Mach. Still it cry'd, Sleep no more, to all the house; Glamis bath murder'd fleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall fleep no more; Mackbeth shall sleep no more! Lady. Who was it that thus cry'd? why, worthy Thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brain-fickly of things; go, get fome water, And wash this filthy witnefs from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They muft lye there, Go, carry them, and smear The fleepy grooms with blood.

Mach. I'll go no more;

I am afraid to think what I have done ;

Look on't again I dare not.

Lady. Infirm of purpose !

Give me the daggers; the fleeping and the dead

Are but as pictures; 'tis the

eye

of child-hood,
That fears a painted devil. If he bleed,
I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,
For it must seem their guilt.

Knock within.

Macb. Whence is that knocking?

[Exit.

[Starting.

How is't with me, when every noise appalls me?

What hands are here? hah! they pluck out mine eyes.

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? no, this my hand will rather *
Make the green ocean red-

Enter Lady Macbeth.

Lady. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart fo white. I hear a knocking [Knock. At the fouth entry. Retire we to our chamber;

A little water clears us of this deed.

How eafie is it then? your conftancy

Hath left you unattended-hark, more knocking! [Knock. Get on your night-gown, left occafion call us,

And fhew us to be watchers; be not loft

So poorly in your thoughts.

..... will cather

Thy multitudinous fea incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Eater Lady Macbeth, &c.

Vo VIII,

Macb.

With a new Gorgon. Do not bid me speak ;

See, and then speak your selves : awake! awake!-
[Exeunt Macbeth and Lenox,
Ring the alarum-bell-murder! and treafon !-
Banquo, and Donalbain! Malcomb! awake!
Shake off this downy fleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death it felf-
-up, up, and fee
The great doom's image! Malcolm! Donalbain!
As from your graves rife up, and walk like sprights,
To countenance this horror.

Bell rings. Enter Lady Macbeth.

Lady. What's the business,

That fuch an hideous trumpet calls to parley
The fleepers of the house? fpeak.

Macd. Gentle Lady,

'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a woman's ear

Would murder as it fell.

O Banquo, Banquo,

Enter Banquo.

Our royal master's murder'd.

Lady. Woe, alas !

What, in our house ?

Ban. Too cruel, any where.

Macduff, I pr'ythee contradict thy felf,
And fay, it is not fo.

Enter Macbeah, Lenox, and Roffe..
Macb. Had I but dy'd an hour before this chance,
I had liv'd a bleffed time: for from this inftant,
There's nothing ferious in mortality :

All is but toys; renown and grace are dead
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Are left this vault to brag of.

Enter Malcolm, and Donalbain.

Don. What is amifs ?

Macb. You are, and do not know't;

The fpring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is ftopt; the very fource of it is ftopt.
Macd. Your royal father's murder'd,
Mal. Oh, by whom?

Len. Thofe of his chamber, as it feem'd, had done't; Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood, So were their daggers, which unwip'd we found Upon their pillows; they ftar'd, and were diftracted; As no man's life was to be trufted with them. Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them

Macd. Wherefore did you fo?

Mach. Who can be wife amaz'd, temp'rate and furious,
Loyal and neutral in a moment? no man.
The expedition of my violent love

Out-run the paufer, Reafon. Here lay Duncan,
His filver fkin lac'd with his goary blood,

And his gafh'd ftabs look'd like a breach in nature,
For ruin's wafteful 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. Help me hence, ho!

Macd. Look to the Lady.

Mal. Why do we hold our tongues,

[Seeming to faint.

That moft may claim this argument for ours?
Don. What should be fpoken here,

Where our fate hid within an augre-hole,

May rush, and feize us? Let's away, our tears
Are not yet brew'd.

Mal, Nor our ftrong forrow on

The foot of motion.

Ban. Look there to the Lady:

[Lady Macbeth is carried out,

And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That fuffer in expofure; let us meet,
And question this moft bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and fcruples fhake us:
In the great hand of God I ftand, and thence,
Against the undivulg'd pretence I fight

Of treas'nous malice.

Mach. So do I.

All. So all.

Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet 'i th' hall together.

All. Well contented.

[Exeunt all but Mal. and Don.

Mal. What will you do? let's not confort with them:

To fhew an unfelt forrow, is an office

Which the falfe man does eafie. I'll to England.

Don. To Ireland, I; our feparated fortune Shall keep us both the fafer; where we are, There's daggers in mens fmiles; the near in blood, The nearer bloody.

Mal. This murderous fhaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted; and our fafeft way Is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horfe, And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, But fhift away; there's warrant in that theft, Which steals itself when there's no mercy left. [Exeunt. SCENE VI. Without the Caftle.

Enter Roffe, with an old Man.

Old Man. Threefcore and ten I can remember well, Within the volume of which time, I've seen

Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this fore night Hath trifled former knowings.

Roffe. Ah, good father,

Thou feeft the heav'ns, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten his bloody ftage: by th' clock 'tis day,
And yet dark night ftrangles the travelling lamp:
Is't night's predominance, or the day's fhame,
That darkness does the face of earth intomb,
When living light fhould kifs it?

Old Man. 'Tis unnatural,

Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday laft,
A faulcon tow'ring in her pride of place,

Was by a moufing owl hawkt at, and kill'd

[certain !) Roffe. And Duncan's horfes, (a thing moft ftrange and

Beauteous and fwift, the minions of their race,
Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would

Make war with man.

Old Man. 'Tis faid, they eat each other.

Roffe. They did fo; to th' amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't.

Enter

Enter Macduff.

Here comes the good Macduff.

How goes the world, Sir, now?
Mac. Why, fee you not?

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

Roffe. Alas the day!

What good could they pretend?

Macd. They were fuborn'd;

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

Roffe. 'Gainft nature ftill;

Thriftlefs ambition, that will ravin up

Its own life's means. Why then it is most like
The fovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

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

Roffe. Where is Duncan's body?
Macd. Carried to * Colmkil,

The facred ftore-house of his predeceffors,
And guardian of their bones.

Roffe. Will you to Scone ?

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

Roffe. Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well! may you fee things well done there! adieu, Left our old robes fit eafier than our new.

Roffe. Farewel, father.

Old Man. God's benifon go with you, and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.

T

A Royal Apartment.

Enter Banquo.

Hou haft it now; King, Cawdor, Glamis, all
The weird women promis'd; and I fear

Thou plaid'ft moft foully for't yet it was faid

It should not ftand in thy pofterity,

Colmkil is one of the weitern lles of S.etland, otherwife call'd