Shakespeare's First Folio Part 556

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

We courst him at the heeles, and had a purpose To be his Purueyor: But he rides well, And his great Loue (sharpe as his Spurre) hath holp him To his home before vs: Faire and n.o.ble Hostesse We are your guest to night

La. Your Seruants euer, Haue theirs, themselues, and what is theirs in compt, To make their Audit at your Highnesse pleasure, Still to returne your owne

King. Giue me your hand: Conduct me to mine Host we loue him highly, And shall continue, our Graces towards him.

By your leaue Hostesse.

Exeunt.

Scena Septima.

Hoboyes. Torches. Enter a Sewer, and diuers Seruants with Dishes and Seruice ouer the Stage. Then enter Macbeth

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twer well, It were done quickly: If th' a.s.sa.s.sination Could trammell vp the Consequence, and catch With his surcease, Successe: that but this blow Might be the be all, and the end all. Heere, But heere, vpon this Banke and Schoole of time, Wee'ld iumpe the life to come. But in these Cases, We still haue iudgement heere, that we but teach b.l.o.o.d.y Instructions, which being taught, returne To plague th' Inuenter, this euen-handed Iustice Commends th' Ingredience of our poyson'd Challice To our owne lips. Hee's heere in double trust; First, as I am his Kinsman, and his Subiect, Strong both against the Deed: Then, as his Host, Who should against his Murtherer shut the doore, Not beare the knife my selfe. Besides, this Duncane Hath borne his Faculties so meeke; hath bin So cleere in his great Office, that his Vertues Will pleade like Angels, Trumpet-tongu'd against The deepe d.a.m.nation of his taking off: And Pitty, like a naked New-borne-Babe, Striding the blast, or Heauens Cherubin, hors'd Vpon the sightlesse Curriors of the Ayre, Shall blow the horrid deed in euery eye, That teares shall drowne the winde. I haue no Spurre To p.r.i.c.ke the sides of my intent, but onely Vaulting Ambition, which ore-leapes it selfe, And falles on th' other.

Enter Lady.

How now? What Newes?

La. He has almost supt: why haue you left the chamber?

Mac. Hath he ask'd for me?

La. Know you not, he ha's?

Mac. We will proceed no further in this Businesse: He hath Honour'd me of late, and I haue bought Golden Opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worne now in their newest glosse, Not cast aside so soone

La. Was the hope drunke, Wherein you drest your selfe? Hath it slept since?

And wakes it now to looke so greene, and pale, At what it did so freely? From this time, Such I account thy loue. Art thou affear'd To be the same in thine owne Act, and Valour, As thou art in desire? Would'st thou haue that Which thou esteem'st the Ornament of Life, And liue a Coward in thine owne Esteeme?

Letting I dare not, wait vpon I would, Like the poore Cat i'th' Addage

Macb. Prythee peace: I dare do all that may become a man, Who dares do more, is none

La. What Beast was't then That made you breake this enterprize to me?

When you durst do it, then you were a man: And to be more then 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 haue made themselues, and that their fitnesse now Do's vnmake you. I haue giuen Sucke, and know How tender 'tis to loue the Babe that milkes me, I would, while it was smyling in my Face, Haue pluckt my Nipple from his Bonelesse Gummes, And dasht the Braines out, had I so sworne As you haue done to this

Macb. If we should faile?

Lady. We faile?

But screw your courage to the sticking place, And wee'le not fayle: when Duncan is asleepe, (Whereto the rather shall his dayes hard Iourney Soundly inuite him) his two Chamberlaines Will I with Wine, and Wa.s.sell, so conuince, That Memorie, the Warder of the Braine, Shall be a Fume, and the Receit of Reason A Lymbeck onely: when in Swinish sleepe, Their drenched Natures lyes as in a Death, What cannot you and I performe vpon Th' vnguarded Duncan? What not put vpon His spungie Officers? who shall beare the guilt Of our great quell

Macb. Bring forth Men-Children onely: For thy vndaunted Mettle should compose Nothing but Males. Will it not be receiu'd, When we haue mark'd with blood those sleepie two Of his owne Chamber, and vs'd their very Daggers, That they haue don't?

Lady. Who dares receiue it other, As we shall make our Griefes and Clamor rore, Vpon his Death?

Macb. I am settled, and bend vp Each corporall Agent to this terrible Feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show, False Face must hide what the false Heart doth know.

Exeunt.

Actus Secundus. Scena Prima.

Enter Banquo, and Fleance, with a Torch before him.

Banq. How goes the Night, Boy?

Fleance. The Moone is downe: I haue not heard the Clock

Banq. And she goes downe at Twelue

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

Banq. Hold, take my Sword: There's Husbandry in Heauen, Their Candles are all out: take thee that too.

A heauie Summons lyes like Lead vpon me, And yet I would not sleepe: Mercifull Powers, restraine in me the cursed thoughts That Nature giues way to in repose.

Enter Macbeth, and a Seruant with a Torch.

Giue me my Sword: who's there?

Macb. A Friend

Banq. What Sir, not yet at rest? the King's a bed.

He hath beene in vnusuall Pleasure, And sent forth great Largesse to your Offices.

This Diamond he greetes your Wife withall, By the name of most kind Hostesse, And shut vp in measurelesse content

Mac. Being vnprepar'd, Our will became the seruant to defect, Which else should free haue wrought

Banq. All's well.

I dreamt last Night of the three weyward Sisters: To you they haue shew'd some truth

Macb. I thinke not of them: Yet when we can entreat an houre to serue, We would spend it in some words vpon that Businesse, If you would graunt the time

Banq. At your kind'st leysure

Macb. If you shall cleaue to my consent, When 'tis, it shall make Honor for you

Banq. So I lose none, In seeking to augment it, but still keepe My Bosome franchis'd, and Allegeance cleare, I shall be counsail'd

Macb. Good repose the while

Banq. Thankes Sir: the like to you.

Exit Banquo.

Macb. Goe bid thy Mistresse, when my drinke is ready, She strike vpon the Bell. Get thee to bed.

Enter.

Is this a Dagger, which I see before me, The Handle toward my Hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I haue thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not fatall Vision, sensible To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but A Dagger of the Minde, a false Creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed Braine?

I see thee yet, in forme as palpable, As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going, And such an Instrument I was to vse.

Mine Eyes are made the fooles o'th' other Sences, Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still; And on thy Blade, and Dudgeon, Gouts of Blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing: It is the b.l.o.o.d.y Businesse, which informes Thus to mine Eyes. Now o're the one halfe World Nature seemes dead, and wicked Dreames abuse The Curtain'd sleepe: Witchcraft celebrates Pale Heccats Offrings: and wither'd Murther, Alarum'd by his Centinell, the Wolfe, Whose howle's his Watch, thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquins rauis.h.i.+ng sides, towards his designe Moues like a Ghost. Thou sowre and firme-set Earth Heare not my steps, which they may walke, for feare Thy very stones prate of my where-about, And take the present horror from the time, Which now sutes with it. Whiles I threat, he liues: Words to the heat of deedes too cold breath giues.

A Bell rings.

I goe, and it is done: the Bell inuites me.

Heare it not, Duncan, for it is a Knell, That summons thee to Heauen, or to h.e.l.l.

Enter.