With Tarquin's ravishing strides towards his design
Moves like a ghost.-Thou sure and firm-set earth,
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.

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.

SCENE II.-The same.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

[A bell rings.

[Exit.

LAD.. That which hath made them drunk hath made me

bold:

What hath quench'd them hath given me fire:-Hark!

Peace!

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, hoa!
LADY M. Alack! I am afraid they have awak'd,
And 't is not done:—the attempt, and not the deed,
Confounds us:-Hark!-I laid their daggers ready,
He could not miss them. Had he not resembled
My father as he slept I had done 't-My husband!

Enter MACBETH.

MACB. I have done the deed:-Didst thou not hear a

noise?

LADY M. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?

MACB. This is a sorry sight.

Donalbain.

[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, "Murther!" 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, "God bless us!" and "Amen," the

other;

As they had seen me, with these hangman's hands.

Listening their fear, 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 murther 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 meau?

MACB. Still it cried, "Sleep no more!" to all the house: "Glamis hath murther'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: 't is 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. Whence is that knocking?

MACB.

How is 't with me, when every noise appals me?

What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes!
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No; this my hand, will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green—one red.

Re-enter LADY MACBETH.

LADY M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a knocking At the south entry:-retire we to our chamber:

A little water clears us of this deed:

How easy is it then! Your constancy

Hath left you unattended. [Knocking.]

knocking:

Hark!

more

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers:-Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.

MACB. To know my deed, 't were best not know myself.

[Knock.

Wake Duncan with thy knocking; I would thou couldst!

SCENE III.-The same.

[Exeunt.

Enter a Porter. [Knocking within.

PORTER. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there, i' the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of

plenty: Come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for 't. [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Who's there, i' the other devil's name? 'Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven; O, come in, equivocator. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there? 'Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: Come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are you?— But this place is too cold for hell.

I'll devil

porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking.] Anon, anon; I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate.

Enter MACDUFF and LENOX.

MACD. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late?

PORT. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

MACD. What three things doth drink especially provoke? PORT. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him.

MACD. I believe, drink gave thee the lie last night.

PORT. That it did, sir, i' the very throat o' me: But I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a Ishift to cast him.

MACD. Is thy master stirring?—

Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes.

Enter MACBETH.

LEN. Good morrow, noble sir!

МАСВ.

Good-morrow, both!

MACD. Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

MACB.

Not yet.

MACD. He did command me to call timely on him;

I have almost slipp'd the hour.

MACB.
I'll bring you to him.
MACD. I know this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet 't is one.

MACB. The labour we delight in physics pain.
This is the door.

LEN. The night has been unruly: Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death:
And, prophesying with accents terrible

Of dire combustion and confus'd events,

New hatch'd to the woeful time,

The obscure bird clamour'd the live-long night:

Some say the earth was feverous, and did shake.
MACB. 'T was a rough night.

LEN. My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.

Re-enter MACDUFF.

MACD. O horror! horror! horror!

Tongue, nor heart, cannot conceive, nor name thee!
MACB., LEN. What's the matter?

MACD. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!

Most sacrilegious murther hath broke ope

The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence

The life o' the building.

MACB.

What is 't you say? the life?

LEN. Mean you his majesty?

MACD. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight With a new Gorgon:-Do not bid me speak;

See, and then speak yourselves.-Awake! awake!

[Exeunt MACBETH and LENOX