The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 1 of 9]

Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not [3803]
Those in commission yet return'd?

Mal. My liege,[3804]
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke[3804]
With one that saw him die, who did report[3804]
That very frankly he confess'd his treasons,[3804] 5
Implored your highness' pardon and set forth[3804]
A deep repentance: nothing in his life[3804]
Became him like the leaving it; he died[3804]
As one that had been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he owed [3805] 10
As 'twere a careless trifle.

Dun. There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.

O worthiest cousin![3806]
The sin of my ingratitude even now 15
Was heavy on me: thou art so far before [3807]
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow [3808]
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,[3809]
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! only I have left to say,[3810] 20
More is thy due than more than all can pay.[3811]

Macb. The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part [3812]
Is to receive our duties: and our duties[3812]
Are to your throne and state, children and servants;[3812] 25
Which do but what they should, by doing every thing[3812][3813]
Safe toward your love and honour.[3812][3813][3814]

Dun. Welcome hither:
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,
That hast no less deserved, nor must be known [3815] 30
No less to have done so: let me infold thee
And hold thee to my heart.

Ban. There if I grow,
The harvest is your own.

Dun. My plenteous joys,
Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes,[3816] 35
And you whose places are the nearest, know,
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not unaccompanied invest him only,[3817] 40
But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers. From hence to Inverness,[3818]
And bind us further to you.[3819]

Macb. The rest is labour, which is not used for you:[3819]
I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful [3820] 45
The hearing of my wife with your approach;
So humbly take my leave.

Dun. My worthy Cawdor!

Macb. [Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step,[3821]
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; 50
Let not light see my black and deep desires:[3822]
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. [Exit.

Dun. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant,[3823]
And in his commendations I am fed; 55
It is a banquet to me. Let's after him,[3824]
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinsman. [Flourish. Exeunt.[3825]

Scene V. Inverness. Macbeth's castle.[3826]

Lady M. 'They met me in the day of success; and I [3828]
have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in [3829]
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,[3830] 5
came missives from the king, who all-hailed me "Thane [3831]
of Cawdor;" by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted [3832]
me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with
"Hail, king that shalt be!" This have I thought good to [3833]
deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou 10
mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant [3834]
of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart,
and farewell.'
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be [3835]
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;[3836] 15
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness [3837]
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, 20
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,[3838][3839]
That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;[3838][3839]
And that which rather thou dost fear to do[3839]
Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither,[3839][3840]
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, 25
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,[3841]
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem [3842]
To have thee crown'd withal.[3843]

What is your tidings?

Mess. The king comes here to-night.

Lady M. Thou'rt mad to say it:[3845]30
Is not thy master with him? who, were't so,
Would have inform'd for preparation.

Mess. So please you, it is true: our thane is coming:[3845]
One of my fellows had the speed of him,
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more 35
Than would make up his message.

Lady M. Give him tending;
He brings great news. [Exit Messenger.
The raven himself is hoarse [3846]
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits [3847]
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,[3848] 40
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood,[3849]
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between [3850] 45
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,[3851]
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,[3852]
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, 50
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,[3853]
To cry 'Hold, hold!'

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor![3854]
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!
Thy letters have transported me beyond 55
This ignorant present, and I feel now [3855]
The future in the instant.

Macb. My dearest love,[3856]
Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady M. And when goes hence?

Macb. To-morrow, as he purposes.

Lady M. O, never
Shall sun that morrow see![3857] 60
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men [3858]
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,[3859]
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't. He that's coming 65
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.

Macb. We will speak further.

Lady Macb. Only look up clear; 70
To alter favour ever is to fear:[3860]
Leave all the rest to me. [Exeunt.

Scene VI. Before Macbeth's castle.[3861]

Hautboys and torches. Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and Attendants.[3862]

Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air [3863][3864]
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself[3864]
Unto our gentle senses.[3865]

Ban. This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve [3866]
By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath [3867] 5
Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,[3868][3869]
Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird[3868][3870]
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle:[3868][3871]
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed[3868][3871][3872]
The air is delicate.[3868]

Dun. See, see, our honour'd hostess![3868][3873]10
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,[3874]
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you [3875]
How you shall bid God'ild us for your pains,[3875][3876]
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady M. All our service
In every point twice done, and then done double, 15
Were poor and single business to contend
Against those honours deep and broad wherewith [3877]
Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,[3877]
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,[3877]
We rest your hermits.[3877]

Dun. Where's the thane of Cawdor?[3877][3878]20
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 [3879]
To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,[3880]
We are your guest to-night.

Lady M. Your servants ever 25
Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt,[3881]
To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,
Still to return your own.

Dun. Give me your hand;
Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,[3882]
And shall continue our graces towards him. 30
By your leave, hostess. [Exeunt.[3883]

Scene VII. Macbeth's castle.[3884]

Hautboys and torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service and pass over the stage. Then enter Macbeth.[3885]

Macb. If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well [3886]
It were done quickly: if the assassination[3886][3887]
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; that but this blow [3888]
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,[3889] 5
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,[3890]
We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgement here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which being taught return [3891]
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice [3892][3893] 10
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice[3892][3894]
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 murderer shut the door, 15
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been [3895]
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against [3896]
The deep damnation of his taking-off; 20
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin horsed [3897]
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,[3898]
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur 25
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself [3899]
And falls on the other.[3900]

How now! what news?

Lady M. He has almost supp'd: why have you left the chamber?[3902]

Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady M. Know you not he has?[3903] 30

Macb. We will proceed no further in this business:
He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,[3904]
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,[3905]
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady M. Was the hope drunk 35
Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?[3906]
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time [3907]
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard [3908]
To be the same in thine own act and valour 40
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that [3909]
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,[3909]
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' the adage?[3910]

Macb. Prithee, peace: 45
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is none.[3911]

Lady M. What beast was't 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 50
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place [3912]
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:[3913]
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now [3914]
Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: 55
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 [3915][3916]
Have done to this.[3915][3917]

Macb. If we should fail?

Lady M. We fail!
But screw your courage to the sticking-place, 60
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep—
Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey [3918]
Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail so convince [3919]
That memory, the warder of the brain, 65
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbec only: when in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie as in a death,[3920]
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon 70
His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?

Macb. Bring forth men-children only;
For thy undaunted mettle should compose [3921]
Nothing but males. Will it not be received,
When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two 75
Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers,
That they have done't?

Lady M. Who dares receive it other,
As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his death?

Macb. I am settled, and bend up [3922]
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. 80
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:[3923]
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.[3923]

Scene V. Inverness. Macbeth's castle.[3826]

Scene VI. Before Macbeth's castle.[3861]

Scene VII. Macbeth's castle.[3884]