The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 313

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

What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes!

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The mult.i.tudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.

Re-enter Lady Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH. My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear knocking At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber.

A little water clears us of this deed.

How easy is it then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended. [Knocking within.] Hark, more knocking.

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us And show us to be watchers. Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts.

MACBETH. To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.

Knocking within.

Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!

Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same.

Enter a Porter. Knocking within.

PORTER. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of h.e.l.l Gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.]

Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer that hanged himself on th' expectation of plenty. Come in time! Have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat fort.

[Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in th' other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for G.o.d's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator. [Knocking within.] 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 within.] Knock, knock! Never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for h.e.l.l. I'll devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter.

Opens the gate.

Enter Macduff and Lennox.

MACDUFF. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late?

PORTER. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second c.o.c.k; and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

MACDUFF. What three things does drink especially provoke?

PORTER. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him and disheartens him; makes him stand to and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the lie, leaves him.

MACDUFF. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.

PORTER. That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me; but requited him for his lie, and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made s.h.i.+ft to cast him.

MACDUFF. Is thy master stirring?

Enter Macbeth.

Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes.

LENNOX. Good morrow, n.o.ble sir.

MACBETH. morrow, both.

MACDUFF. Is the King stirring, worthy Thane?

MACBETH. Not yet.

MACDUFF. He did command me to call timely on him; I have almost slipp'd the hour.

MACBETH. I'll bring you to him.

MACDUFF. I know this is a joyful trouble to you, But yet 'tis one.

MACBETH. The labor we delight in physics pain.

This is the door.

MACDUFF I'll make so bold to call, For 'tis my limited service. Exit.

LENNOX. Goes the King hence today?

MACBETH. He does; he did appoint so.

LENNOX. The night has been unruly. Where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say, Lamentings heard i' the air, strange screams of death, And prophesying with accents terrible Of dire combustion and confused events New hatch'd to the woeful time. The obscure bird Clamor'd the livelong night. Some say the earth Was feverous and did shake.

MACBETH. 'Twas a rough fight.

LENNOX. My young remembrance cannot parallel A fellow to it.

Re-enter Macduff.

MACDUFF. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee.

MACBETH. LENNOX. What's the matter?

MACDUFF. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece.

Most sacrilegious murther hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple and stole thence The life o' the building.

MACBETH. What is't you say? the life?

LENNOX. Mean you his Majesty?

MACDUFF. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight With a new Gorgon. Do not bid me speak; See, and then speak yourselves.

Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox.

Awake, awake!

Ring the alarum bell. Murther and treason!

Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm, awake!

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! Ring the bell. Bell rings.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH. What's the business, That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak!

MACDUFF. O gentle lady, 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repet.i.tion in a woman's ear Would murther as it fell.

Enter Banquo.

O Banquo, Banquo!

Our royal master's murther'd.

LADY MACBETH. Woe, alas!

What, in our house?

BANQUO. Too cruel anywhere.

Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so.

Re-enter Macbeth and Lennox, with Ross.

MACBETH. Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time, for from this instant There's nothing serious in mortality.

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

Enter Malcolm and Donalbain.

DONALBAIN. What is amiss?

MACBETH. You are, and do not know't.

The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood Is stopped, the very source of it is stopp'd.

MACDUFF. Your royal father's murther'd.

MALCOLM. O, by whom?