In drops of forrow. Sons, kinsmen, Thanes,
And you whose Places are the neareft, know,
We will establish our Estate upon
Our eldest Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland : which honour must,
Not unaccompanied, inveft him only ;
But signs of Nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers. - Hence to Inverness,
And bind us further to you.

Macb. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you;
I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful
The hearing of my wife with your approach;
So humbly take my leave.

King. My worthy Cawdor!

Macb. The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step, On which I muft fall down, or else o'er-leap, [Afide. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep defires : The eye wink at the hand ! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. [Exit.

King. True, worthy Banquo ; he is full fo valiant; And in his commendations I am fed ; It is a banquet to me. Let us after him, Whose care is gone

before to bid us welcome : It is a peerless kinsman.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

Lady. T

SCENE, changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's

Castle, at Inverness.
Enter Lady Macbeth alone, with a letter.

HEY met me in the day of succefs; and I

have learn’d by the perfečtest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burnt in de fire to question them further, they made themselves air, inta awhich they vanisk d. While I ftood rapt in the wonder of it, came Misives from the King, who all-haild me Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird fifters faluted me, and referr'd me to the coming on of time, with hail, King that shalt be! This have I thought good to

deliver

deliver thee (my deareft partner of greatness) that thou might'A not lose the dues of rejoycing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promis’d thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewel. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor--and salt be What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o'th' milk of human kindness, To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition; but without The illness should attend it. What thou wouldA highly, That wouldīt thou holily; wouldt not play false, And yet wouldit wronglywin. Thou'dft have,greatGlamis, That which cries, “ thus thou must do, if thou have it; “ And that which rather thou doft fear to do, “ Than wilheft should be undone.” Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chaftile with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.

Enter Messenger. What is your tidings?

Mes. The King comes here to-night.

Lady. Thou'rt mad to say it.
Is not thy master with him? who, wer't so,
Would have inform'd for preparation.

Mes. So please you, it is true: our Thane is coming,
One of my fellows had the speed of him;
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely. more
Than would make up his message.

Lady. Give him tending; He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarse,

[Exit Mejo That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, all you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here; And fill mè, from the crown to th' toe, top-full Of direct cruelty; make thick my blood, Stop up th' access and passage to remorse,

That

That-no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th' effect, and it. Come to my woman's breafts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers!
Where-ever in your fightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief.-Come, thick night!
And pall thee in the dunnest smoak of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes;
Nor heav'n peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry, hold, hold !

Enter Macbeth.
Great Glamis ! worthy Cawdor! [Embracing him.
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !
Thy letters have transported me beyond
This ign’rant present time, and I feel now
The future in the instant.

Macb. Dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady. And when goes hence?
Macb. Tomorrow, as he purposes.

Lady. Oh, never
Shall fun that morrow see !-
Your face, my Thane, is as a book, where men (12)
May read ftrange matters. To beguile the time,
Look like the time ; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower,

(12) Your face, my Thane, is as a book, where men May read frange matters to beguile the Time. Look like the Time,] I have ventur’d, against the Authority of all the copies, to alter the pointing of this passage : and, I hope, with fome certainty. The Lady certainly means, that Macbeth looks fo full of thought and solemn reflection upon the purpos’d act, that, the fears, people may comment upon the reason of his gloom: and therefore desires him, in order to take off and prevent such Comments, to wear a face of pleasure and entertainment; and look like the time, the better to deceive the time. So Macbetb says, in a fubsequent scene;

Away and rock the time with fairesi Shew. So Macduff says to Malcolm.

the time you may lo boodwirk. i, e. blind the eye of observation, and so deceive people's thoughts.

But

But be the serpent under't. He, that's coming,
Must be provided for; and you shall put
This night's great business into my dispatch,
Which thall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely fovereign sway and masterdom.

Macb. We will speak further,
Lady. Only look up clear :
To alter favour, ever, is to fear,
Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt,

SCENE, before Macbeth's Castle Gate.

Hautbays and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Donatbain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Rosse, Angus,

and Attendants. King HIS castle hath a pleasant feat; the air

T

Unto our gentle senses.

Ban. This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve By his lov'd manfionry that heaven's breath Smells wooingly here. No jutting frieze, Buttrice, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird Hath made his pendant bed, and procreant cradle : Where they most breed and haunt, I have observ’d, The air is delicate.

Enter Lady. King. See, see! our honour'd Hostess! The love that follows us, sometimes is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you shall bid god-eyld us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.

Lady. All our service (In every point twice done, and then done double,) Were poor

and single business to contend Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith Your Majesty loads our house. For those of old,

And

And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We rest your hermits.

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor ?
We courft him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor; but he rides well,
And his great love, (sharp as his spur,) hath holp him
To': home before us; fair and noble Hostess,
We are your guest to-night.

Lady. Your servants ever
Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt,
To make their audit at your Highness' pleasure,
Still to return your own.

King. Give me your hand;
Conduct me to mine Host, we love him highly;
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, Hostess.

(Exeunt.

SCENE, changes to an Apartment in

Macbeth's Castle,

Hautboys, Torches. Enter divers servants with dishes and

service over the Stage. Then Macbeth. Macb. F it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly : if th' assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With its furcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all - here, (13) But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. -But, in these cases, We still have judgment here, that we but teach Bloody instructions; which, being taught, return To plague th' inventor. Even-handed justice

(13) But bere, upon this bank and school of Time. ] Bank and school. What a monstrous couplement, as Don Armade says, is here of heterogeneous ideas ! I have ventured to amend, which restores a consonance of images,

on this bank and focal of time. i. e. this hallow, this narrow ford of human life, opposed to the great abyss of eternity. This Word has occurr'd again, before, io us in the life of King Henry VIIith. And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour.

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