LADY M. MACB. But wherefore could not I Consider it not so deeply. pronounce Amen? I had most need of blessing, and Amen LADY M. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad. MACB. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! LADY M. What do you mean? MACB. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the house. Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more,-Macbeth shall sleep no more! LADY M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, So brainsickly of things.-Go, get some water, MACB. I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on 't again I dare not. LADY M. 50 [Exit. Knocking without. MACB. Whence is that knocking? What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes! Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather Making the green-one red. Re-enter LADY MACBETH. LADY M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knocking without.] I hear a knocking At the south entry :-retire we to our chamber: A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended.-[Knocking without.] Hark! more knocking: Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, sleave-] Unwrought silk, flos silk. And show us to be watchers :-be not lost So poorly in your thoughts. MACB. To know my deed, 't were best not know myself. [Knocking without. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! Ay, would thou couldst! [Exeunt. SCENE II-The same. A Hall in the Castle. Enter a Porter. [Knocking without.] PORTER. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking without.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub?— Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty.— Come in, Time; a have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for 't. [Knocking without.] Knock, knock! Who's there, i' the other devil's name?-Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven.-O, come in, Equivocator. [Knocking without.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there?-Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose. -Come in, Tailor; here you may roast your goose. [Knocking without.] Knock, knock! never at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking without.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate. Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX. MACD. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late? PORT. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. MACD. What three things does drink especially provoke? PORT. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with Lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets. him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him. 40 MACD. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. PORT. That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me: but I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him. MACD. Is thy master stirring? Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes. • Come in, Time ;] The editors concur in printing this, "Come in time;" but what meaning they attach to it none has yet explained. As we have subsequently, "Come in, Equivocator," and "Come in, Tailor," "Time" is probably intended as a whimsical appellation for the "farmer that hanged himself." LEN. Good morrow, noble sir! MACB. Enter MACBETH. Good morrow, both. Not yet. MACD. Is the king stirring, worthy thane? MACB. MACD. He did command me to call timely on him; I have almost slipp'd the hour. MACB. I'll bring you to him. MACD. I know this is a joyful trouble to you; But yet 't is one. MACB. The labour we delight in physics pain. This is the door. MACD. I'll make so bold to call, For 't is my limited service. LEN. Goes the king hence to-day? [Exit. He does he did appoint so. : • LEN. The night has been unruly: where we lay, Of dire combustion and confus'd events, New hatch'd to the woeful time. The obscure bird clamour'd the live-long night: Some say, the earth was feverous and did shake. LEN. My young remembrance cannot parallel Re-enter MACDUFF. MACD. O, horror! horror! horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee! MACD. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence The life o' the building! MACB. -70 What is 't you say? the life? LEN. Mean you his majesty? MACD. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight With a new Gorgon:-do not bid me speak; See, and then speak yourselves.- [Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX. Awake! awake!— Ring the alarum-bell.-Murder and treason!- Enter LADY MACBETH. LADY M. What's the business, MACD. "Tis not for you to hear what I can speak : The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell. Enter BANQUO. O, gentle lady, O, Banquo! Banquo! our royal master's murder'd! Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so. Too cruel anywhere. Re-enter MACBETH and LENNOX. MACB. Had I but died an hour before this chance, All is but toys: renown and grace is dead; Enter MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. DON. What is amiss? MACE. You are, and do not know 't: The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood Is stopp'd, the very source of it is stopp'd. MACD. Your royal father's murder'd. MAL. O, by whom? LEN. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't: MACB. O, yet, I do repent me of my fury, 112 MACD. Wherefore did you so? MACB. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man: The expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan, And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature LADY M. MACD. Look to the lady. Help me hence, ho! MAL. [Aside to DON.] Why do we hold our tongues, That most may claim this argument for ours? DON. [Aside to MAL.] What should be spoken here, Where our fate, hid in an auger-hole, May rush and seize us? Let's away; Our tears are not yet brew'd. MAL. [Aside to DON.] Nor our strong sorrow Upon the foot of motion. BAN. Look to the lady : 130 [LADY MACBETH is carried out. And when we have our naked frailties hid, That suffer in exposure, let us meet, And question this most bloody piece of work, Of treasonous malice! MACD. ALL. And so do I! So all! MACB. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' the hall together. ALL. Well contented. [Exeunt all except MALCOLM and DONALBAIN. MAL. What will you do? Let's not consort with them: To show an unfelt sorrow is an office Which the false man does easy. I'll to England. DON. To Ireland, I; our separated fortune Shall keep us both the safer: where we are, MAL. JV SCENE III-The same. 950 [Exeunt. Without the Castle. Enter Ross and an Oia Man. OLD M. Threescore and ten I can remember well: Within the volume of which time, I have seen Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night Ah, good father, Ross. |