Lords. Thanks to your majesty.
Macb. Ourself will mingle with society
And play the humble host.
Our hostess keeps her state, but in best time[4205] 5
We will require her welcome.
Lady M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,
For my heart speaks they are welcome.[4206]
Enter first Murderer to the door.
Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks.
Both sides are even: here I'll sit i' the midst: 10
Be large in mirth; anon we'll drink a measure
The table round. [Approaching the door] There's blood upon thy face.[4207][4208]
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.[4208]
Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.[4208][4210]
Macb. [Aside] Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect,[4208][4213]
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,[4208]
As broad and general as the casing air:[4208]
But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in[4208][4214]
To saucy doubts and fears.—But Banquo's safe?[4208] 25
Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides,[4208]
With twenty trenched gashes on his head;[4208]
The least a death to nature.[4208]
Macb. Thanks for that.[4208]
[Aside] There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled[4208][4215]
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,[4208] 30
No teeth for the present. Get thee gone: to-morrow[4208]
We'll hear ourselves again.[4208][4216] [Exit Murderer.
Lady M. My royal lord,
You do not give the cheer: the feast is sold[4217]
That is not often vouch'd, while 'tis a-making,[4218]
'Tis given with welcome: to feed were best at home;[4219] 35
From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony;
Meeting were bare without it.
Macb. Sweet remembrancer!
Now good digestion wait on appetite,
And health on both!
Len. May't please your highness sit.
[The Ghost of Banquo enters, and sits in Macbeth's place.[4220]
Macb. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd, 40
Were the graced person of our Banquo present;
Who may I rather challenge for unkindness[4221]
Than pity for mischance![4222]
Ross. His absence, sir,
Lays blame upon his promise. Please't your highness[4223]
To grace us with your royal company.[4224] 45
Macb. The table's full.
Len. Here is a place reserved, sir.[4225]
Macb. Where?
Len. Here, my good lord. What is't that moves your highness?[4226]
Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords. What, my good lord?
Macb. Thou canst not say I did it: never shake 50
Thy gory locks at me.
Ross. Gentlemen, rise; his highness is not well.
Lady M. Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat;
The fit is momentary; upon a thought[4227] 55
He will again be well: if much you note him,
You shall offend him and extend his passion:
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man?[4228][4229]
Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that[4229]
Which might appal the devil.[4229]
Lady M. O proper stuff![4229][4230] 60
This is the very painting of your fear:[4229][4231]
This is the air-drawn dagger which, you said,[4229]
Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts,[4229]
Impostors to true fear, would well become[4229][4232]
A woman's story at a winter's fire,[4229] 65
Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself![4229]
Why do you make such faces? When all's done,[4229]
You look but on a stool.[4229]
Macb. Prithee, see there! behold! look! lo! how say you?[4229][4233]
Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too.[4229] 70
If charnel-houses and our graves must send[4229]
Those that we bury back, our monuments[4229]
Shall be the maws of kites.[4229] [Exit Ghost.[4234]
Lady M. What, quite unmann'd in folly?[4229]
Macb. If I stand here, I saw him.[4229]
Macb. Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time,[4229][4235]75
Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal;[4229][4236]
Ay, and since too, murders have been perform'd[4229][4237]
Too terrible for the ear: the time has been,[4229][4238]
That, when the brains were out, the man would die,[4229]
And there an end; but now they rise again,[4229] 80
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,[4229]
And push us from our stools: this is more strange[4229]
Than such a murder is.[4229]
Lady M. My worthy lord,
Your noble friends do lack you.
Macb. I do forget.[4239]
Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends; 85
I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing
To those that know me. Come, love and health to all;[4240]
Then I'll sit down. Give me some wine, fill full.
I drink to the general joy o' the whole table,[4241]
And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; 90
Would he were here! to all and him we thirst,
And all to all.[4242]
Lords. Our duties, and the pledge.[4243]
Re-enter Ghost.[4244]
Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight! let the earth hide thee!
Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
Thou hast no speculation in those eyes 95
Which thou dost glare with.
Lady M. Think of this, good peers,
But as a thing of custom: 'tis no other;
Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.
Macb. What man dare, I dare:
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, 100
The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger;[4245]
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble: or be alive again,[4246]
And dare me to the desert with thy sword;
If trembling I inhabit then, protest me[4247] 105
The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow![4248]
Unreal mockery, hence! [Exit Ghost.[4249]
Why, so: being gone,
I am a man again. Pray you, sit still.
