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:
This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
In measureless content.

Macb. Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the servant to defect;
Which else should free have wrought.
Ban. All's well.

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
To you they have show'd some truth.

Macb, I think not of them;

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, Would spend it in some words upon that business, If you would grant the time.

Ban.

At your kind'st leisure.

Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent,

when 'tis,

It shall make honour for you.

Ban. So I lose none,

In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchis'd, and allegiance clear,
I shall be counsel'd.

Macb. Good repose, the while!

Ban. Thanks, Sir; The like to you!

[Exit BANQUo. Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink

is ready,

She strike upon the bell.

Get thee to bed.

[Exit Servant.

Is this a dagger, which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch

I have thee not; and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind; a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpabic
As this which now I draw.

Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o'the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still;
And on thy blade, and dudgeon, gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such

thing:

It is the bloody business, which informs

Thus to mine eyes.

Now o'er the one half
world

Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; now witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings; and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy

Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my where-about,
And take the present horror from the time,

Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he

lives;

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings.

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven, or to hell. [Exit.

SCENE II.

The same.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold:

What hath quench'd them, hath given me fire:

It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd
their possets,

That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live, or die.

Macb. (Within) Who's there? what, ho! Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd, And 'tis not done: the attempt, and not the deed,

Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the

Did not you speak?

crickets cry.

Who lies i'the second chamber?

Lady M. Donalbain.

Macb. This is a sorry sight.

[Looking on his hands. Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry

sight.

Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and one cried, murder!

That they did wake each other; I stood and heard them :

But they did say their prayers, and address'd them
Again to sleep.

Lady M. There are two lodg'd together.
Macb. One cried,

As they had seen me,
Listening their fear.

God bless us! and, Amen,

the other;

with these hangman's hands, I could not say, amen,

When they did say, God bless us.
Lady M. Consider it not so deeply.

Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce, amen ?

I had most need of blessing, and amen

Stuck in my throat.

Lady M These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep

no more!

Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep; Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second

course,

Chief nourisher in life's feast;

Lady M. What do you mean?

Macb. Still it cried, Sleep no more!

the house:

to all

Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more? Lady M. Who was it, that thus cried? Why worthy Thane,

You do unbend your noble strength, to think
So brainsickly of things: Go, get some water,

And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: Go, carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood.

Macb. I'll go no more:

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again, I dare not.

Lady M. Infirm of purpose?

Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead, Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood, That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,

I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal.

For it must seem their guilt.

[Exit. Knocking within.

Macb. Whence is that knocking!

How is't with me, when every noise appals me? What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine