Whom we, to gain our Place, have fent to Peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie

In restless ecftafie. Duncan is in his Grave;
After life's fitful fever, he fleeps well;

Treafon has done his worft; nor fteel, nor poifon;
Malice domeftic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further!

Lady. Come on;

Gentle, my lord, fleek o'er your rugged looks;
Be bright and jovial, 'mong your guests to-night.
Mach. So fhall I Love; and fo, I pray, be you
Let your remembrance ftill apply to Banquo.
* Present him Eminence, both with
eye and tongue.
Unfafe the while, that we muft lave our honours
In these fo flatt'ring ftreams, and make our faces:
Vizors t'our hearts, difguifing what they are!
Lady. You must leave this.

Mach. O, full of fcorpions is my mind, dear wife!
Thou know'st, that Banquo, and his Fleance lives.
Lady. But in them + Nature's copy's not eternal.
Mach. There's comfort yet, they are affailable;
Then, be thou jocund. Ere the Bat hath flown
His cloyfter'd flight; ere to black Hecat's fummons
5 The fhard-born beetle with his drowfie hums
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there fhall be done
A deed of dreadful note.

Lady. What's to be done?

Mach. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,

In restless ecftafi-] Ecftafie, has its time of termination lifor madness. mited.

WARB. 3 Prefent him Eminence,——] i.. do him the highest honours. WARBURTON. 4-Nature's copy's not eternal.] The copy, the leafe, by which they hold their lives from nature,

6

'Till thou applaud the Deed. • Come, feeling night,
Skarf up the tender eye of pitiful day,
And with thy bloody and invifible hand
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond,

Which keeps me pale. Light thickens, and the Crow
Makes wing to th' rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowze, Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rowze. Thou marvell'ft at my words; but hold thee still; Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill. So, pr'ythee, go with me.

[Exeunt.

Changes to a Park; the Castle at a distance.

Enter three Murtherers.

UT who did bid thee join with us?
3 Mur. Macbeth.

'BUT

2 Mur. He needs not our Miftruft, fince he delivers

Our offices, and what we have to do,

To the direction juft.

1 Mur. Then ftand with us.

The weft yet glimmers with fome streaks of day:
Now fpurs the lated traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn, and near approaches
The fubject of our watch.

Come, fealing Night,] Thus the common editions had it; but the old one, jeeling, i.e. blinding; which is right. It is a term in Falconry. WARE. 7 The meaning of this abrupt dialogue is this. The perfect foy, mentioned by Macbe in the foregoing feene, has, before they enter upon the Rage, given them

the directions which were promifed at the time of their agreement; yet one of the murderers fuborned fufpects him of intending to betray them; the other obferves, that, by his exact knowledge of what they were to da, he appears to be employed by Macbeth, and needs not be miftrufel.

7

3 Mur.

3 Mur. Hark, I hear horfes.

Banquo within.] Give us light there, ho!.
2 Mur. Then it is he; the reft

That are within the note of expectation,
Already are i'th' Court.

I Mur. His horses go about.

3 Mur. Almoft a mile; but he does ufually, 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.

[They affault Banquo.

Ban. Oh, treachery! Fly, Fleance, Ay, Ay, Ay,

Thou may'st revenge. Oh, flave!

[Dies. Fleance escapes. 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 best 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 Castle:

A Banquet prepar'd: Enter Macbeth, Lady, Roffe, Lenox, Lords, and Attendants.

Macb.

8

'YOU

OU know your own degrees, fit down:
At first and laft, the hearty welcome.

Lords. Thanks to your Majesty.

Mach. Our felf 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 firft Murtherer.

Mach. 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 measure The table round.-There's blood upon thy face. [To the Murtherer, afide at the door.

Mach. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he dispatch'd?

Mur. My Lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him. Mach. 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.

Mach. Then comes my fit again: I had elfe beer

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,

To fawcy Doubts and Fears.

confin'd, bound in But Banquo's fafe?

Mur. Ay, my good Lord. Safe in a ditch he

bides,

With twenty trenched gafhes on his head;

The leaft a death to Nature.

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

We'll hear't ourselves again.

Lady. My royal lord,

gone, to morrow

[Exit Murtherer.

You do not give the cheer; the feast 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 Ghost of Banquo rifes, and fits in Macbeth's place.

'Tis better thee without than he within The fenfe requires that this paffage fhould te read thus:

the blood of Banquo fhould be on thy face than in his body.

The authour might mean, It is better that Banquo's blood were 'Tis better thee without, than on thy face, than he in this room. him within. Expreffions thus imperfect are That is, I am more pleajed that common in his works.

Mach.