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, horsed
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 M. He has almost supp'd; why have you left the chamber?

Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady M. Know you not, he has?

[ness: Macb. We will proceed no further in this busiHe 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 M. 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? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st 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?

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 enterprize 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 adheret, and yet you would make both:
They have made themselves, and that their fitness.

now

Winds; sightless is invisible:
In the same sense as cohere.

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. If we should fail,

Lady M. 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,
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?

Macb. Bring forth men-children only!

For thy undaunted mettle should compose
Nothing but males. Will it not be received,
When we have marked with blood those sleepy

two

Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, That they have don't?

Lady M. Who dares receive it other,

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his death?

Macb. 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.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-The same.-Court within the Castle. Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE; and a Servant, with a Torch before them.

Ban. How goes the night, boy?

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

clock.

Ban. And she goes down at twelve.

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

Sentinel.

Ban. Hold, take my sword :-There's husbandry' 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?

Macb. A friend.

Ban. What, Sir, not yet at rest? The king's abed:

He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largess + to your offices:
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
In measureless content.

Macb. Being unprepared,

Our will became the servant to defect;
Which else should free have wrought.
Ban. All's well.

I dreamt last night of three weird sisters:
To you they have shew'd some truth.
Macb. I think not of them:

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
Would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.

Ban. At your kind'st leisure.

Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent,-when 'tis,

It shall make honour for you.

Ban. So I lose none,

In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised, and allegiance clear,

I shall be counsel'd.

Macb. Good repose, the while!

Ban. Thanks, Sir; the like to you! [Exit Bango Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is

ready,

She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

(Exit Servant.

Is this a dagger, which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch

thee:

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
A dagger of the mind; a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain ?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still;
And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts + of blood,
Which was not so before.-There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business, which informs

Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world
Nature seems dead, and wicked-dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost.-Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my where-about,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it.-Whiles I threat, he lives;
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
[A Bell rings.

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven, or to hell.

SCENE II.-The same.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

[Exit.

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,
Which gives the stern'st good night. He is about it:
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.

Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-What, ho!

* Haft.

+ Drops.

Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awaked, And 'tis not done: The attempt, and not the deed, Confounds us:-Hark :-I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't.-My husband? Enter MACBETH.

Macb. I have done the deed :-Didst thou not hear a noise?

Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets

Who lies i' the second chamber?

Lady M. Donalbain.

Macb. This is a sorry sight.

[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 Again to sleep.

Lady M. There are two lodged together.

Macb. One.cried, God bless us! and, Amen, the other;

As they had seen me, with these hangman's hands, Listening their fear. I could not say, amen, When they did say, God bless us.

Lady M. Consider it not so deeply.

Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce,

amen?

I had most need of blessing, and amen

Stuck in my throat.

Lady M. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no

more!

Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave+ of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course Chief nourisher in life's feast;

. As if.

+Sleave is unwrought silk."