Mach. Give me your favour: my dull brain was wrought With things forgot. Kind gentlemen, your pains.

Are regiftred where every day I turn

The leaf to read them-let us tow'rd the King;

Think upon what hath chanc'd, and at more time,[ToBan. (The interim having weigh'd it,) let us speak

Our free hearts each to other.

Ban. Very gladly..

Macb. 'Till then enough: come, friends.

SCENE VI. The Palace.

[Exeunt

Flourish. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, and Attendants.

King. Is execution done on Cawdor yet?
Are not those in commiffion yet return'd?
Mal. My Liege,

They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that faw him die, who did report
That very frankly he confefs'd his treasons,
Implor'd your Highness' pardon, and set forth
A deep repentance; nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it. He dy'd,
As one that had been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 'twere a careless trifle.

King. There's no art,

To find the mind's conftruction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built

An abs'lute truft.

Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Roffe, and Angus.

O my most worthy coufin!

The fin of my ingratitude ev'n now

Was heavy on me.

Thou'rt fo far before,

That swifteft wing of recompence is flow,

To overtake thee. Would thou'dst less deferv'd,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine: only I've left to say,
More is thy due, ey'n more than all can pay.
Macb. The fervice and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays it felf. Your Highness' part

Is to receive our duties; and our duties

Are to your throne and ftate, children and fervants;
Which do but what they should, by doing every thing
Shap'd tow'rd your love and honour.

King, Welcome hither:

I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banguo,
Thou haft no lefs deferv'd, and must be known
No lefs to have done fo: let me enfold thee,
And hold thee to my heart.

Ban. There if I grow,
The harveft is your own.
King. My plenteous joys

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of forrow. Sons, kinfmen, and Thanes,
And you whofe places are the neareft, know,
We will establish our eftate upon

Our eldest Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour muft
Not, unaccompanied, inveft him only,
But figns of noblenefs like ftars fhall fhine
On all defervers. Hence to Inverness,
And bind us further to you.

[To Macbeth.

Macb. The reft is labour, which is not us'd for you;

I'll be my felf 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,
For in my way it lyes. Stars, hide your fires,

Let no light fee my black and deep defires;
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be

Which the eye fears, when it is done, to fee!

[Afide

[Exit:

King. True, worthy Banquo; he is full of valour,

And in his commendations I am fed ;

It is a banquet to me.

Let us after him

Whofe care is gone before to bid us welcome:

It is a peerless kinsman,

H.2

[Exeunt. SCENE

SCENE VII.

An Apartment in Macbeth's Caftle at Inverness.
Enter Lady Macbeth alone, with a letter.

Lady. They 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 food 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 coming on of time, with hail, King that fhalt be! This bave I thought good to deliver thee (my dearest partner of greatness) that thou might'ft not lose the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promis'd thee. Lay it to thy beart, and farewel.

Glamis thou art, and Cardor. -and fhalt be

What thou art promis'd. Yet I fear thy nature;
It is too full o'th' milk of human kindness,

To catch the nearest way.

Art not without ambition,
The illness fhould attend it.

Thou wouldst be great, but without

What thou wouldst highly,

That wouldst thou holily; wouldft not play false,

And yet wouldft wrongly win. Thou'dft have, great Glamis, That which cries, This thou must do if thou have it;

And that's what rather thou doft fear to do,

Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,
And chaftife with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphyfic aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.

Mef. The King comes here to-night.

Lady. Thou'rt mad to say it.

Is not thy mafter with him? who, were'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

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 hoarfe,

[Exit Meflenger.

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
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 ministers!
Where-ever in your fightless fubftances

You wait on nature's mischief. 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, bold!

Enter Macbeth.

Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!

[Embracing bim,

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 inftant.

Macb. Deareft love,

Duncan comes here to-night.

Lady. And when goes hence ?

Mach. To-morrow, as he purposes.

Lady. Oh! never

Shall fun that morrow fee.

Your face, my Thane, is as a book, where men

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
Muft be provided for; and you fhall put

This night's great business into my dispatch,
H 3

Which

Which fhall to all our nights and days to come
Give folely fovereign fway and mafterdom.
Mach. We will speak further.
Lady. Only look up clear:

To alter favour, ever, is to fear.

Leave all the reft to me.

SCENE VIII. The Caftle Gate.

[Exeunt.

Hautboys and Torches. Enter King, Malcolm, Donalbain,
Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, Roffe, Angus, and Attendants.
King. This caftle hath a pleasant feat; the air
Nimbly and fweetly recommends it felf

Unto our gentle fenfes.

Ban. This guest of summer,

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve
By his lov'd mafonry, that heaven's breath
Smells fweet and 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 obferv'd
The air is delicate.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

King. See our honour'd hoftefs!

The love that follows us, fometimes is our trouble,
Which ftill we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How fhall bid Godild us for your pains,

you

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 those honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your Majefty loads our houfe. For thofe of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We reft your hermits.

King. Where's the Thane of Cawdor?

We cours'd 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 guest to-night.

Lady. Your fervants ever