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And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him
To his home before us: fair and noble hostess,

We are your guest to-night.

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Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt 87),
To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,

Still to return your own.

Dun.

Give me your hand;

Conduct me to mine host; we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.

[Exeunt.]

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Hantboys and torches. Enter and pass over the stage, a sewer **), and divers servants with dishes and service.

Macbeth.

Then enter

Mach. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: If the assassination 89)

Could trammel 20) up the consequence, and catch

In

87) Your servants ever, etc. The metaphor in this speech is taken from the Steward's compting house or audit-room. compt, means, subject to account.

we,

The sense of the whole is: and all who belong to us, look upon our lives and fortunes not as our own properties, but as things we have received merely for your use, and for which we we must be accountable whenever you please to call us to our audit; when, like faithful stewards, we shall be ready to answer your summons, by returning you what is your own. Steevens. 8) The office of a sewer was to place the dishes in order at a feast. Steevens. 89) If that which I am about to do, when it is once done and execut ed, were done and ended without any following effects, it would. then be best to do it quickly; if the murder could terminate in itself, and restrain the regular course of consequences, if its success could secure its surcease, if, being once done successfully, without detection, it could fix a period to all vengeance and enquiry, so that this blow might be all that I have to do and this anxiety all that 1 have to suffer; if this could be my condition even here in this world, in this contracted period of temporal existence, on this narrow bank in the ocean of eternity, I would jump the life to come, venture upon the deed without care of any future state. But this is one of those cases in which vengeance is inflicted upon us here. We teach others to do as we have done, and are punished by our own example. Johnson. 99) A tram

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With his surcease 91), success; that but this blow
Might be the be- all and the end-all here,

But here, upon this bank and shoal of time 92),
We'd jump the life to come. But, in these cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor. Even - handed Justice
Commends the ingredients 93) of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties 4) so 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 blast, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air 95),
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind 96).

-

I have no spur

To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,

And falls on the other 97). How now! what news?

Enter Lady Macbeth.

Lady M. He has almost supp'd; why have you left the

Mach. Hath he ask'd for me?
Lady M.

chamber?

Know you not, he has?

--

mel is a net in which either birds or fishes are caught. Steevens. 91) surcease, cessation, stop. Steevens. his is used instead of its in many places. Steevens. 92) By the shoal of time our author means the shallow ford of life, between us and the abyss of eternity. Steevens. 93) commends, offers, recommends. Steevens. 9) Faculties, for office, exercise of power etc. Warburton. 95) Courier is only runner. Couriers of air are winds, air in motion. Sightless is invisible. Johnson. 96) Alluding to the remission of the wind in a shower. Johnson. 97) The general image, though confusedly expressed, relates to a horse, who overleaping himself, falls, and his rider under him.

Steevens.

Mach. We will proceed no further in this business.

He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady M.

Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely?

Such I account thy love.
To be the same in thine

From this time

Art thou afeard

own act and valour,

As thou art in desire 98)? Wouldst thou have that,
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem?

Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i' the adage 99)?

Macb.

Pr'ythee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man;

Who dares do more, is none.

Lady M.

What beast was it then,

That made you break this enterprize to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man:
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man, Nor time, nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now
Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know
How tender 'tis, to love the babe that milks me
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn, as you
Have done to this..

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But screw your courage to the sticking-place 100),

and yet

would you

Do you wish to obtain the crown, remain such a coward in your own eyes all your life, as to suffer your paltry fears, which whisper,,,I dare not," to control your noble ambition, which cries out,,,I would?" Steevens. 99) The adage alluded to is: The cat loves fish, but dares not wet her feet. Johnson. 100) The metaphor is taken from the screwing up

And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall this day's hard journey
Soundly invite him) his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel so convince 101),
That memory, the warder of the brain 102),
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason 103)
A limbeck only 104). When in swinish sleep
Their drenched 105) natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spungy officers; who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell (0%)?

Macb.

Bring forth men - children only!

For thy undaunted mettle should compose

Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,

When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have don't?

Lady M.

Who dares receive it other,

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar

Upon his death?,,

Macb.

I am settled, and bend up 107)

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show:

False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

[Exeunt.]

the chords of string-instruments to their proper degree of tension, when the peg remains fast in its sticking-place i. e. in the place from which it is not to move Steevens. 101) convince is to overpower or subdue, Johnson. Wassel, intemperance, riot. Steevens. 102) warder is a guard, a sentinel. Steevens. 103) receipt, receptacle. Malone. 104) a limbeck only, that is, shall be only a vessel to emit fumes or vapours. Johnson. 105) drenched, saturated with liquor. Steevens. 106) Quell is murder. Johnson. 107) bend up, a metaphor from the bow.

Steevens.

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Enter Banquo and Fleance; and a servant, with a torch before

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Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.

Ban. And she goes down at twelve.

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A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers!
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature
Gives way to in repose 109)! Give me my sword.
Enter Macbeth, and a servant with a torch.
Who's there?

Macb. A friend.

Ban. What, Sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed. He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largess to your offices 110):

This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up III).
In measureless_content.

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Our will became the servant to defect;

Which else should free have wrought 112).

108) husbandry here means thrift, frugality. Malone. 109) It is apparent from what Banquo says afterwards, that he had been solicited in a dream, to attempt something in consequence of the prophecy of the witches, that his waking senses were shock'd at; and Shakspeare has here most exquisitely contrasted his character with that of Macbeth. Steevens. 110) Offices are the rooms appropriated to servants and culinary purposes. Duncan was

pleased with his entertainment, and dispensed his bounty to those who had prepared it. Steevens. 1) To shut up, is to conclude. Steevens. 112) The meaning seems to be: being unprepared, our entertainment was necessarily defective, and we

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