Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o' the building.

Macb. What is't you say? The life?

Len. Mean you his majesty?

Macd. Approach the chamber, and destroy your

sight

With a new gorgon :-Do not bid me speak;
See, and then speak yourselves.-Awake! Awake!
[Exeunt Macbeth and Lenox.

Ring the alarum-bell :-Murder! And treason !
Banquo, and Donalbain? Malcolm! Awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself!-Up, up, and see
The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprights,
To countenance this horror.
[Bell rings.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. What's the business,

That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak,-

Macd. O, gentle lady,

'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : The repetition, in a woman's ear,

Would murder as it fell. O Banquo! Banquo!

Enter BANQUO.

Our royal master's murder'd!

Lady M. Woe, alas!

What, in our house?

Ban. Too cruel, any where.

Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself,
And say, it is not so.

Re-enter MACBETH and LENOX.

Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant, There's nothing serious in mortality:

All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.

Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN.

Don. What is amiss?

Macb. You are, and do not know it:

The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd. Macd. Your royal father's murder'd.

Mal. O, by whom?

Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't; Their hands and faces were all badged with blood, So were their daggers, which, unwiped, we found Upon their pillows:

They stared, and were distracted; no man's life Was to be trusted with them.

Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury,

That I did kill them.

Macd. Wherefore did you so ?

Macb. Who can be wise, amazed, temperate, and

furious,

Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man :
The expedition of my violent love
Out-ran the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin laced with his golden blood;
And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature,
For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
Unmannerly breech'd with gore*: who could re-

refrain,

That had a heart to love, and in that heart,
Courage, to make his love known?
Lady M. Help me hence, ho?

Macd. Look to the lady.

Mal. Why do we hold our tongues,

That most may claim this argument for ours?
Don. What should be spoken here,
Where our fate, hid within an augre-hole,
May rush and sieze us? Let's away; our tears
Are not yet brew'd.

Mal. Nor our strong sorrow on

The foot of motion.

Ban. Look to the lady :

[Lady Macbeth is carried out.

And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure, let us meet,

And question this most bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us :
In the great hand + of God I stand; and, thence,
Against the undivulged pretence i I fight

Of treasonous malice.

Macb. And so do I.

All. So all.

Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness,

And meet i' the hall together.

* Covered with blood to their hilt. † Power.

Intention.

All. Well contented.

[Exeunt all but Mal. and Don.

Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with

them:

To shew an unfelt sorrow, is an office
Which the false man does easy: I'll to England.
Don. To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.

Mal. 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.

SCENE IV.-Without the Castle.

Enter ROSSE, and an OLD MAN..

[Exeunt.

Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember well: Within the volume of which time, I have seen Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore

night

Hath trifled former knowings.
Rosse. Ah, good father,

Thou see'st, 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 it night's predominance, or the day's shame, That darkness does the face of earth intomb, When living light should kiss it?

Old M. 'Tis unnatural,

Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last,
A faulcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,
Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, and kill'd.

Rosse. 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,

Old M. 'Tis said, they eat each other.
Rosse. They did so; to the amazement of mine

eyes,

That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff: VOL. II.

000

Enter MACDUFF.

How goes the world, Sir, now?

Macd. Why, see you not?

Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than bloody

deed?

Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.

Rosse. Alas, the day!

What good could they pretend * ?

Macd. They were suborn'd;

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons, Are stolen away and fled; which puts upon them

Suspicion of the deed.

Rosse. 'Gainst nature still:

Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up
Thine own life's means!-Then 'tis most like,

The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

Macd. He is already named; and gone to Scone, To be invested.

Rosse. Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill;

The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,

And guardian of their bones.

Rosse. Will you to Scone?

Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife.

Rosse. Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well, may you see things well done there;

adieu!

Lest our old robes sit easier than our new !

Rosse. Father, farewell.

Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those

That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

ACT III,

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.- Fores. - A Room in the Palace.

Enter BANQUO.

Ban. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised; and, I fear, Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said, It should not stand in thy posterity; But that myself should be the root, and father Of many kings. If there come truth from them, (As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,) Why, by the verities on thee made good,

* Intend to themselves.

May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded.- Enter MACBETH, as King; Lady
MACBETH, as Queen; LENOX, ROSSE, Lords, La-

dies, and Attendants.

Macb. Here's our chief guest.

Lady M. If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,
And all-things unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, Sir
And I'll request your presence.
Ban. Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon ?

Ban. Ay, my good lord. [advice Macb. We should have else desired your good (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. Is't far you ride ?

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the bet

ter,

I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour, or twain.
Macb. Fail not our feast.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd

In England, and in Ireland; not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: but of that to-morrow;
When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state,
Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu,
Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you?
Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon

us.

Macb. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot; And so I do commend you to their backs. [Exit Banquo.

Farewell.
Let every man be master of his time
Till seven at night; to make society

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with

[Exeunt Lady Macbeth, Lords,

you.

Ladies, &c.

* Commit.