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

chamber?

Mach. Hath he afk'd for me?

Lady. Know you not he has ?

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

Lady. Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dreft your felf? hath it slept fince?
And wakes it now, to look fo green and pale
At what it did fo freely? from this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afraid
To be the fame in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in defire? wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'ft the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own efteem?
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i'th' adage. *
Macb. Pr'ythee, peace:

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

Lady. What beast was't then,

That made you break this enterprize to me?
When you durft do it, then you were a man ;
And to be more than what you were you would
Be fo much more than man. Nor time, nor place
Did then co-here, and yet you would make both:
They've made themselves, and that their fitness now
Do's unmake you. I have giv'n fuck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me,
I would, while it was fmiling in my face,
Have pluckt my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dafht the brains out, had I but so sworn
As you have done to this.

Macb. If we fhould fail?

Lady. We fail!

The proverb here meant is this, The cat loves fifh, but dares not wet her feet.

But

But fcrew your courage to the sticking place.
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall this day's hard journey
Soundly invite him) his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and waffel fo convince,
That memory (the warder of the brain)
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reafon
A limbeck only: when in fwinish fleep
Their drenched natures lye as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon.
Th' unguarded Duncan ? what not put upon
His fpungy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell.

Macb. Bring forth men-children only!
For thy undaunted metal fhould compofe
Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,
When we have mark'd with blood those fleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have done't?

Lady. Who dares receive it other,

As we fhall make our griefs and clamour roar,
Upon his death?

Macb. I'm fettled, and bend up

Each corp'ral agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show:

Falle face muft hide what the falfe heart doth know. [Exe. ACT II. SCENE I.

Ban.

A Hall in Macbeth's Cafile.

Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch before bim.
TOW goes the night, boy?"

"H

Fle.The moon is down I have not heard the clock. Ban. And fhe goes down at twelve.

Fle. I take't, 'tis later, Sir.

Ban. Hold, take my fword. There's husbandry in heav'n. Their candles are all out.- -Take thee that too.

A heavy fummons lyes like lead upon me,
And yet I would not fleep: Merciful pow'rs!
Restrain in me the curfed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repose.

Enter

Enter Macbeth, and a Servant with a torch.

Give me my fword:

Who's there?

Macb. A friend..

Ban. What, Sir, not yet at reft? the King's a-bed. He hath to-night been in unusual pleasure,

And fent great largess to your officers ;

This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By th' name of most kind hostess, and's fhut up
In measureless content.

Mach. Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the fervant to defect,
Which elfe fhould free have wrought.

Ban. All's very well.

I dreamt last night of the three weïrd fifters:
To you they've fhew'd fome truth.

Macb. I think not of them;

Yet when we can intreat an hour to serve,
Would fpend it in fome words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.

Ban. At your kind leisure.

Mach. If you fhall cleave to my confent, when 'tis, It fhall make honour for you.

Ban. So I lofe none

In feeking to augment it, but ftill keep
My bofom franchis'd and allegiance clear,

1 fhall be counsell'd,

Macb. Good repofe the while!

Ban. Thanks, Sir; the like to you. [Exe. Ban. and Fle.

Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, She ftrike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Exit Servant. Is this a dagger which I fee before me,

The handle tow'rd my hand? come let me clutch thee-
I have thee not, and yet I fee thee ftill.
Art thou not, fatal vifion, fenfible
To feeling, as to fight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a falfe creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppreffed brain?
I fee thee yet, in form as palpable

As

As this which now I draw

Thou marfhal'ft me the way that I was going,
And fuch an inftrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o'th' other fenfes,
Or elfe worth all the reft-I see thee ftill,
And on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood,
Which was not so before.-There's no fuch thing-
It is the bloody business which informs

This to mine eyes-Now o'er one half the world
Nature feems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd fleep; now Witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings: and wither'd Murder,
(Alarum'd by his fentinel, the wolf,

Whofe howl's his watch) thus with his ftealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravishing ftrides, tow'rds his defign
Moves like a ghoft-Thou found and firm-fet earth,
Hear not my fteps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of that we're about,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now fuits with it-Whilft I threat, he lives-*

[A bell rings.

[Exit.

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell
That fummons thee to heaven, or to hell.
SCENE III. Enter Lady Macbeth.
Lady. That which hath made them drunk, hath made

me bold:

What hath quencht them, hath giv'n me fire. Hark! peace!
It was the owl that fhriek'd, the fatal bell-man,
Which gives the ftern'ft good-night-he is about it-
The doors are open; and the furfeited grooms

Do mock their charge with fnores. I've drugg'd their poffets,
That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live or die.

Enter Macbeth.

Mach. Who's there? what ho!

Lady. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd,

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

And

And 'tis not done; th' attempt, and not the deed
Confounds us-hark!-I laid their daggers ready,
He could not mifs 'em.-Had he not refembled
My father as he flept, I had done't-My husband!
Mach. I've done the deed-did'ft not thou hear a noise?
Lady. I heard the owl fcream and the crickets cry.
Did not you speak?
Mach. When?

Lady. Now.

Macb. As I defcended?

Lady, Ay.

Lady. Donalbain.

Macb. Hark!

who lyes i'th' fecond chamber?

[Looks on bis bands.

Macb. This is a forry fight.

Lady. A foolish thought, to fay a forry fight.

Mach. There's one did laugh in's fleep, and one cry'd,
Murder!

They wak'd each other; and I ftood and heard them;
But they did fay their prayers, and addrest them
Again to fleep.

Lady. There are two lodg'd together.

Mach. One cry'd, God bless us! and Amen the other, As they had feen me with thefe hangman's hands. Lift'ning their fear, I could not fay Amen,

When they did fay, God bless us!

Lady. Confider it not fo deeply.

Mach. But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen ? I had moft need of bleffing, and Amen

Stuck in my throat.

Lady. Thefe deeds must not be thought on After these ways; fo, it will make us mad.

*

Mach. Methought I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth doth murder fleep; the innocent fleep, The death of each day's life, fore labour's bath, Balm of burt minds, great nature's fecond course, Chief nourisher in life's feaft.

Lady. What do you mean ?

..... innocent fleep,

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd fleeve of care,
The death of, &.

Macb.