Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
Ban. And the goes down at twelve.

Fle. I take't, 'tis later, fir

Ban. Hold, take my fwo-There's husbandry in heaven,

Their candles are all out.-Take thee that too.
A heavy fummons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not fleep: Merciful powers
Restrain in me the curfed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repofe?-Give me my fword ;-

Enter MACBETH and a Servant with a Torch.
Who's there?

Macb. A friend.

Ban. What, fir, not yet at reft? The king's a-bed; He hath been in unufual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largefs to your officers:
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of most kind hoftefs; and shut up
In measureless content.

Mach. Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the fervant to defect;
Which elfe fhould free have wrought.

Ban. All's well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird fisters;
To you they have fhew'd fome truth.

Macb. I think not of them.

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in fome words upon that bufinefs,
If you would grant the time.

Ban. At your kindest leifure.

Macb. If you fhall cleave to my confent, when 'tis, It fhall make honour for you.

Ban. So I lofe none,

In feeking to augment it, but still keep
My bofom franchis'd, and allegiance clear,
I fhall be counsell'd.

Macb. Good repofe, the while!

Ban. Thanks, fir; the like to you! [Exit BANQUO. Mach. Go, bid thy miftrefs when my drink is ready, She ftrike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Exit Serv. Is this a dagger, which I fee before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:

I have thee not; and yet I fee thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vifion, fenfible

To feeling, as to fight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind; a falfe creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppreffed brain?
I fee thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And fuch an inftrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other fenfes,
Or else worth all the reft: I fee thee ftill;
And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood,
Which was not fo before. There's no fuch thing:
It is the bloody bufinefs, which informs

Thus to mine eyes.-Now o'er the one half world
Nature feems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd fleep: now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his fentinel, the wolf,

Whofe howl's his watch, thus with his ftealthy pace,
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his defign
Moves like a ghoft.-Thou fure and firm fet earth,
Hear not my fteps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very ftone's prate of my where-about,

And

And take the present horror from the time,

Which now fuits with it.-While I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

I g go,

[A bell rings.

and it is done: the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That fummons thee to heaven, or to hell.

SCENE II.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

[Exit.

Lady. That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold:

What hath quench'd them, hath giv'n me fire:

Hark!--Peace!

It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bell-man,
Which gives the ftern't good night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the furfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with fnores: I have drugg'd
their poffets,

That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live, or die.

Macb. [Within.] Who's there?-What, ho! Lady. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, And 'tis not done ;-the attempt, and not the deed, Confounds us :-Hark!—I laid their daggers ready, He could not mifs them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't.—My husband ?

Enter MACBETH.

Mach. I have done the deed :-Didft thou not hear a noise?

Lady. I heard the owl fcream, and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?

Macb.

Macb. When?

Lady. Now.

Macb. As I defcended?

Lady. Ay.

Macb. Hark!-Who lies i' the fecond chamber? Lady. Donalbain,

Macb. This is a forry fight. [Looking on his hands. Lady. A foolish thought, to fay a forry fight. Macb. There's one did laugh in his fleep, and one cry'd, murder!

That they did wake each other; I ftood and heard them;

But they did fay their pray'rs, and address'd them Again to fleep.

Lady. There are two lodged together.

Macb.One cry'd,God bless us! and Amen, the other; As they had feen me, with thefe hangman's hands, Listening their fear. I could not say, amen, When they did fay, God blefs us.

Lady. Confider it not fo deeply.

Mac. But wherefore could not I pronounce, amen? I had most need of bleffing, and amen

Stuck in my throat.

Lady. Thefe deeds must not be thought After these ways; fo it will make us mad.

Mac, Methought I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder fleep, the innocent fleep; Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd fleave of care; The death of each day's life, fore labour's bath, Balm of burt minds, great nature's fecond courfe, Chief nourisher in life's feaft;

Lady. What do you mean?

Mac. Still it cry'd, Sleep no more! to all the house; Glamis bath murder'd fleep; and therefore Cawdor

Shall

Shall fleep no more, Macbeth fhall fleep no more! Lady. Who was it that thus cry'd? Why, worthy thane,

You do unbend your noble ftrength, to think
So brain-fickly of things:-Go, get fome water,
And wash this filthy witnefs from your hand.
Why did you bring thefe daggers from the place?
They muft lie there: Go, carry them; and smear
The fleepy grooms with blood.

I

Mach. I'll go no more:

am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again, I dare not.

Lady. Infirm of purpose !

Give me the daggers: The fleeping and the dead,
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood
That fears a painted Devil. If he do bleed
I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,

For it must seem their guilt. [Exit. Knocking within.
Macb. Whence is that knocking!

How is't with me when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes!
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous feas incarnardine,
Making the green one red.

Re-enter LADY MACBETH.

Lady. My hands are of your colour; but I fhame To wear a heart fo white. I hear a knocking. [Knock. At the fouth entry:-retire we to our chamber: A little water clears us of this deed:

How easy is it then? Your conftancy

Hath left you unattended.-Hark! more knocking:

C

[Knock.

Get