ACT III.

SCENE I.-Forres. A Room in the Palace.

Enter BANQUO.

Ban. Thou hast it now, king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promis'd; and I fear
Thou play'dst most foully for 't: yet it was said,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; LADY MACBETH, as Queen; LENOXx, ROSSE, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants.

Macb. Here's our chief guest.

Lady M.

If he had been forgotten

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all-thing unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir,

And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban.

Ay, my good lord.

Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous)

In this day's council; but we 'll take to morrow.
Is 't far you ride?

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time
Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,
I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour, or twain.

Macb.

Fail not our feast.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd In England, and in Ireland; not confessing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention: But of that to-morrow; When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state, Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: Adieu, Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you? Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon us. Macb. I wish your horses swift and sure of foot; And so I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell.

Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night; to make society

[Exit BANQUO.

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you. [Exeunt LADY MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c. Sirrah, a word with you: Attend those men our pleasure?

Attend. They are, my lord, without the palace gate. Macb. Bring them before us.-|

thus, is nothing;

-[Exit Atten.] To be

But to be safely thus:-Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd: 't is much he dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

a Take. This is generally altered to talk. It is difficult to imagine a more unnecessary change. Who could doubt our meaning if we were to say, "Well, sir, if you cannot come this afternoon, we will take to-morrow?"

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear; and under him
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac'd a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If it be so,
For Banquo's issue have I fil'd my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murther'd:
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace,
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance!

Who's there?—

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.

[Exit Attendant.

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1 Mur. It was, so please your highness.
Macb.
Well then, now
Have you consider'd of my speeches? Know,
That it was he, in the times past, which held you
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; how cross'd; the instruments;

A Fil'd-defiled.

b Utterance.-The French combat-à-outrance.

e Borne in hand-encouraged by false hopes.

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
Your patience so predominant in your nature,
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 housekeeper, 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,
Not in the worst ranka 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,

a In the preceding part of this speech a distinction is drawn between the catalogue and the valued file. The catalogue contains the names of all; the valued file, select names. So in these lines there may be a "station in the file" above that of the "worst rank." The rank, then, is the row,-the file, those set apart from the row, for superior qualities. Is not this the meaning of the military term, rank and file, which is still in

use ?

Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
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 fortune,
That I would set my life on any chance,

To mend it, or be rid on 't.

Macb.

Both of you

Know, Banquo was your enemy.

2 Mur.

True, my lord.
Macb. So is he mine; and in such bloody distance,
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 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.

2 Mur.

We shall, my lord,

Perform what you command us.

1 Mur.

Though our lives-

Macb. Your spirits shine through you. Within 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-night,b
And something from the palace; always thought

a For-on account of-because of.

b We understand this passage as follows. Macbeth has said, "I will advise you where to plant yourselves:"

he then adds, "Acquaint you"-inform yourselves" with the perfect spy "-with a most careful inquiry-"o' the time "-the expected time of Banquo's return;

"The moment on 't; for 't must be done to-night."