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 ate each other. Rosse. They did so; to th' amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff.—

Enter MACDuff.

How goes the world, sir, now?

Macd.

Why, see you not?

Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than bloody

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons,
Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.

Rosse.

'Gainst nature still :

Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up1

Thine own life's means!-Then, 'tis most like,
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

Macd. He is already nam'd, and gone to Scone
To be invested.

Rosse.

Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colme-kill;

The sacred store-house of his predecessors,

And guardian of their bones.

1

Rosse.

Will you to Scone?

Well, I will thither.

Macd. No, cousin; I'll to Fife.

Rosse.

Macd. Well, may you see things well done there :—

adieu

that will RAVIN UP] We have had "ravin down" used precisely in the same manner in "Measure for Measure," Vol. ii. p. 15,

"Like rats that racin down their proper bane.

Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!

Rosse. 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.

Fores. 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,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; Lady MACBETH, as Queen; LENOX, ROSSE, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants.

Mach. Here's our chief guest.

Lady M.

If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all thing unbecoming.

Mach. 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.

Mach. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban. Ay, my good lord.

Mach. 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-morrow3.
Is't far you ride?

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.

Macb.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Fail not our feast.

Mach. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd In England, and in Ireland; not confessing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention. But of that to-morrow; When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: adieu, Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you? Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon

us.

Mach. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot;

And so I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell.

Let every man be master of his time

[Exit BANQUO.

Till seven at night. To make society
The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

LET your highness

Command upon me,] So the old copies, which it seems unnecessary to alter to either Lay, as was done by Davenant in his alteration of " Macbeth," or to Set, which was recommended by Monck Mason. It is to be admitted, however, that the expression was by no means usual.

3 but we'll TAKE to-morrow.] Malone persisted in changing "take" to talk, but without the slightest pretence, the meaning being quite obvious. This is one of the instances in which opposition to Steevens induced Malone to persevere in a decided error, with what Mr. Amyot truly calls "a parade of misapplied authorities."

Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you. [Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c.

Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men

Our pleasure?

Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. Mach. Bring them before us.-[Exit Atten.] To be thus is nothing,

But to be safely thus.-Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;

And to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

To act in safety. There is none but he

Whose being I do fear, and under him

My genius is rebuk'd, as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of King upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings.
Upon my head they plac'd a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If't be so,
For Banquo's issue have I fil'd my mind',

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,

And champion me to the utterance"!-Who's there?

4 For Banquo's issue have I fil'd my mind:] i. e. Defiled my mind. To "file" is often used for to defile, by elision of the preposition. We meet with it in Rowland's "Looke to It, for Ile Stabbe Yee," 1604, "Ile fyle no hands upon thee." Sign. D 3 b. Other authorities are needless.

5 the SEEDS of Banquo kings !] So the old copies, which there is no sufficient reason for abandoning, especially as Macbeth is speaking of Banquo's issue throughout in the plural.

And champion me to the UTTERANCE!] i. e. To extrémity; à l'outrance, Fr.

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.

Now, go to the door, and stay there till we call.

[Exit Attendant.

Well then, now

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1 Mur. It was, so please your highness.
Macb.
Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know,
That it was he, in the times past, which held you
So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent self. This I made good to you

In our last conference; pass'd in probation with you, How you were borne in hand; how cross'd; the instruments;

Who wrought with them; and all things else, that

might,

To half a soul, and to a notion craz'd,

Say, "Thus did Banquo."

1 Mur.

You made it known to us.

Mach. I did so; and went farther, which is now Our point of second meeting. Do you

To

find

Your patience so predominant in your nature,
That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd
for this good man, and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever?

pray

1 Mur.

We are men, my liege.

Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,

As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped
All by the name of dogs: the valued file'
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The house-keeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him clos'd, whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill

the valued FILE] i. e. the "file" or list in which they are valued.