Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome :

290 It is a peerless kinsman.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE V.-Inverness. A room in MACBETH's Castle.

Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter.

6

Lady M. "They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who allhailed me, Thane of Cawdor;' by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with Hail, king that shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell."

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be—
What thou art promised :-Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness,

To catch the nearest way: Thou wouldst be great; 295 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 wouldst wrongly win: thou'dst have, great Glamis, That which cries, "Thus thou must do, if thou have it; 300 And that which rather thou dost fear to do,

Than wishest should be un-done." Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;

And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
305 Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crowned withal.-

810

Is not thy master with him? who, were 't so,

Would have inform'd for preparation.

Atten. So please you, it is true; our thane is coming: One of my fellows had the speed of him;

Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Than would make up his message.

Lady M.

He brings great news.

Give him tending;

[Exit Attendant.

The raven himself is hoarse
315 That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood,
320 Stop up the access and passage to remorse;
That no compunctious visitings of nature

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murthering ministers,
325 Wherever in your sightless substances

You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick Night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell!
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes;
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
330 To cry," Hold, hold!

Enter MACBETH.

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!
Thy letters have transported me beyond

This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant.

Your face, my thane, is as a book where men May read strange matters :-To beguile the time, 340 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; 345 Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.

Macb. We will speak further.

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Lady M.

Leave all the rest to me.

Only look up clear;

[Exeunt.

350

SCENE VI.-The same. Before the Castle.

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

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

Unto our gentle senses.

Ban.

This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,
By his loved mansionry, that the heaven's breath
355 Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,

Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird

Hath made his pendent bed, and procreant cradle:
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,
The air is delicate.

Dun.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

See, see, our honour'd hostess !-
360 The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you shall bid God-eyld us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady M.
All our service
In every point twice done, and then done double,
365 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.

Dun.

Where's the thane of Cawdor?

370 We coursed 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 M.

Your servants ever

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

Still to return your own.

Dun.
Give me your hand :
Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.

380 By your leave, hostess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.-The same. A Room in the Castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass over the stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. enter MACBETH.

Then

Macb. If it were done when 't is done, then 't were

well

It were done quickly: If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success,-that but this blow
385 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
390 To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned 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,
395 Who should against his murtherer 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

400 The deep damnation of his taking-off:
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

405 That tears shall drown the wind.-I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,
And falls on the other-

Enter LADY MACBETH.

How now,

what news?

Lady M. He has almost supp'd: why have you left

Lady M.

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 sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, 415 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?
Such I account thy love.

420 To be the same in thine

From this time,

Art thou afeard

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,"

425 Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macb.

Prithee, peace:

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

What beast was 't then,

Lady M.
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
430 And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place,