Mach. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you; I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful The hearing of my wife with your approach; So humbly take my leave.

King. My worthy Cawdor!

Mab. The Prince of Cumberland!

-that is a step,

[Afide.

On which I muft fall down, or else o'er-leap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires!
Let not light fee my black and deep defires;
The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to fee.
King. True, worthy Banquo; he is full fo valiant;
And in his commendations I am fed;

It is a banquet to me. 'Let us after him,

Whofe care is gone before to bid us welcome:

It is a peerless kinfman.

[Exit.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's Caftie, at Inverness.

Lady.

Enter Lady Macbeth alone, with a letter.

T

HEY met me in the day of fuccefs; and I have learn'd by the perfecteft report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burnt in defire to question them further, they made themfelves air, into which they vanish'd. While I food raft in the wonder of it, came Miffives from the King, who all-bail'd me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, thefe weird fifters faluted me, and referr'd me to the coming on of time, with hail, King that fhalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee (my dearest Partner of Greatness) that thou might'ft not lofe the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what Greatness is promis'd thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewel.

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor- -and fhalt be
What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o'th' milk of human kindefs,

To

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; wouldft not play false, Thou'dft have, great

And yet wouldft wrongly win.

Glamis,

That which cries, "Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
"And that which rather thou doft fear to do,
"Than wifheft fhould be undone." Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,
And chaftife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate, and metaphyfical aid, doth feem
To have thee crown'd withal.

Enter Meffenger.

What is your tidings?

Mef. The King comes here to-night.
Lady. Thou'rt mad to.fay it.

Is not thy mafter with him? who, wer't fo,
Would have inform'd for preparation.

Mef. So please you, it is true: our Thane is coming.

One of my fellows had the fpeed of him;

Who, almost dead for breath, had fcarcely more

Than would make up his meffage.

Lady. Give him tending;

He brings great news.

The raven himself is hoarfe,

[Exit Mefjenger.

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, all you fpirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unfex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to th' toe, top-full
Of direft cruelty; make thick my blood,
Stop up th' accefs and paffage to remorse,
That no compunctious vifitings of nature
Shake my fell purpofe, nor keep peace between
Th' effect, and it. Come to my woman's breafts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring minifters!
Where-ever in your fightlefs fubftances

You

You wait on nature's mifchief.-Come, thick night!
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,

That my keen knife fee not the wound it makes ;
Nor heav'n peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry, hold, hold!-

Enter Macbeth.

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

[Embracing him.

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!

Thy letters have tranfported me beyond
This ign'rant prefent time, and I feel now
The future in the inftant.

Macb. Deareft love,

Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady. And when

goes hence?,

Macb. To-morrow, as he purpofes.
Lady. Oh, never

Shall fun that morrow fee!.

Your face, my Thane, is as a book, where men (8)
May read ftrange 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 ferpent under't. He, that's coming,
Must be provided for; and you fhall put
This night's great business into my dispatch,
Which fhall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and mafterdom.
Macb. We will speak further.

(8) Your Face, my Thane, is as a Book, where Men May read frange Matters to beguile the Time.

Look like the Time,] I have ventured against the Authority of all the Copies, to alter the Pointing of this Paffage: and, I hope, with fome Certainty. The Lady undoubtedly means that Macbeth looks fo full of thought and folemn Reflection upon the purposed act, that, the fears, People may comment upon the Reafon of his Gloom and therefore defires him, in order to take off and prevent fuch Comments, to wear a Face of Pleafure and Entertainment; and look like the Time, the better to deceive the Time.

Lady.

Lady. Only look up clear:

To alter favour, ever, is and fear.

Leave all the reft to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, before Macbeth's Caftle-Gate.

Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Roffe, Angus, and Attendants.

His Caftle hath a pleasant feat; the air

King-T Nimbly and fweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle fenfes.

Ban. This gueft of summer,

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve
By his lov'd manfionry that heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here. No jutting frieze,
Buttrice, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendant bed, and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have obferv'd,
The air is delicate.

Enter Lady.

King. See, fee! our honour'd hoftefs!

The love that follows us, fometimes is our trouble, Which ftill we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you should bid god-eyld us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble,

Lady. All our service

(In every point twice done, and then done double,) Were poor and fingle business to contend

Against thofe honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your Majefty loads our house. For thofe of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We reft your hermits.

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well,

And his great love, (fharp as his fpur,) hath help him
To's home before us: fair and noble hoftess,

We

We are your guest to-night.

Lady. Your fervants ever

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt, To make their audit at your Highness' pleasure,

Still to return your own.

King. Give me your hand;

Conduct me to mine hoft, we love him highly;
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hoftefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's Caftie.

Hautboys, Torches. Enter divers fervants with dishes and fervice over the ftage. Then Macbeth.

I

Macb. F it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly: if th' affaffination
Could trammel up the confequence, and catch
With its furceafe, fuccefs; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all- — Here, (9)
But Here, upon this bank and fhoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come- -But, in thefe cafes,
We still have judment here, that we but teach
Bloody inftructions; which, being taught, return
To plague th' inventor. Even-handed juftice
Returns th' ingredients of our poifon'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 hoft
Who fhould against his murd'rer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Befides, this Duncan

Hath borne his faculties fo meek, hath been

(9) But here, upon this Bank and School of Time.] Bank and School

What a monftrous Couplement, as Don Armado fays, is here of heterogeneous ideas! I have ventured to amend, which reftores a Confonance of Images,

on this Bank and Shoal of Time.

i. e. this Shallow, this narrow Ford of human Life, oppofed to the great Abyss of Eternity.

So

are the only Editing

o get my with suvas we", the Correct reading