

Duncan. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle senses.

Banquo. This guest of summer, The temple haunting martiet, does approve, By his lov'd mansionry, that the heaven's breath Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze, buttress, Nor coigne of vantage,1 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.

Duncan.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

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 yield us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.

Look, countenance.

1 Convenient corner.

? Reward.

Lady Macbeth.

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.

Duncan.

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;

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him To his home before us: Fair and noble hostess,

We are your guest to-night.

Lady Macbeth.

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.

Duncan.

Give me your hand.

Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.

SCENE VII.-A Room in the Castle.

8

[Exeunt.

Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a

4

SEWER, and divers SERVANTS with dishes and service. Then enter MACBETH.

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

It were done quickly: If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; 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 cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

3 Subject to accompt.

'An officer so called from his placing the dishes on the table.

To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking off:
And pity, like a naked new born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind.-I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,
And falls on the other.-How now, what news!

Enter LADY MACBETH.

Lady Macbeth. He has almost supp'd: Why have you left the chamber?

Macbeth. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady Macbeth:

Know you not, he has?

Macbeth. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady Macbeth.

Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? Would'st thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,

VOL. III.

• Winds; sightless is invisible.

And live a coward in thine own esteem;
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macbeth.

Pr'ythee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man—
Who dares do more, is none.
Lady Macbeth.

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 its boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn, as you
Have done to this.

Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth.

If we should fail,

We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, 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 wassel' so convince,8 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 His spongy officers; who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?'

Bring forth men-children only!

Macbeth.

For thy undaunted mettle should compose
Nothing but males. Will it not be received,'

When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have done't?

Lady Macbeth.

Who dares receive it other,

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar

Upon his death?

Macbeth.

I am settled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show:

False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Court within MACBETH's Castle.

Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, and a SERVANT with a torch before them.

Banquo. How goes the night, boy?

Fleance. The moon is down; I have not heard the

clock.

Banquo. And she goes down at twelve.

Fleance.

I take't, 'tis later, sir.

Banquo. Hold, take my sword:-There's husbandry 3

in heaven,

Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep: Merciful powers!
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repose!-Give me my sword:-

Enter MACBETH, and a SERVANT with a torch.
Who's there?

Macbeth. A friend.

Banquo. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed: He hath been in unusual pleasure, and Sent forth great largess to your offices: This diamond he greets your wife withal,

8 Thrift. 4 Bounty.

The rooms appropriated to servants.