Thou know'ft, that Banque, and his Fleance, lives. Hath rung night's yawning peal, there fhall be done A deed of dreadful note. Lady. What's to be done? Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, 'Till thou applaud the deed: come, feeling night, Skarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody and invifible hand Good things of day begin to droop and drowze, [Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Park; the Cafle at a I Mur. B diftance. Enter three Murderers. UT who did bid thee join with us? 2 Mur. He needs not our mistruft, fince he delivers Our offices, and what we have to do, To the direction just. 1 Mur. Then ftand with us. The weft yet glimmers with fome fireaks of day: To gain the timely inn; and near approaches 3 Mur. Hark, Thear horfes. Banquo within. Give us light there, ho! 2 Mur. Then it is he; the rest, That are within the note of expectation, I Mur. His horfes go about. 3 Mur. Almost a mile: but he does usually, (So all men do,) from hence to th' Palace-gate Make it their walk. Enter Banquo and Fleance, with a Torch. 2 Mur. A light, a light. 3 Mur. 'Tis he. I Mur. Stand to't. Ban. It will be rain to-night. I Mur. Let it come down. Fly, Fleance, fly, fly, fly, [They affault Banquo. Thou may'ft revenge. Oh flave! [Dies. Fleance efcapes. 3 Mur. Who did ftrike out the light? I Mur. Was't not the way? 3 Mur. There's but one down; the fon Is fled. 2 Mur. We've loft beft half of our affair. 1 Mur. Well, let's away, and fay how much is done. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Room of State in the Caftle A Banquet prepar'd. Enter Macbeth, Lady, Roffe, Macb. At first and laft, the hearty welcome. Lords. Thanks to your Majefty. Mach. Ourfelf will mingle with fociety, And play the humble hoft: Our hoftefs keeps her ftate, but in best time We will require her welcome. [They fit. Lady. Pronounce it for me, Sir, to all our friends, For my heart speaks, they're welcome, Enter Enter firft Murderer. Mac. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks. Both fides are even: here I'll fit i'th' midft; Be large in mirth, anon we'll drink a meafure [To the Murderer, afide, at the door. Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then. Macb. "Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he dispatch'd? Mur. My Lord, his throat is cut, that I did for him. Macb. Thou art the best of cut-throats; yet he's good, That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it, Thou art the non-pareil. Mur. Moft royal Sir, Fleance is 'fcap'd. Macb.Then comes my fit again: I had elfe been perfect; Whole as the marble, founded as the rock; As broad, and gen'ral, as the cafing air: But now I'm cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in Macb. Thanks for that; There the grown ferpent lies: the worm, that's fled, Hath nature that in time will venom breed, No teeth for th' prefent. Get thee gone, to-morrow We'll hear't ourselves again. Lady. My royal Lord, [Exit Murderer. You do not give the cheer; the feaft is fold, That is not often vouched, while 'tis making; 'Tis given, with welcome. To feed, were beft at home; From thence, the fawce to meat is ceremony; Meeting were bare without it. The Ghoft of Banquo rifes, and fits in Macbeth's place. Macb! Sweet remembrancer! Now good digeftion wais on appetite, Len. Len. May't please your Highness, fit? Macb. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd, Were the grac'd perfon of our Banquo prefent, (Whom may I rather challenge for unkindness, Than pity for mifchance!) Refe. His abfence, Sir, Lays blame upon his promife. Pleas't your Highness To grace us with your royal company? Macb. The table's full. Len. Here's a place referv'd, Sir.. Mach. Where? Len. Here, my good Lord. What is't that moves your Highness ? Lords. What, my good Lord? [Starting. Macb. Thou can'ft not fay, I did it: never shake Thy goary locks at me. Roffe. Gentlemen, rife; his Highness is not well. Lady. Sit, worthy friends, my Lord is often thus, And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep feat. The fit is momentary, on a thought He will again be well. If much you note him, -Are you a man? [To Macbeth afide. Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that, Which might appall the devil. Lady. O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear; This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you faid, Led you to Duncan. Oh, these flaws and starts (Impoftors to true fear,) would well become A woman's story at a winter's fire, Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself!- Mach. Pr'ythee, see there! [Afide Behold! look! lo! how fay you? [Pointing to the Ghoft. Why, what care I? if thou can'ft nod, fpeak too. If charnel-houfes and our graves muft fend [The Ghoft vanishes. Lady. What? quite unmann'd in folly ? Mach. If I ftand here, I faw him.Lady. Fy, for fhame! Macb. Blood hath been fhed ere now, i'th' olden time, Ere human statute purg'd the gen'ral weal; (15) Ay, and fince too, murders have been perform'd Too terrible for the ear: the times have been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end; but now they rife again With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our ftools: this is more ftrange Than fuch a murder is. Lady. My worthy Lord, Your noble friends do lack you. Macb. I do forget. Do not muse at me, my moft worthy friends, I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing To thofe that know me. Come, love and health to all! Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. The Ghoft rifes again. Mac. Avaunt, and quit my fight! let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowlefs, thy blood is cold; Thou haft no fpeculation in thofe eyes, Which thou doft glare with. Lady. Think of this, good Peers, (15) Ere buman Statute purg'd the gentle Weal] Thus all the Editions: but Mr. Warburton very juftly advised, as I have reformed the Text, gen'ral Weal: "And it is a very fine Periphrafis (fays he) to fignify, ere civil Societies were inflituted. For the early "Murders recorded in Scripture, are here alluded to: and Macbeth's "apologizing for Murder from the Antiquity of the Example is very natural," But |