2

That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd,
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?

1 Mur.

We are men, my liege.

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

2

Are you so gospell'd,] Are you of that degree of precise virtue? Gospeller was a name of contempt given by the Papists to the Lollards, the puritans of early times, and the precursors of protestantism. JOHNSON.

3 Shoughs,] Shoughs are probably what we now call shocks, demi-wolves, lycisca; dogs bred between wolves and dogs.

4

the valued file-) In this speech the word file occurs twice. 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 them 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.

Have so incens'd, that I am reckless what

I do, to spite the world.

1 Mur.

And I another, So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortun That I would set my life on any chance,

To mend it, or be rid on't.

That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life: And though I co With bare-fac'd power sweep him from my s And bid my will avouch it; yet I must not, For certain friends that are both his and min Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fal Whom I myself struck down: and thence it That I to your assistance do make love; Masking the business from the common eye,

For sundry weighty reasons.

2 Mur.

We shall, myl

Perform what you command us.
1 Mur.
Though our live
Macb. Your spirits shine through you. V
this hour, at most,
I will advise you where to plant yourselves.
Acquaint you with the perfect spy o'the time,
The moment on't;" for't must be done to-nigh

5 in such bloody distance,] By bloody distance is here such a distance as mortal enemies would stand at from each when their quarrel must be determined by the sword. This seems evident from the continuation of the metaphor, every minute of his being is represented as thrusting at the a part where life resides.

• For certain friends-] For, in the present instance, się because of.

7

Acquaint you with the perfect spy o'the time,

The moment on't;] i. e. in ancient language, " acq

ody distance is bere mes stand at from each other, the sword. This sense the metaphor, where thrusting at the news

ent instance, siguines

And something from the palace; always thought,
That I require a clearness: And with him,
(To leave no rubs, nor botches, 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

Resolve yourselves apart;

Of that dark hour.
I'll come to you anon.
2 Mur.
We are resolv'd, my lord.
Macb. I'll call upon you straight; abide within.
It is concluded:- Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out to-night.

SCENE II.

The same. Another Room.

[Exeunt.

Enter Lady MACBETH and a Servant.

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.

Lady M.

[Exit.

Nought's had, all's spent,

Where our desire is got without content:
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy,

Than, by destruction, dwell in doubtful joy.

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. You is ungrammatically employed, instead of yourselves.

- always thought,

1

Enter MAСВЕТН.

9

How now, my lord? why do you keep alo
Of sorriest fancies your companions makin
Using those thoughts, which should indeed
With them they think on? Things without
Should be without regard: what's done, is c

Macb. We have scotch'd1 the snake, not
She'll close, and be herself; whilst our poor
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let

The frame of things disjoint, both the worlds
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams,
That shake us nightly: Better be with the de
Whom we, to gain our place, have sent to pe
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstacy. Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor po
Malice domestick, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further!

Lady M. Come on;

Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;
Be bright and jovial 'mong your guests to-night.
Macb. So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be y
Let your remembrance apply to Banquo;
Present him eminence, both with eye and tongu
Unsafe the while, that we

Must lave our honours in these flattering stream
And make our faces vizards to our hearts,
Disguising what they are.

9

1

sorriest fancies-] i. e. worthless, ignoble, vile. scotch'd-] i. e. cut slightly.

Enter MACBETH.

d? why do you keep alme your companions making ts, which should indeed hue. ak on? Things without gard: what's done, is de otch'd' the snake, not erself; whilst our poor ma her former tooth.

joint, both the worlds siz in fear, and sleep terrible dreams, Better be with the dead.

ace, have sent to peace, e mind to lie

in is in his grave;

eeps well;
nor steel, nor poisin,

vy, nothing,

rugged looks; guests to-night. So, I pray, be you: Banquo; a eye and tongue:

ttering streams; hearts,

МАСВЕТΗ.

You must leave this.

365

Lady M.
Macb. O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!
Thou know'st, that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives.
Lady M. But in them nature's copy's not eterne.*
Macb. There's comfort yet; they are assailable;
Then be thou jocund: Ere the bat hath flown
His cloister'd flight; ere, to black Hecate's sum-

mons,

The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums,
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadful note.

Lady M.

What's to be done?

Macb. Be innocent of

the knowledge, dearest

chuck,

6

Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling 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; and the

crow

Makes wing to the rooky wood:

Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.
Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;
Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill:
So, pr'ythee, go with me.

4

[Exeunt.

nature's copy's not eterne.] The copy, the lease, by which they hold their lives from nature, has its time of termination limited. JOHNSON.

5 The shard-borne beetle,] The shard-borne beetle is the beetle borne along the air by its shards or scaly wings.

6

- Come, seeling night,] Seeling, i. e. blinding. It is a term in falconry.