Lady M. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead, 120 I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. [Exit. Knocking within. 125 Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather Re-enter LADY MACBETH. Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a knocking 130 At the south entry :-retire we to our chamber: A little water clears us of this deed: knocking: Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, 135 And show us to be watchers :-Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts. Hark! more Macb. To know my deed, 't were best not know myself. [Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking!-I would thou couldst ! Enter a Porter. [Exeunt. [Knocking within. Port. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were 140 porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: Come in time; have napkins enough about you; 'll sweat for 't. 145 [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Who's there, i' the other here you devil's name? 'Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivcate to heaven: oh, come in, equivocator. [Knocking.] 150 Knock, knock, knock: Who's there? 'Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose Come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter 155 it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking.] Anon, anon! [Opens the gate.] pray you, remember the porter. 160 175 I : Enter MACDUFF and LENOX. Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, Port. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock. Macd. Is thy master stirring ? Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes. Enter MACBETH. Len. Good morrow, noble sir! Good morrow, both! Not yet. Macb. Macd. He did command me to call timely on him 180 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 't is one. Macb. The labour we delight in physics pain. Macd. 185 For 't is my limited service. I'll make so bold to call, [Exit. He does he did appoint so. Len. Goes the king hence to-day? Len. The night has been unruly: Where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down: and as they say, 190 And prophesying, with accents terrible, 195 Of dire combustion and confused events New hatch'd to the woful time, the obscure bird Macb. 'T was a rough night. Len. My young remembrance cannot parallel Re-enter MACDUFF. Macd. O horror! horror! horror! Tongue, nor heart, Cannot conceive, nor name thee! Macb., Len. What's the matter? Macd. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! 200 Most sacrilegious murther 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 205 With a new Gorgon :-Do not bid me speak; See, and then speak yourselves. [Exeunt MACBETH and LENOX. Awake! awake!— Ring the alarum-bell :-Murther! and treason! Banquo, and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake! 210 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 sprites, To countenance this horror! [Alarum-bell rings. Lady M. Enter LADY MACBETH. What's the business, 215 That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley The sleepers of the house? speak, speak! Macd. Oh, gentle lady, "T is not for you to hear what I can speak : 220 Would murther as it fell. 225 Ban. O Banquo! Banquo! Woe, alas! Too cruel, anywhere. Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself, Re-enter MACBETH and LENOX. Macb. Had I but died an hour before this chance, All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead; The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees 230 Is left this vault to brag of. 235 Enter MALCOLM and DONALDBAIN. Don. What is amiss? Macb. You are, and do not know 't: The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood They stared, and were distracted; no man's life 240 Was to be trusted with them. Macb. Oh, 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 : 245 The expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan, And his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature Lady M. Macd. Look to the lady. Mal. Help me hence, ho! Why do we hold our tongues, 255 That most may claim this argument for ours? Don. What should be spoken here, where our fate, Hid in an auger-hole, may rush, and seize us? Our tears are not yet brew'd. Mal. 260 Upon the foot of motion. Ban. Nor our strong sorrow Look to the lady : [LADY MACBETH is carried out. And when we have our naked frailties hid, And question this most bloody piece of work, To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us: 265 In the great hand of God I stand; and thence, Against the undivulged pretence I fight, 270 Of treasonous malice. Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, All. Well contented. [Exeunt all but MAL. and DoN. Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them : To show an unfelt sorrow is an office Which the false man does easy: I'll to England. Don. To Ireland, I; our separated fortune 275 Shall keep us both the safer: where we are, |