Lady M. You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting,[4250]
With most admired disorder.[4251]
Macb. Can such things be,[4251][4252] 110
And overcome us like a summer's cloud,[4252]
Without our special wonder? You make me strange[4252]
Even to the disposition that I owe,[4253]
When now I think you can behold such sights,[4254]
And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks,[4255] 115
When mine is blanch'd with fear.
Ross. What sights, my lord?[4256]
Lady M. I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse;
Question enrages him: at once, good night:
Stand not upon the order of your going,
But go at once.
Len. Good night; and better health 120
Attend his majesty!
Lady M. A kind good night to all![4257]
[Exeunt all but Macbeth and Lady M.
Macb. It will have blood: they say blood will have blood:[4258]
Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;[4259]
Augures and understood relations have[4259][4260]
By maggot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth[4261] 125
The secret'st man of blood. What is the night?
Lady M. Almost at odds with morning, which is which.
Macb. How say'st thou, that Macduff denies his person
At our great bidding?
Lady M. Did you send to him, sir?[4262]
Macb. I hear it by the way, but I will send:[4263] 130
There's not a one of them but in his house[4264]
I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow,[4265][4266]
And betimes I will, to the weird sisters:[4266][4267]
More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know,[4268]
By the worst means, the worst. For mine own good[4269] 135
All causes shall give way: I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,[4270]
Returning were as tedious as go o'er:[4271]
Strange things I have in head that will to hand,
Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd. 140
Lady M. You lack the season of all natures, sleep.[4272]
Macb. Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse[4273]
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use:
We are yet but young in deed.[4274] [Exeunt.
Scene V. A heath.[4275]
Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate.
First Witch. Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly.
Hec. Have I not reason, beldams as you are,[4276][4277]
Saucy and over-bold? How did you dare[4277]
To trade and traffic with Macbeth
In riddles and affairs of death; 5
And I, the mistress of your charms,
The close contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or show the glory of our art?
And, which is worse, all you have done 10
Hath been but for a wayward son,[4278]
Spiteful and wrathful; who, as others do,[4279]
Loves for his own ends, not for you.[4280]
But make amends now: get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron 15
Meet me i' the morning: thither he
Will come to know his destiny:
Your vessels and your spells provide,
Your charms and every thing beside.
I am for the air; this night I'll spend[4281] 20
Unto a dismal and a fatal end:[4282]
Great business must be wrought ere noon:
Upon the corner of the moon
There hangs a vaporous drop profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground: 25
And that distill'd by magic sleights[4283]
Shall raise such artificial sprites[4284]
As by the strength of their illusion
Shall draw him on to his confusion:
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear 30
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace and fear:
And you all know security
Is mortals' chiefest enemy.[4285]
[Music and a song within: 'Come away, come away,' &c.
Hark! I am call'd; my little spirit, see,
Sits in a foggy cloud, and stays for me.[4286] [Exit.35
First Witch. Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again.[4287] [Exeunt.
Scene VI. Forres. The palace.[4288]
Enter Lennox and another Lord.[4289]
Len. My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,[4290]
Which can interpret farther: only I say[4291]
Things have been strangely borne. The gracious Duncan[4292]
Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead:
And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late;[4293] 5
Whom, you may say, if't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.[4294]
Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous[4294][4295]
It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain[4294]
To kill their gracious father? damned fact![4294] 10
How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight,[4296]
In pious rage, the two delinquents tear,
That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;[4297]
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive 15
To hear the men deny 't. So that, I say,[4298]
He has borne all things well: and I do think
That, had he Duncan's sons under his key—[4299]
As, an't please heaven, he shall not—they should find[4300]
What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance. 20
But, peace! for from broad words, and 'cause he fail'd[4301]
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear,
Macduff lives in disgrace: sir, can you tell
Where he bestows himself?
Lord. The son of Duncan,[4302][4303]
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth, 25
Lives in the English court, and is received[4304]
Of the most pious Edward with such grace
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect. Thither Macduff[4305]
Is gone to pray the holy king, upon his aid[4306] 30
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward:[4307]
That by the help of these, with Him above
To ratify the work, we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,[4308] 35
Do faithful homage and receive free honours:
All which we pine for now: and this report
Hath so exasperate the king that he[4309]
Prepares for some attempt of war.[4310]
Len. Sent he to Macduff?
Lord. He did: and with an absolute 'Sir, not I,'[4302] 40
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
And hums, as who should say 'You'll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.'
Len. And that well might
Advise him to a caution, to hold what distance[4311]
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel 45
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country[4312]
Under a hand accursed!
Lord. I'll send my prayers with him.[4313]
[Exeunt.