Enter MALCOLM and DonalBain.

Don. What is amiss?

Macb. You are, and do not know it:

The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is stopp'd; the very source of it is stopp'd.

Macd. Your royal father's murder'd.

Mal. O, by whom?

Len. Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had done't:
Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood,
So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found
Upon their pillows:

They star'd, and were distracted; no man's life
Was to be trusted with them.

Macb. O, yet I do repent me of my fury,

That I did kill them.

Macd. Wherefore did you so?

Macb. Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious, Loyal, and neutral, in a moment? No man :

The expedition of my violent love

Outran the pauser reason.-Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin lac'd with his golden blood;"

And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature,
For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
Unmannerly breach'd with gore: Who could refrain,
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage, to make his love known?

Lady M. Help me hence, ho!
Macd. Look to the lady."

Mal. Why do we hold our tongues,

That most may claim this argument for ours?
Don. What should be spoken here,

[7] Mr. Pope has endeavoured to improve one of these lines by substituting goary blood for golden blood; but it may easily be admitted that be who could on such an occasion talk of lacing the silver skin, would lace it with golden blood. No amendment can be made to this line, of which every word is equally faulty, but by a general blot. It is not improbable, that Shakespeare put these forced and unnatural metaphors into the mouth of Macbeth, as a mark of artifice and dissimulation, to shew the difference between the studied language of hypocrisy, and the natural outeries of sudden passion. This whole speech so considered, is a remarkable instance of judgment, as it consists entirely of antithesis and metaphor. JOHNSON.

[8] Mr. Whateley justly observes that, "on Lady Macbeth's seeming to faint, while Banquo and Macduff are solicitous about her, Macbeth, by his unconcern, betrays a consciousness that the fainting is feigned." I may add that a bold and hardened villain would, from a refined policy, have assumed the appearance of being alarmed about her lest this very imputation should arise against him: the irresolute Macbeth is not sufficiently at ease to act such a part. MALONE.

VOL. IV.

N 2

Where our fate, bid within an auger-hole,
May rush, and seize us? Let's away; our tears
Are not yet brew'd.

Mal. Nor our strong sorrow on the foot of motion.
Ban. Look to the lady :—

[Lady MACBETH is carried out.

And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure, let us meet,

And question this most bloody piece of work,

To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us :
In the great hand of God I stand; and thence,
Against the undivulg'd pretence I fight

Of treasonous malice."

Macb. And so do I.

All. So all.

Macb. Let's briefly put on manly readiness, And meet i' th' hall together.

All. Well contented.

[Exeunt all but MAL. and Dox.

Mal. What will you do? Let's not consort with them:

To show an unfelt sorrow, is an office

Which the false man does easy: I'll to England.

Don. To Ireland, I; our separated fortunes

Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.

Mal. This murderous shaft that's shot,
Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way
Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse;
And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
But shift away: There's warrant in that theft
Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.

[Exe.

SCENE IV.

Without the Castle.

Enter Rosse and an old Man.

Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember well:

Within the volume of which time, I have seen

Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore night Hath trifled former knowings.

Rosse. Ah, good father,

[9] Pretence is intention, design, a sense in which the word is often used by Shakespeare. STEEVENS.

[1] The design to fix the murder upon some innocent person has not yet taken effect. JOHNSON.

Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten his bloody stage: by th' clock, 'tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp:
Is it night's predominance, or the day's shame,
That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
When living light should kiss it?

Old M. 'Tis unnatural,

Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last,
A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,

Was by a mousing owl' hawk'd at, and kill'd.

Rosse. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain,)

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,*
Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.

Old M. 'Tis said, they eat each other.

Rosse. They did so; to th' amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff:

Enter MACDuff..

How goes the world, sir, now?

Macd. Why, see you not?

Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than bloody deed?

Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.

Kosse. Alas, the day!

What good could they pretend ?s

Macd. They were suborn'd:

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons,

Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.

Rosse. 'Gainst nature still :

Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up

Thine own life's means -Then 'tis most like,

The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth !"

[2] In a place of which she seemed proud;-in an elevated situation.

[3] i. e. by an owl that was hunting for mice, as her proper prey.

MALONE.

WHALLEY.

[4] Most of the prodigies just before mentioned are related by Holinsbed, as accompanying King Duffe's death. STELVENS.

[5] To pretend, in this instance, as in many others, is simply to intend, to design. STFEVENS.

[6] Macbeth, by birth, stood next in the succession to the crown, immediately after the sons of Dunesn King Mat Dau's free ressor, had two ለኩ ters, the eldest of whom waste her of Duncan, the youngest, the mother of Macbeth. Holinshed. STEEVENS.

Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone,

To be invested.

Rosse. Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colmes-kil;

The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
And guardian of their bones.

Rosse. Will you to Scone ?

Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife.

Rosse. Well, I will thither.

Macd. Well, may you see things well done there ;—

adieu !

Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!

Rosse. Father, farewell.

Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-Fores. A Room in the Palace. Enter BANQUO.

Banguo.

THOU hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,)"
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king; Lady MACBETH,

as queen; Lenox, Rosse, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants. Macb. Here's our chief guest.

Lady M. If he had been forgotten,

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all-things unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir,

And I'll request your presence.

Ban. Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

[7] Shine, for appear with all the lustre of conspicuous truth. JOHNSON.

Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban. Ay, my good lord.

Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice (Which still hath been most grave and prosperous,) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow.

Is't far you ride?

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour, or twain.

Macb. Fail not our feast.
Ban. My lord, I will not.

Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'ḍ In England, and in Ireland; not confessing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention: But of that to-morrow; When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state, Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: Adieu, Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you ? Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon us. Macb. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot; And so I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell.

Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night; to make society

[Exit BANQUO.

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you. [Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c.

Sirrah, a word: Attend those men our pleasure?

Ser. They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

Macb. Bring them before us. [Exit Atten.]—To be thus,

is nothing;

But to be safely thus -Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that, which would be fear'd: 'Tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none, but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of King upon me.