ANG. Who was the thane, lives yet;
But under heavy judgement bears that life
Which he deferves to lose. Whether he was
Combin'd with Norway; or did line the rebel
With hidden help and 'vantage; or that with both
He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not;
But treasons capital, confefs'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 'tis ftrange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

The inftruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honeft trifles, to betray us
In deepest consequence.—

Coufins, a word, I pray you.

MACB. Two truths are told,

As happy prologues to the fwelling act

Of the imperial theme. I thank you, gentlemen.-
This fupernatural foliciting

Cannot be ill; cannot be good :—If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of fuccefs,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whofe horrid image doth unfix my hair,

And make my feated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Prefent fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:

My thought, whofe murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes fo my fingle state of man, that function
Is fmother'd in furmife; 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 ftir.

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. Fores. A Room in the Palace.

Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DON ALBAIN, LENOX, and Attendants.

DUN. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commiffion yet return'd?

MAL. My liege,

They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that faw him die: who did report,

That very frankly he confefs'd his treafons;
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 hath been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 'twere a carelefs trifle.

DUN. There's no art,

To find the mind's conftruction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An abfolute truft.-O worthieft coufin!

Enter MACBETH, BAN QUO, ROSSE, and ANGUS.
The fin of my ingratitude even now

Was heavy on me: Thou art fo far before,
That swiftest wing of recompenfe is flow

To overtake thee. 'Would thou hadft lefs deferv'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 fervice 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 fervants;
Which do but what they fhould, by doing every thing
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,

Thát haft no less deferv'd, nor must be known
No less to have done fo, let me infold thee,
And hold thee to my heart.

grow,

BAN. There if I
The harvest is your own.

DUN. My plenteous joys,

Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of forrow.-Sons, kinfmen, thanes,
And you whofe places are the nearest, know,
We will establish our eftate upon

Our eldeft, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter,
The prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not, unaccompanied, inveft him only,

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

MACB. The reft is labour, which is not us'd for 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!

It is a banquet to me.
Let us after him,
Whofe care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinfman.

you:

[Afide.

MACB. The prince of Cumberland!—That is a step, On which I muft fall down, or elfe o'er-leap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light fee my black and deep defires: The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to fee. DUN. True, worthy Banquo; he is full fo valiant; And in his commendations I am fed;

[Exit.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE V. Invernefs. A Room in MACBETH's Castle. Enter Lady MACBETH, reading a letter.

LADY M.—They met me in the day of fuccefs; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burn'd in defire to question them

further, they made themselves—air, into which they vanish'd. Whiles I flood rapt in the wonder of it, came miffives from the king, who all-bail'd me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, thefe weird fifters faluted me, and referr'd me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that fhalt be! This bave I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou might'ft not lofe the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promifed 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 would't be great;

Art not without ambition; but without

The illness should attend it. What thou would'st highly,
That would'st thou holily; would'st not play false,
And yet would'ft wrongly win: thou'd'st have, great

Glamis,

That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have it ;
And that which rather thou doft fear to do,

Than wifheft should be undone. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chástise 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 mafter 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;