Is 't night's predominance, or the day's shame, OLD M. 'Tis unnatural, Even like the deed that 's done. On Tuesday last, A falcon, touring in her pride of place,a Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd. Ross. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain), Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would Make war with mankind. OLD M. 'Tis said they eat each other. (1) Enter MACDUFF. Why, see you not? How goes the world, sir, now? MACD. Ross. Alas, the day! They were suborn'd: Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's two sons, Ross. 'Gainst nature still: Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up Thine own life's means!-Then 't is most like The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.b 30 MACD. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone (2) To be invested. Ross. Will you to Scone? MACD. No, cousin, I'll to Fife. A falcon, touring in her pride of place,-] That is, circling at her highest point of elevation. So in Massinger's play of "The Guardian," Act I. Sc. 2,- "Then, for an evening flight, A tiercel gentle, which I call, my masters, See also note (1) p. 469, Vol. I. t Then 't is most like The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.] Macbeth by his birth stood next in succession to the crown after the sons of Duncan. King Malcolm, Duncan's predecessor, had two daughters, the eldest of whom, Beatrice, was the mother of Duncan; the younger, called Doada, the mother of Macbeth. Ross. Well, I will thither. MACD. Well, may you see things well done there, adieu,Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! Ross. Farewell, father. OLD M. God's benison go with you, and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Forres. A Room in the Palace. Enter BANQUO. BAN. Thou hast it now,-king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear, Thou play'dst most foully for 't: yet it was said But that myself should be the root and father And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more. Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; LADY MACBETH, as Queen; LENNOX, Ross, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants. K. MACB. Here's our chief guest. QUEEN. It had been as a gap in our great feast, And all-thing unbecoming. If he had been forgotten, K. MACB. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I'll request your presence. BAN. Let your highness Command upon me; to the which my duties Are with a most indissoluble tie For ever knit. K. MACB. Ride you this afternoon? BAN. Ay, my good lord. K. MACB. We should have else desir'd your good advice (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. This has been changed to, "Lay your highness," &c., and "Set your highness," &c. D'Avenant, in his alteration of the play, reads, "Your Majesty layes your command on me, BAN. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night For a dark hour or twain. K. MACB. BAN. My lord, I will not. Fail not our feast. K. MACB. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd Farewell. Let every man be master of his time Till seven at night; to make society Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you! 30 [Exit BANQUO. [Exeunt QUEEN, Lords, Ladies, &c. Sirrah, a word with you: attend those men our pleasure? ATTEND. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. K. MACB. Bring them before us.— [Exit Attendant. To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature b Reigns that which would be fear'd: 't is much he dares; He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour To act in safety. There is none but he Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters, And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like, To be a king is nothing, unless to be safely one. This is out of doubt the meaning of the poet; but the modern punctuation, "To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus:-" renders the passage quite incomprehensible. royalty of nature-] A form of expression correspondent to, and confirmatory of, "sovereignty of reason," and "nobility of love." For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd: * To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! Who's there?— [Exit Attendant Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers. Now go to the door, and stay there till we call. K. MACB. Well then, now Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know In our last conference, pass'd in probation with you; How you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, Say, Thus did Banquo. 1 MUR. You made it known to us. K. MACB. I did so: and went further, which is now 1 MUR. -90 We are men, my liege. That writes them all alike: and so of men. (*) Old text, Seedes. to the utterance!] From the French; se battre à l'outrance, to fight to extremity, to the last gasp. b borne in hand,-] Encouraged by delusive promises. clep'd-] Called. Who wear our health but sickly in his life, 2 MUR. I am one, my liege, 1 MUR. And I another, True, my lord. K. MACB. So is he mine; and in such bloody distance, Against my near'st of life: and though I could 2 MUR. We shall, my lord, Perform what you command us. 1 MUR. Though our lives 120 K. MACB. Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most, I will advise you where to plant yourselves; We are resolv'd, my lord. K. MACB. I'll call upon you straight; abide within. It is concluded:-Banquo, thy soul's flight, If it find heaven, must find it out to-night. - always thought That I require a clearness :] 140 [Exeunt Murderers. [Exit. Never forgetting that I must stand clear of all suspicion. |