Macb.

Good morrow, both.

Not yet.

Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

Macb.

Macd. He did command me to call timely on him;

I have almost slipp'd the hour.

Macb.

I'll bring you to him

Macd. I know this is a joyful trouble to you; But yet 'tis one.

Macb. The labour we delight in, physics pain. This is the door.

Len. The night has been unruly: where we lay,

Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say,

Lamentings heard i' th' air; strange screams of death, And prophesying with accents terrible,

Of dire combustion and confus'd events,

New hatch'd to th' woeful time: the obscure bird
Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth
Was fev'rous, and did shake.

Macb.

'Twas a rough night.

Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel

A fellow to it.

Macd. (without). O horror, horror, horror! Tongue

Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!

Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope

The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence

The life o' th' 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.

[Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX.

Awake, awake!

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!

And from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites, To countenance this horror.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. What's the business,

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

[Bell rings.

Enter BANQUO, Ross, Nobles, Officers, and Attendants.

Macd. O Banquo, Banquo!

Our royal master's murder'd.

Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance,

I had lived a blessèd 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't: 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:

[Exeunt MALCOLM and DONALBAIN into
DUNCAN'S chamber.

Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood;
So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found
Upon their pillows:

They star'd, 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, amaz'd, temperate and

furious,

Loyal and neutral, in a moment?

The expedition of my violent love

No man:

Outran the pauser, reason.-Here lay Duncan;—
His silver skin lac'd 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 refrain,
That had a heart to love, and in that heart,
Courage, to make's love known?
Lady M.

Macd. Look to the lady.

Help me hence, ho!

[Lady MACBETH is carried out.

Mal. [Aside to DONALBAIN.] Why do we hold our

tongues,

That most may claim this argument for ours?

Don. [Aside.] Let's away;

Our tears are not yet brew'd.
Mal. [Aside.J I'll to England.
Don. [Aside.] To Ireland I.

Mal. [Aside.]

that's shot

This murd'rous shaft

Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way,

Is to avoid the aim.

[Exeunt MALCOLM and DONALBAIN

Ban. Fears and scruples shake us :

In the great hand of God I stand, and thence
Against the undivulg'd pretence I fight

Of treasonous malice.

Macd.

All.

And so do I.

So all,

Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness,

And meet i' th' hall together.

Ban. And question this most bloody piece of work,

To know it further.

All.

Well contented.

[Exeunt.

围

ACT III.

SCENE 1.-Forres. Hall in the Palace.

Ross and Lords discovered.

Enter BANQUO.

Banquo.

HOU hast it now-king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd; 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,

May they not be my oracles as well

And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.

Enter MACBETH, as king; Lady MACBETH, as queen;
LENNOX, Lords, Ladies, 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-thing unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Lay your highness

Command upon me; to the which my duties