The same.

SCENE III.

A Park or Lawn, with a Gate leading to the Palace.

Enter three Murderers.

1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us?

3 Mur.

Macbeth.

2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he de

livers

Our offices, and what we have to do,

To the direction just.

1 Mur.

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:
Now spurs the lated' traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.

Hark! I hear horses.

3 Mur.
Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho!
2 Mur.

Then it is he; the rest

That are within the note of expectation,
Already are i'the court.

1 Mur.

8

His horses go about.

3 Mur. Almost a mile; but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk.

Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, a Servant with a torch

7

8

2 Mur. 3 Mur.

preceding them.

lated] i. e. belated, benighted.

the note of expectation,] i. e. they who are set down in

the list of guests, and expected to supper.

And something from the palace; always thought,
That I require a clearness: And with him,
(To leave no rubs, nor botches, in the work,)
Fleance his son, that keeps him company,
Whose absence is no less material to me
Than is his father's, must embrace the fate
Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart;
I'll come to you anon.
2 Mur.

We are resolv'd, my lord. Macb. I'll call upon you straight; abide within. It is concluded:-Banquo, thy soul's flight, If it find heaven, must find it out to-night.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Enter Lady MACBETH and a Servant.

Lady M. Is Banquo gone from court?

Serv. Ay, madam, but returns again to-night. Lady M. Say to the king, I would attend his

leisure

For a few words.

Serv.

Lady M.

Madam, I will.

[Exit.

Nought's had, all's spent,

Where our desire is got without content: "Tis safer to be that which we destroy,

Than, by destruction, dwell in doubtful joy.

yourselves" with the exact time most favourable to your purposes; for such a moment must be spied out by you, be selected by your own attention and scrupulous observation.-You is ungrammatically employed, instead of yourselves.

always thought,

That I require a clearness:] i. e. you must manage matters so, that throughout the whole transaction I may stand clear of suspicion.

And play the humble host.

Our hostess keeps her state;1 but, in best time,
We will require her welcome.

Lady M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our
friends;

For my heart speaks, they are welcome.

Enter first Murderer, to the door.

Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts'
thanks:-

Both sides are even: Here I'll sit i'the midst:
Be large in mirth; anon, we'll drink a measure
The table round.-There's blood upon thy face.
Mur. 'Tis Banquo's then.

Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he despatch'd?

Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for

him.

Macb. Thou art the best o'the cut-throats: Yet he's good,

That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it,
Thou art the nonpareil.

Mur.

Fleance is 'scap'd.

Most royal sir,

Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;

Whole as the marble, founded as the rock;

As broad, and general, as the casing air:

But now, I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound

Το

in

saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe? Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he

bides,

1 Our hostess keeps her state; &c.] i. e. continues in her chair of state at the head of the table.

Lady M.

You must leave this.

Macb. O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know'st, that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives. Lady M. But in them nature's copy's not eterne.* Macb. There's comfort yet; they are assailable; Then be thou jocund: Ere the bat hath flown His cloister'd flight; ere, to black Hecate's sum

mons,

5

The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done A deed of dreadful note.

Lady M.

What's to be done?

Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,

Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night," Skarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;

And, with thy bloody and invisible hand,

Cancel, and tear to pieces, that great bond
Which keeps me pale!-Light thickens; and the

crow

Makes wing to the rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.
Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;
Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill:
So, pr'ythee, go with me.
[Exeunt.

nature's copy's not eterne.] The copy, the lease, by which they hold their lives from nature, has its time of termination limited. JOHNSON.

The shard-borne beetle,] The shard-borne beetle is the beetle borne along the air by its shards or scaly wings.

6

Come, seeling night,] Seeling, i. e. blinding. It is a term in falconry.

The same.

SCENE III.

A Park or Lawn, with a Gate leading to the Palace.

Enter three Murderers.

1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us?

3 Mur.

Macbeth.

2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he de

livers

Our offices, and what we have to do,

To the direction just.

1 Mur.

Then stand with us.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day:
Now spurs the lated' traveller apace,

To gain the timely inn; and near approaches
The subject of our watch.

3 Mur.

Hark! I hear horses.

Ban. [Within.] Give us a light there, ho!

2 Mur.

Then it is he; the rest

That are within the note of expectation,
Already are i'the court.

1 Mur.

8

His horses go about.

3 Mur. Almost a mile; but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk..

Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, a Servant with a torch

preceding them.

2 Mur.

A light, a light!

3 Mur.

'Tis he.

7

lated i. e. belated, benighted.

8

the note of expectation,] i. e. they who are set down in

the list of guests, and expected to supper.