The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 311

MACBETH. The rest is labor, which is not used for you.

I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful The hearing of my wife with your approach; So humbly take my leave.

DUNCAN. My worthy Cawdor!

MACBETH. [Aside.] The Prince of c.u.mberland! That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.

The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. Exit.

DUNCAN. True, worthy Banquo! He is full so valiant, And in his commendations I am fed; It is a banquet to me. Let's after him, Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome.

It is a peerless kinsman. Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Inverness. Macbeth's castle.

Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter.

LADY MACBETH. "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 all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor'; by which t.i.tle, 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 mightst 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; 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'ldst have, great Glamis, That which cries, "Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone." Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chastise with the valor of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.

Enter a Messenger.

What is your tidings?

MESSENGER. The King comes here tonight.

LADY MACBETH. Thou'rt mad to say it!

Is not thy master with him? who, were't so, Would have inform'd for preparation.

MESSENGER. 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 MACBETH. Give him tending; He brings great news. Exit Messenger.

The raven himself is hoa.r.s.e That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, uns.e.x me here And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood, Stop up the access and pa.s.sage 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 b.r.e.a.s.t.s, And take my milk for gall, your murthering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of h.e.l.l That my keen knife see not the wound it makes Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark 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.

MACBETH. My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight.

LADY MACBETH. And when goes hence?

MACBETH. Tomorrow, as he purposes.

LADY MACBETH. O, never Shall sun that morrow see!

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

MACBETH. We will speak further.

LADY MACBETH. Only look up clear; To alter favor ever is to fear.

Leave all the rest to me. Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Before Macbeth's castle. Hautboys and torches.

Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and Attendants.

DUNCAN. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses.

BANQUO. This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath Smells wooingly here. No jutty, frieze, b.u.t.tress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird Hath made his pendant bed and procreant cradle; Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed The air is delicate.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

DUNCAN. See, see, our honor'd hostess!

The love that follows us sometime is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you How you shall bid G.o.d 'ield us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.

LADY MACBETH. All our service In every point twice done, and then done double, Were poor and single business to contend Against those honors 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.

DUNCAN. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

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 n.o.ble hostess, We are your guest tonight.

LADY MACBETH. Your servants ever Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt, To make their audit at your Highness' pleasure, Still to return your own.

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

By your leave, hostess. Exeunt.

SCENE VII Macbeth's castle. Hautboys and torches.

Enter a Sewer and divers Servants with dishes and service, who pa.s.s over the stage. Then enter Macbeth.

MACBETH. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly. If the a.s.sa.s.sination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all -here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgement here, that we but teach b.l.o.o.d.y instructions, which being taught return To plague the inventor. This even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd 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, 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 The deep d.a.m.nation of his taking-off, And pity, like a naked new-born babe Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To p.r.i.c.k 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 MACBETH. He has almost supp'd. Why have you left the chamber?

MACBETH. Hath he ask'd for me?

LADY MACBETH. Know you not he has?

MACBETH. We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honor'd me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

LADY MACBETH. 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? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valor 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"

Like the poor cat i' the adage?

MACBETH. Prithee, peace!

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

LADY MACBETH. What beast wast then That made you break this enterprise to me?

When you durst do it, then you were a man, And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both.

They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you. I have given suck and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me- I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums And dash'd the brains out had I so sworn as you Have done to this.

MACBETH. If we should fail?

LADY MACBETH. We fail?

But screw your courage to the sticking-place And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep- Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him- his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wa.s.sail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume and the receipt of reason A limbeck only. When in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? What not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?

MACBETH. Bring forth men-children only, For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be received, When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber and used their very daggers, That they have done't?

LADY MACBETH. Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamor roar Upon his death?

MACBETH. I am settled and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.