before, thefe weird fifters faluted me, and referr'd me to the coming on of time, with hail, King that fhalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee (my dearest Partner of Greatness) that thou might' ft not lofe the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what Greatness is promis'd thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewel.

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor. -and fhalt be
What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature s
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness,

To catch the nearest way.

Thou wouldst be great ; Art not without ambition; but without

The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,

And yet wouldít wrongly win.

Glamis,

Thou'dft have, great

That which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have

it;

"And That which rather thou doft fear to do,

"Than wishest should be undone." Hie thee hither, That I may pour my fpirits in thine ear,

And chaftife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden Round,
Which fate, and metaphysical aid, doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.

Enter Meffenger.

What is your tidings?

Mef. The King comes here to night.

Lady. Thou'rt mad to say it.

Is not thy mafter with him? who, wer't fo,

Would have inform'd for preparation.

Mef. So please you, it is true: our Thane is coming

One of my fellows had the fpeed of him;

Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more

Than would make up his meffage.

Lady. Give him tending;

He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarfe,

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan

[Exit Mef.

Under

Under my battlements. Come, all you Spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unfex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to th' toe, top-full
Of direft cruelty; make thick my blood,
Stop up th'accefs and paffage to Remorfe,
That no compunctious vifitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th' effect, and it. Come to my woman's breafts,
And take my milk for gall, you murth'ring ministers!
Where-ever in your fightless fubftances

You wait on nature's mischief.

Come, thick night! And pall thee in the dunnest smoak of hell, That my keen knife fee not the wound it makes; Nor heav'n peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry, hold, hold!

Enter Macbeth.

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

[Embracing him.

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !

Thy letters have tranfported me beyond

This ign'rant prefent time, and I feel now
The future in the inftant.

Macb. Dearest love,

Duncan comes here to night.

Lady. And when goes hence?

Macb. To morrow, as he purposes.

Lady. Oh, never

Shall Sun that morrow fee!

Your face, my Thane, is as a book, where men (8)

(8) Tour Face, my Thane, is as a Book, where Men

May read ftrange Matters to beguile the Time.

Look like the Time,] I have ventur'd against the Authority of all the Copies, to alter the Pointing of this Paffage: and, I hope, with fome Certainty. The Lady undoubtedly means, that Macbeth looks fo full of thought and folemn Reflection upon the purpos'd act, that, the fears, People may comment upon the Reason of his Gloom: and therefore defires him, in order to take off and prevent fuch Comments, . to wear a Face of Pleasure and Entertainment; and look like the Time, the better to deceive the Time.

May

May read ftrange 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 ferpent under't. He, that's coming,
Muft be provided for; and you shall put
This night's great bufinefs into my difpatch,
Which fhall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and masterdom.
Mach. We will fpeak further.

Lady. Only look up clear:

To alter favour, ever, is and fear.
Leave all the reft to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, before Macbeth's Caftle-Gate.

Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Roffe, Angus, and Attendants.

King Nimbly and fweetly recommends it felf T HIS Caftle hath a pleafant feat; the air

Unto our gentle fenfes.

Ban. This gueft of fummer,

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve
By his lov'd Manfionry that heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here. No jutting frieze,
Buttrice, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendant bed, and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observ'd,
The air is delicate.

Enter Lady.

· King. See, fee! our honour'd Hoftefs! The love that follows us, fometimes is our trouble, Which ftill we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you should bid god-eyld us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.

Lady. All our fervice

(In every point twice done, and then done double,) Were poor and fingle business to contend

Against

Against thofe honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your Majefty loads our House. For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We reft your Hermits.

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

We court him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well,

And his great love, (fharp as his fpur,) hath holp him
To's home before us: fair and noble Hostess,

We are your guest to night.

Lady. Your fervants ever

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt, To make their audit at your Highness' pleasure,

Still to return your own.

King. Give me your hand

Conduct me to mine Hoft, we love him highly;
And fhall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, Hoftefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's Caftle.

Hautboys, Torches. Enter divers fervants with dishes. and fervice over the flage. Then Macbeth.

Macb. It were done quickly: if th' affaffination

F it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well

Here, (9)

Could trammel up the confequence, and catch
With its furceafe, fuccefs; that but this blow
Might be the Be-all and the End-all-
But here, upon this Bank and Shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come.

But, in these cafes, We ftill have judgment here, that we but teach

(9) But here, upon this Bank and School of Time.]

Bank and School

What a monftrous Couplement, as Don Armado fays, is here of heterogeneous Ideas! I have ventur'd to amend, which reftores a Confonance of Images,

on this Bank and Shoal of Time.

i. e. this Shallow, this narrow Ford of human Life, opposed to the great Abyss of Eternity.

Bloody

Bloody inftructions; which, being taught, return
To plague th' inventor. Even-handed Justice
Returns th' Ingredients of our poifon'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double truft :
First, as I am his kinfman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed: Then, as his Hoft,
Who fhould against his murth'rer fhut the door,
Not bear the knife my self. Befides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties fo meek, hath been

So clear in his great office, that his virtues

Will plead, like angels, trumpet-tongu'd against
The deep damnation of his taking off:

And Pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blaft, or heav'ns cherubin hors'd (10)
Upon the filent courfers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in ev'ry eye;
That tears fhall drown the wind.

I have no fpur

To prick the fides of my intent, but only
Vaulting Ambition, which o'er-leaps it felf,
And falls on th' other

Enter Lady Macbeth.

How now? what news?

Lady. He's almost fupp'd; why have you left the

chamber?

Macb. Hath he ask'd for me? ·

Lady. Know you not he has ?

Macb. We will proceed no further in this business.
He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all fort of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest glofs,
Not caft afide fo foon.

Lady. Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dreft your felf? hath it flept fince?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale

(10) -or Heav'n's Cherubin hors'd upon the fightless Couriers of the Air.] But the Cherubin is the Courier; fo that he can't be faid to be hors'd upon another Courier. We must read, therefore, Courfers. Mr. Warburton.

At