SCENE changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's Caftle, at Inverness.

Enter Lady Macbeth alone, with a letter.

TH

Lady. HEY met me in the day of fuccefs; and I have learn'd by the perfecteft report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burnt in defire to question them further, they made themfelves air, into which they vanish'd. While I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came Miffives from the King, who all-bail'd me Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, thefe weird fifters faluted me, and referr'd me to the comeing on of time, with hail, King that fhalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee (my dearest Partner of Greatness) that thou might 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 fhalt be
What thou art promis'd.
It is too full o'th' milk of
To catch the nearest way.
Art not without ambition;
The illness should attend it.

Yet do I fear thy nature';
human kindness,

Thou wouldst be great ;
but without

What thou wouldst highly,

That wouldst thou holily; wouldft not play falfe,

And yet wouldft wrongly win. Thou’dst have, great

Glamis,

That which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have it;
"And That which rather thou doft fear to do,
"Than wifheft should be undone." Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my fpirits in thine ear,

And chaftife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden Round,
Which fate and metaphyfical aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.

VOL. V.

Сс

Enter

Enter Messenger.

What is your tidings?

Mef. The King comes here to night.
Lady. Thou'rt mad to fay it.

Is not thy mafter with him? who, wer't fo,
Would have inform'd for preparation.

Mef. 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 meffage.

Lady. Give him tending;

He brings great news. The raven himself is hoarfe,

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan

[Exit Mef.

Under my battlements. Come, all you Spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unfex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to th' toe, top-full
Of direft cruelty; make thick my blood,
Stop up th'accefs and paffage to Remorse,
That no compunctious vifitings 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 murth'ring minifters !
Where-ever in your fightless substances

You wait on nature's mifchief.-Come, thick night!
And pall thee in the dunneft fmoak of hell,

That my

keen knife fee not the wound it makes; Nor heav'n peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry, hold, hold!

Enter Macbeth.

[Embracing him.

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter !

Thy letters have transported me beyond
This ign'rant prefent time, and I feel now
The future in the inftant.

Mach. Deareft love,

Duncan comes here to night.

Lady. And when goes hence?

Mach.

Mach. To morrow, as he purposes.

Lady. Oh, never

Shall Sun that morrow fee!

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,
But be the ferpent under't. He, that's coming,
Must be provided for; and you fhall put
This night's great bufinefs into my dispatch,
Which fhall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign sway and masterdom.
Macb. We will fpeak further.

Lady. Only look up clear:

To alter favour, ever, is to fear.
Leave all the reft to me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, before Macbeth's Castle Gate.

Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Donal bain, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Roffe, Angus, and Attendants.

King.

HIS Caftle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and fweetly recommends it felf

Unto our gentle fenfes.

Ban. This gueft of summer,

(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 Paffage and, I hope, with fome Certainty. The Lady certainly means, that Macbeth looks fo full of Thought and folemn Reflection upon the purpos'd Act, that, fhe fears, People may comment upon the Reafon of his Gloom and therefore defires him, in order to take off and prevent fuch Comments, to wear a Face of Pleasure and Entertainment; and look like the Time, the better to deceive the Time. So Macbeth fays, in a subsequent Scene;

Away and mock the Time with faireft Shew.

So Macduff fays to Malcolm.

the Time you may fo hoodwink.

i. e. blind the Eye of Obfervation, and fo deceive people's Thoughts.

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 moft breed and haunt, I have observ'd,
The air is delicate.

Enter Lady.

King. See, fee! our honour'd Hoftefs!
The love that follows us, fometimes is our trouble,
Which ftill we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you should bid god-eyld us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady. All our fervice

(In every point twice done, and then done double,)
Were poor and fingle bufinefs to contend

Against thofe honours deep and broad, wherewith.
Your Majefty loads our Houfe. For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,

We reft your hermits.

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

We courst him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well,

And his great love, (fharp as his fpur,) hath holp him
To's home before us: fair and noble Hoftefs,

We are your gueft to night.

Lady. Your fervants ever

Have theirs, themfelves, 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 Hoft, we love him highly;
And fhall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, Hostess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE,

SCENE changes to an Apartment in Macbeth's

Caftle.

Hautboys, Torches. Enter divers fervants with dishes and fervice over the Stage. Then Macbeth.

I'

Macb.F it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly if th' affaffination
Could trammel up the confequence, and catch
With its furceafe, fuccefs; 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 thefe cafes,
We ftill have judgment bere, that we but teach
Bloody instructions; which, being taught, return
To plague th' inventor. Even-handed Juftice
Returns th' Ingredients of our poifon'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust :
First, as I am his kinfman and his fubject,
Strong both against the deed: Then, as his Host,
Who fhould against his murth'rer fhut the door,
Not bear the knife my felf. Befides, this Duncan
Hath born his faculties fo meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead, like angels, trumpet-tongu'd against
The deep damnation of his taking off:
And Pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blaft, or heav'ns cherubin hors'd (14)

(13) But here, upon this Bank and School of Time.]

Bank and SchoolWhat a monftrous Couplement, as Don Armade fays, is here of heterogeneous Ideas! I have ventur'd to amend, which restores a Confonance of Images,

on this Bank and Shoal of Time.

i. e. this Shallow, this narrow Ford of humane Life, oppofed to the great Abyss of Eternity. This Word has occurr'd again, before, to us in the Life of King Henry VIIIth.

And founded all the Depths and Shoals of Honour.

(14) or Heav'n's Cherubin hors'd upon the fightless Couriers of the Air.] But the Cherubin is the Courier; fo that he can't be faid to be bors'd upon another Courier. We must read, therefore, Courfers.