Lays blame upon his promife. Pleas't your Highness

To grace us with your royal company?

Mach. The table's full.

Len. Here's a place reserv'd, Sir.

Macb. Where?

Len. Here, my good lord.

What is't that moves your Highness?

Macb. Which of you have done this?
Lords. What, my good lord?

[Starting.

Macb. Thou can'ft not say, I did it: never shake Thy goary locks at me.

Roffe. Gentlemen, rise; 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,
You fhall offend him, and extend his paffion;
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man ?

[To Macbeth afide.

Macb. Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on That, Which might appal the Devil.

Lady. O proper ftuff!

This is the very painting of your fear;

This is the air-drawn-dagger, which, you faid,
Led you to Duncan. Oh, thefe flaws and ftarts.
(Impoftors to true fear,) would well become
A woman's flory at a winter's fire,

[Afide.

Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make fuch faces? when all's done,
You look but on a fool.

Macb. Pr'ythee, fee there!

Behold! look! lo! how fay you?

Pointing to the Ghoft.

Why, what care I? if thou can'ft nod, speak too.—
If Charnel houfes and our Graves muft fend

Thofe, that we bury, back; our Monuments
Shall be the maws of kites.

[The Ghoftvanishes

Lady. What? quite unmann'd in folly?

Macb.

Macb. If I ftand here, I saw him.

Lady. Fie, for fhame!

[time,

Mach. Blood hath been shed ere now, i'th' olden *Ere human Statute purg'd the gen'ral weal; Ay, and fince too, Murders have been perform'd Too terrible for th' 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.

fall!

Do not muse at me, my moft worthy friends,
I have a ftrange Infirmity, which is nothing
To thofe that know me. Come, Love and Health to
Then I'll fit down: give me fome wine, fill full-
I drink to th' general joy of the whole table,
And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss;
Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,
And all to all.

Lords. Our Duties, and the Pledge,

[The Ghoft rifes again. Macb. Avaunt, and quit my fight! Let the earth

hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
Thou haft no fpeculation in those eyes,
Which thou doft glare with.

Lady. Think of this, good Peers,

But as a thing of cuftom; 'tis no other;
Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.
Macb. What man dare, I dare:

Approach thou like the rugged Ruffian bear,
The arm'd rhinoceros, or Hyrcanian tyger,

Ere human Statute purg'd the gentle weal :] Thus all the Editions

I have reform'd the Text, gen'ral Weal: And it is a very fine Periphrafis to fignify, erè civil Societies were inftituted.

P 2

Warb:

Take

Take any fhape but That, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble: Or, be alive again,
And dare me to the Defert with thy fword;
If trembling I inhibit, then protest me

The baby of a girl. Hence, terrible shadow!
Unreal mock'ry, hence! Why, fo,—being gone,
[The Ghoft vanishes.
I am a man again: pray you fit ftill. [The Lords rife.
Lady. You have difplac'd the mirth, broke the
good Meeting

With most admir'd diforder.

Can't fuch things be

And overcome us like a Summer's cloud,

Without our fpecial wonder?

Macb. You make me ftrange

Ev'n to the difpofition that I owe,

When now I think, you can behold fuch fights;
And keep the natural Ruby of your Cheeks,
When mine is blanch'd with fear.

Roffe. What fights, my lord?

[worfe;

Lady. I pray you, fpeak not; he grows worfe and

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

Attend his Majefty!

Lady. Good night, to all.

[Exeunt Lords.

Macb. It will have blood, they fay; blood will

have blood;

Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak; Augurs, that understood relations, have

By magpies, and by choughs, and rooks brought forth The fecret'ft man of blood.What is the night? Lady. Almoft at odds with morning, which is which. Macb. How fay'ft thou, that Macduff denies his perAt our great bidding?

Lady. Did you fend to him, Sir?

Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will send: There's not a Thane of them, but in his houfe

[fon,

I

I keep a fervant fee'd.

I will to-morrow

(Betimes I will) unto the weyward fifters :

More fhall they fpeak; for now I'm bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst, for mine own good.
All caufes fhall give way; I am in blood

Stept in fo far, that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er:

Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted, ere they may be scann'd.
Lady. You lack the Seafon of all Natures, Sleep.
Macb. Come, we'll to fleep; my firange and self-

abufe

Is the initiate fear; that wants hards use:

We're yet but young in Deed.

[Exeunt.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate.

Witch.

WHY, how now, Hecat, you look an

gerly.

Hec. Have I not reafon, Beldams, as you are?
Saucy, and over bold! how did you dare
To trade and traffic with Macbeth,

In riddles; and affairs of death?

And I, the miftrefs of your Charms,
The close contriver of all harms,-
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or fhew the glory of our Art?

And, which is worfe, all you have done
Hath been but for a weyward fon;

Spightful and wrathful, who, as others do,

Loves for his own ends, not for

you.

But make amends now; get you gone,

And at the pit of Acheron

Meet me i' th' morning: thither he
Will come, to know his deftiny;
Your veffels and your spells provide,.

P 3

Your

Your Charms and every thing befide.

I am for th' Air: this night I'll spend
Unto a difmal fatal end.

Great business must be wrought ere noon :
Upon the corner of the Moon

There hangs a vap'rous drop, profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground;
And that diftill'd by magic flights,
Shall raise such artificial fprights,
As, by the ftrength of their illufion,
Shall draw him on to his confusion.
He fhall fpurn fate, scorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear :
And you all know, Security

Is mortal's chiefeft enemy.

[Mufic and a Song.

Hark, I am call'd; my little fpirit, fee,
Sits in the foggy cloud, and flays for me.

[Sing within. Come away, come away &c, I Witch. Come, let's make hafte, fhe'll foon be back again.

SCENE VII.

Changes to a Chamber.

Enter Lenox, and another Lord.

Len.

MY

[Exeunt.

Y former fpeeches have but hit your thoughts,

Which can interpret farther: only, I fay,

[can

Things have been strangely borne. The gracious Dun

Was pitied of Macbeth

marry, he was dead :

And the right valiant Banquo walk'd too late.

Whom, you may say, if't please, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men muft not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought, how monftrous too
It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain

To kill their gracious father? damned fact !
How did it grieve Macbeth? did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,

That