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All my pretty ones?

Did you say all?-O, hell-kite! - All?

What, all my pretty chickens and their dam

At one fell swoop?

Mal. Dispute it like a man.
Macd.

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But I must also feel it as a man:
I cannot but remember such things
That were most precious to me.

on,

were,

- Did Heaven look

And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff !
They were all struck for thee.

Naught that I am,
Not for their own demerits, but for mine,

Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now! Mal. Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.

Macd. O, I could play the woman with mine eyes, 230 And braggart with my tongue. But, gentle Heavens, Cut short all intermission; front to front,

Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;

Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,
Heaven forgive him too!

Mal.

This tune goes manly.

Come, go we to the king: our power is ready;

216 He. Refers either to Malcolm or to Macbeth. (R)

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232 intermission, delay. (R) 235 tune. The folio time, which Rowe corrected. Cf. As You Like It, V. iii. 31, and King John, III. iii. 26. (w)

Macbeth

Our lack is nothing but our leave.

Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above

Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may; The night is long that never finds the day. [Exeunt. 240

ACT FIVE.

SCENE I. Dunsinane. A Room in the Castle.

Enter a Physician and a waiting Gentlewoman. DOCTOR. I have two nights watch'd with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walk'd?

Gentlewoman. Since his Majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon 't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

Doct. A great perturbation in nature, — to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watch- 10 ing. In this slumb'ry agitation, besides her walking and other actual performances, what at any time have you heard her say?

Gent. That, sir, which I will not report after her. Doct. You may to me; and 't is most meet you should.

Gent. Neither to you, nor any one, having no witness to confirm my speech.

Lo

Enter Lady MACBETH, with a taper.

you! here she comes. upon my life fast asleep.

This is her very guise, and Observe her: stand close.

237 Our lack . . . leave, i. e. we need nothing but leave to set out, or to take our leave. (R)

20

239 Put on, incite, instigate. instruments, agents. (R)

12 actual, active. (R)

Doct. How came she by that light?

Gent. Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually; 't is her command.

Doct. You see, her eyes are open.

Gent. Ay, but their sense is shut.

Doct. What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands.

Gent. It is an accustom'd action with her to seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.

Lady M. Yet here's a spot.

Doct. Hark! she speaks. I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.

Lady M. Out, damned spot! out, I say! - One; two: why, then 't is time to do 't. - Hell is murky! — Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afear'd? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? - Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?

Doct. Do you mark that?

Lady M. The Thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now? What, will these hands ne'er be clean? No more o' that, my lord; no more o' that you mar all with this starting.

Doct. Go to, go to: you have known what you should not.

Gent. She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that: Heaven knows what she has known.

30

40

Lady M. Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. 50 Oh! oh! oh!

25 is The folio, are, due, perhaps, to a compositor's mistaking

sense for a plural noun. [Rowe's correction.]

36 What, i. e. why. (R)

Doct. What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charg'd.

Gent. I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body.

Doct. Well, well, well, —

Gent. Pray God, it be, sir.

Doct. This disease is beyond my practice: yet I have known those which have walk'd in their sleep, who have died holily in their beds.

Lady M. Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale. I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried: he cannot come out on's grave.

Doct. Even so ?

Lady M. To bed, to bed: there's knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What's done cannot be undone: to bed, to bed, to bed. [Exit Lady MACBETH.

Doct. Will she go now to bed?
Gent. Directly.

Doct. Foul whisp'rings are abroad. Unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds

To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.
More needs she the divine than the physician.
God, God, forgive us all! Look after her;
Remove from her the means of all annoyance,
And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night:
My mind she has mated, and amaz'd my sight.
I think, but dare not speak.

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60

70

annoyance, doing harm to

herself. (R)

77 still, always. (R)

78 mated, i. e. astounded.

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Enter, with drum and colours, MENTEITH, CATHNESS, ANGUS, LENOx, and Soldiers.

Menteith. The English power is near, led on by
Malcolm,

His uncle Siward, and the good Macduff.
Revenges burn in them; for their dear causes
Would, to the bleeding and the grim alarm,
Excite the mortified man.

Angus.

Near Birnam wood

Shall we well meet them: that way are they coming. Cathness. Who knows if Donalbain be with his

brother?

Len. For certain, sir, he is not. I have a file

Of all the gentry: there is Siward's son,

And many unrough youths, that even now
Protest their first of manhood.

Ment.

What does the tyrant?

Cath. Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies.
Some say he's mad: others, that lesser hate him,
Do call it valiant fury; but, for certain,
He cannot buckle his distemper'd cause
Within the belt of rule.

Now does he feel

Ang.
His secret murthers sticking on his hands;

Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach:
Those he commands move only in command,
Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.

mortified man, the ascetic. Cf. "provoke a saint." [Some see a reference to the notion of the corpse bleeding in the presence of the murderer.]

file, list. (R)

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18 minutely, momentarily. The accent is on the first syllable.

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