So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent self: this I made good to you
In our last conference; pass'd in probation ""%) with you,
How you were borne in hand 109); how cross’d; the instru-

1

ments,

Who wrought with them: and all things else, that might,
To half a soul, and to a notion craz'd,
Say, Thus did Banquo.
1. Mur.

You made it known to us.
Macb. I did so; and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find 1
Your patience so predominant in your nature,
That you can let this go? Are you so gospellid 151),
To pray for this good man, and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever?'

We are men 162), my liege.
Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,
As hounds, and greyhounds, mungrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs 163), water - rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped
All by the name of dogs: the valued file 16+)
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle, ;
The house - keeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature

1. Mur.

#

159) pass'd in probation, is, I believe, only a bulky phrase employed to signify proved. Steerens. 10) To bear in hand, is, to delude by encouraging hope and holding out fair prospects, without any intention of performance. Malone. 161) gospelled, means no more than kept in obedience to that precept of the gospel, which teaches us „to pray for those that despitefully use Steevens. 162) That is, we have the same feelings as the rest of mankind; and, as men, are not without a manly resentment for the wrongs wbich we have suffered, and which you have now recited. Malone.

163) Shoughs are probably wbat we now call shocks, demi-wolves, lycisco; dogs bred between wolves and dogs. Johnson. 10*) The valued file, is the file or list where the value and peculiar qualities of every thing is set down, in contradistinction to what he immediately mentions, the bill that writes chem all alike. File in the second instance, is used in the same sense as in this, and with a reference to it. Now if you belong to any class that deserves a place in the valued file of man, and are not of the lowest rank, the common herd of mankind, that are not worth distinguishing from each other. Sieevens.

I. Mur.

Hath in him clos'd; whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill
That writes them all alike; and so of men.
Now, if you have a station in the file,
And not in the worst rank ,of manhood, say it; ,
And I will put that business in your bosoms,
Whose execution takes your enemy off;
Grapples you to the heart and love of us,
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,
Which in his death were perfect.
2. Mur.

I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Havo so incens'd, that I am reckless what
I do, to spite the world.

And I another,
So
weary

with disasters, tugg'd with fortune 165),
That I would set my life on any chance,
To mend it, or be rid on't.

Macb.
Know, Banquo was your enemy.

True, my lord.
Macb. So is he mine: and in such bloody distance 766),
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near'st of life; and though I could
With bare- fac'd power sweep him from my sight,
And bid my will avouch it: yet I must not
For 167) certain friends that are both his and mine,
Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall,
Whom I myself struck down: and thence it is,
That I to your assistance do make love,
Masking the business from the common eye
For sundry weighty reasons.

We shall, my lord, Perform wbat you command us.

Both of you

2. Mur.

2. Mur.

105) tugg'd with fortune may be: fugg’d or worried by forione. Johnson. 106) By bloouy distance is here meant such a distance as mortal enemies would stand at from each other when their quarrel 'must be determined by the sword. This sense is evident from the continuation of the metaphor, where every minute of his being is represented as thrusting at the nearest part where life resides.

Steevees. 16?) for because of. Steevens.

1. Mur.

Though our lives -
Macb. Your spirits shine through you. Within this bour,

at most,
I will advise you where to plant yourselves;
Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' the time,
The moment on't 168); for’t must be done to- night,
And something from the palace: always thought,
That I require a clearness 169): and, with him,
(To leave no rubs, nor botchies 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.
Mur.

Te are resolv'd, my lord.
Mącb. I'll call upon you straight; abide within.
It is concluded. - Banquo, thy soul's night,
If it find beaven, ofust find it out to-night. [Exeunt. ]

SCENE II.

The same. Another Room.

Enter Lady Macbeth, and a Seryant.
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.
Madam, I will.

[Exit. ) Lady M.

Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content:

168) Acquaint you i. e. in ancient language: „ acquaint 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. Macbeth in the intervening time might have learned from some of Banquo's attendants, which way he had ridden out, and therefore could tell the murderers where to plant themselves so as to cut him off on his return; but who could ascertain the precise hour of his arrival, except the ruffians who watched for thar purpose? Sree

169) i. e. you must manage matters so, that throughout the whole transaction I may stand clear of suspicion. Steevens.

Vens.

Tis-safer ta be that which we destroy,
Than, by destruction, dwell in doubyful joy.

Enter Macbeth.
How now, my lord? why do you keep alone,
Of sorriest 179) fancies your companions making?
Using those thoughts, which should indeed have died

. With them they think on? Things without all remedy Should be without regard : what's done, is done.

Macb. We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it;
She'll close, and be herself; whilst our, poor malice
Remains in danger of her foriner tooth.
But let
The frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams,
That shake us niglıtly. Better be with the dead,
Whom wę, to gain our place, have sent to peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy 1??).

Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestick, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further!
Lady M. Come on;

lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks ; Be bright and jovial 'mong your guests to - night. Macb. So shall 1, love; and so, I

pray,

be

you:
Let your remembrance still apply to Banquo;
Present him eminence 17?), both with eye and tongue:
Unsafe the while, that we
Must lave our honours in these flattering streams;
And make our faces vizards to our hearts,
Disguising what they are 573).

You must leave this.

Gentle my

Lady M.

170) sorriest i. e. worthless, ignoble, vile. Steevens. ) ecstasy i. e. emotions of pain, agony. Sie.evens. 172) i. e. do him the highest honours. Warburton. 17) linsafe the while what they are.

The sense of this passage (ilough clouded by metaphor, and perhaps by omission) appears to be as follows: It is a sure sign that our royalty is unsafe, when it must descend to flattery, and stoop to dissimulation. Sleereus.

Macb. O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know'st, that Banquo and his Fleance lives.

Lddy M. But in tliem, nature's copy’s not eterne !?!).

Macb. There's comfort yı', they are assailable;
Then be thou jocund. Ere the bat hath flown
His cloister'd Night, ere, to black Hecate's summons,
The shard-borne 175) beetle, with his drowsy hums
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadful note.
Lady M.

Wbat's to be done?
Macb. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck 176),
Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling 17?) 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 178); and the crow
Makes wing to the rook ya 179) wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowze,
While night's black agents to their prey do rouse 180).
Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;
Things, bad begyn, make strong themselves by ill:
So, prythee, go with me.

Exeunt.)

1

The same.

SCENE II 1.
A Park or lawu, 'with a 'gate leading to the Palace.

Enter three Murderers.
1. Mur. But who bid thee join with us 181)?
3. Mur.

Macbeth.

174) The copy, the lease, by which they hold their lives from nature, has its time of termination limited. Johnson." Eterne for eternal. Sreevens. 175) The beetle hatched in clefts of wood. Warburton. 176) chuck, a term of endearment, probably corrupted from chick or chicken. Steevens. '177) seeling i. e. blinding. It is a term of falconry. Warburton. 178) By the expression, light thickens, Shakspeare means, the light grows dull or muddy. Steevens. 179) rooky may mean damp, misty, steaming with exhalations. Steevens. 180) This apo pears to be said with reference to these dæinons who were supposed to remain in their several places of confinement all day, but at the close of it were released. Steevens. 181) The third assassin seems to have been sent to join the others, from Macbeth's superabundant caution. From the following dialogue it appears ,'