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Roffe. They did fo; to the amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff:

Enter MACDUFF.

How goes the world, fir, now?

Macd.

Why, fee you not?

Roffe. Is't known, who did this more than bloody deed? Macd. Thofe that Macbeth hath slain.

Roffe.

Alas, the day!

They were fuborn'd:

What good could they pretend?

Macd.

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the kings two fons,
Are ftol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Sufpicion of the deed.

Roffe.

'Gainft nature ftill:

Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up

Thine own life's means!-Then 'tis moft like,
The fovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone,
To be invested.

Roffe.

Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill;

The facred ftore-houfe of his predeceffors,

And guardian of their bones.

Roffe.

Macd. No, coufin, I'll to Fife.

Roffe.

Will you to Scone ?

Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well, may you fee things well done there ;

adieu !

Left our old robes fit easier than our new!

Roffe. Father, farewell.

Old M. God's benifon go with you; and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT III. SCENE I.

Fores. A Room in the Palace.

Enter BANQUO.

Ban. Thou haft it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou play'dft most foully for't: yet it was faid,
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 fet me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet founded. Enter MACBETH, as King; Lady MACBETH, as Queen; LENOX, Rosse, 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 folemn fupper, fir,

And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

Are with a most indiffoluble tie

For ever knit.

Mach. Ride you this afternoon ?

Ban.

Ay, my good lord.

Macb. We fhould have else defir'd your good advice

(Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.

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Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time

'Twixt this and fupper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour, or twain.

Macb.

Fail not our feaft.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

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Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd In England, and in Ireland; not confeffing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention: But of that to-morrow; When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state, Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: Adieu, Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you? Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon us. Macb. I with your horses swift, and fure of foot; And fɔ I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell.

Let every man be master of his time

Till feven at night; to make society

[Exit BANQUO.

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

Till fupper-time alone: while then, God be with you. [Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c.

Sirrah, a word: Attend those men our pleasure ?

Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. Macb. Bring them before us.-[Exit Atten.] To be thus, is nothing;

But to be safely thus :-Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that, which would be fear'd: 'Tis much he dares;

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
D

Το

To act in safety. There is none, but he,
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is faid,

Mark Antony's was by Cæfar. He chid the fifters,
When first they put the name of King upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac'd a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No fon of mine fucceeding. If it be so,
For Banquo's iffue have I fil'd my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the veffel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings, the feed of Banquo kings!
Rather than fo, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance !-

-Who's there?--

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.

Now to the door, and stay there till we call.

[Exit Attendant.

Well then, now

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1. Mur. It was, so please your highness.
Macb.
Have you confider'd of my speeches? Know,
That it was he, in the times paft, which held you
So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent felf: this I made good to you

In our last conference; pafs'd in probation with you,
How you were borne in hand; how cross'd; the instru-

ments;

Who wrought with them; and all things elfe, that might,

To

To half a foul, and to a notion craz'd,

Say, Thus did Banquo.

1. Mur.

You made it known to us.
Macb. I did fo; and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find
Your patience fo predominant in your nature,
That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd,
To pray
for this good man, and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever?

1. Mur.

We are men, my liege.

Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men :

As hounds, and greyhounds, mungrels, fpaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped

All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Distinguishes the swift, the flow, the fubtle,
The house-keeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him clos'd; whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill

That writes them all alike: and fo of men.
Now, if you have a station in the file,
And not in the worst rank of manhood, fay it;
And I will put that bufinefs in your bofoms,
Whose execution takes your enemy off';
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but fickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.

2. Mur.

I am one, my liege,

Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world

Have fo incens'd, that I am reckless what

I do, to spite the world.

1. Mur.

And I another,

So weary with difafters, tugg'd with fortune,

D 2

That

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