Macb. The thane of Cawdor lives: Why do you dress me

In borrow'd robes?

Ang.

Who was the thane, lives yet;

But under heavy judgment bears that life
Which he deserves to lose.

Whether he was combin'd with those of Norway;
Or did line the rebel with hidden help

And vantage; or that with both he labour'd
In his country's wrack, I know not;

But treasons capital, confess'd, and prov'd,
Have overthrown him.

Macb.
Glamis, and thane of Cawdor :
The greatest is behind.-Thanks for your pains.—
Do you not hope your children shall be kings,
When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me,
Promis'd no less to them?

Ban.

That, trusted home,
Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,

Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 't is strange :
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray us
In deepest consequence.—

Cousins, a word, I pray you.

Macb.

Two truths are told,

As happy prologues to the swelling act

Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.—
This supernatural soliciting

Cannot be ill; cannot be good :-If ill,

Why hath it given me earnest of success,

Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings :

My thought, whose murther yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man, that function
Is smother'd in surmise; and nothing is

But what is not.

Ban.

Look, how our partner's rapt.

Macb. If chance will have me king, why, chance

may crown me,

Without my stir.

Ban.

New honours come upon him,

Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use.

Macb.

Come what come may,

Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
Ban. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.
Macb. Give me your favour :-

My dull brain was wrought with things forgotten.
Kind gentlemen, your pains are register'd

Where every day I turn the leaf to read them.-
Let us toward the king.-

Think upon what hath chanc'd; and, at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak
Our free hearts each to other.

Ban.

Very gladly.

Macb. Till then, enough.--Come, friends. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Forres. A Room in the Palace. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENOX, and Attendants.

Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not
Those in commission yet return'd?

Mal.
My liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die: who did report,
That very frankly he confess'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 died
As one that had been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 't were a careless trifle.

Dun.

There's no art

To find the mind's construction in the face:

He was a gentleman on whom I built

An absolute trust.-O worthiest cousin!

Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSSE, and ANGUS.
The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me: Thou art so far before,
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow

To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadst less deserv'd;
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
Macb. The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part
Is to receive our duties and our duties

:

Are to your throne and state, children and servants; Which do but what they should, by doing everything Safe toward your love and honour.

Dun.

Welcome hither:

I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing.-Noble Banquo,
That hast no less deserv'd, nor must be known
No less to have done so, let me enfold thee,
And hold thee to my heart.

Ban.

The harvest is your own.

Dun.

There if I grow,

My plenteous joys,

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of sorrow.-Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
And you whose places are the nearest, know,
We will establish our estate upon

Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter

The prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not, unaccompanied, invest him only,

But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers. From hence to Inverness,
And bind us further to you.

Macb. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you:
I'll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful
The hearing of my wife with your approach;

So humbly take my leave.

Dun.

My worthy Cawdor!

Macb. The prince of Cumberland!-That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'er-leap, [Aside. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.

[Exit.

Dun. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant;

And in his commendations I am fed ;

Let's after him,

Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome :

It is a banquet to me.

It is a peerless kinsman.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE V.-Inverness. A Room in Macbeth's

Castle.

Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter.

Lady M. " They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all hailed me, Thane of Cawdor ;' by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with Hail, king that shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell."

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be

What thou art promis'd:-Yet do I fear thy nature;

It is too full o' the milk of human kindness,

To catch the nearest way: Thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition; but without
The illness should attend it.

highly,

What thou wouldst

That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou 'dst have, great
Glamis,

That which cries, "Thus thou must do, if thou have it:
And that which rather thou dost fear to do,

Than wishest should be undone." Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.- -What is your tidings?
Enter an Attendant.

Atten. The king comes here to-night.

Lady M.

Thou 'rt mad to say it :

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

Atten. 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 message.

Lady M.

He brings great news.

Give him tending,

The raven himself is hoarse

[Exit Attendant.

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood,
Stop up the access and passage to remorse;
That no compunctious visitings of nature