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  • Title: Macbeth (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: Anthony Dawson

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-528-5

    Copyright Anthony Dawson. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Anthony Dawson
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Macbeth (Folio 1, 1623)

    980 Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.
    Enter Banquo.
    Banq. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
    As the weyard Women promis'd, and I feare
    Thou playd'st most fowly for't: yet it was saide
    985It should not stand in thy Posterity,
    But that my selfe should be the Roote, and Father
    Of many Kings. If there come truth from them,
    As vpon thee Macbeth, their Speeches shine,
    Why by the verities on thee made good,
    990May they not be my Oracles as well,
    And set me vp in hope. But hush, no more.
    Senit sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady Lenox,
    Rosse, Lords, and Attendants.
    Macb. Heere's our chiefe Guest.
    995La. If he had beene forgotten,
    It had bene as a gap in our great Feast,
    And all-thing vnbecomming.
    Macb. To night we hold a solemne Supper sir,
    And Ile request your presence.
    1000Banq. Let your Highnesse
    Command vpon me, to the which my duties
    Are with a most indissoluble tye
    For euer knit.
    Macb. Ride you this afternoone?
    1005Ban. I, my good Lord.
    Macb. We should haue else desir'd your good aduice
    (Which still hath been both graue, and prosperous)
    In this dayes Councell: but wee'le take to morrow.
    Is't farre you ride?
    1010Ban. As farre, my Lord, as will fill vp the time
    'Twixt this, and Supper. Goe not my Horse the better,
    I must become a borrower of the Night,
    For a darke houre, or twaine.
    Macb. Faile not our Feast.
    1015Ban. My Lord, I will not.
    Macb. We heare our bloody Cozens are bestow'd
    In England, and in Ireland, not confessing
    Their cruell Parricide, filling their hearers
    With strange inuention. But of that to morrow,
    1020When therewithall, we shall haue cause of State,
    Crauing vs ioyntly. Hye you to Horse:
    Adieu, till you returne at Night.
    Goes Fleance with you?
    Ban. I, my good Lord: our time does call vpon's.
    1025Macb. I wish your Horses swift, and sure of foot:
    And so I doe commend you to their backs.
    Farwell. Exit Banquo.
    Let euery man be master of his time,
    Till seuen at Night, to make societie
    1030The sweeter welcome:
    We will keepe our selfe till Supper time alone:
    While then, God be with you. Exeunt Lords.
    Sirrha, a word with you: Attend those men
    Our pleasure?
    1035Seruant. They are, my Lord, without the Pallace
    Gate.
    Macb. Bring them before vs. Exit Seruant.
    To be thus, is nothing, but to be safely thus:
    Our feares in Banquo sticke deepe,
    1040And in his Royaltie of Nature reignes that
    Which would be fear'd. 'Tis much he dares,
    And to that dauntlesse temper of his Minde,
    He hath a Wisdome, that doth guide his Valour,
    To act in safetie. There is none but he,
    1045Whose being I doe feare: and vnder him,
    My Genius is rebuk'd, as it is said
    Mark Anthonies was by Caesar. He chid the Sisters,
    When first they put the Name of King vpon me,
    And bad them speake to him. Then Prophet-like,
    1050They hayl'd him Father to a Line of Kings.
    Vpon my Head they plac'd a fruitlesse Crowne,
    And put a barren Scepter in my Gripe,
    Thence to be wrencht with an vnlineall Hand,
    No Sonne of mine succeeding: if't be so,
    1055For Banquo's Issue haue I fil'd my Minde,
    For them, the gracious Duncan haue I murther'd,
    Put Rancours in the Vessell of my Peace
    Onely for them, and mine eternall Iewell
    Giuen to the common Enemie of Man,
    1060To make them Kings, the Seedes of Banquo Kings.
    Rather then so, come Fate into the Lyst,
    And champion me to th'vtterance.
    Who's there?
    Enter Seruant, and two Murtherers.
    1065Now goe to the Doore, and stay there till we call.
    Exit Seruant.
    Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
    Murth. It was, so please your Highnesse.
    Macb. Well then,
    1070Now haue you consider'd of my speeches:
    Know,
    140The Tragedie of Macbeth.
    Know, that it was he, in the times past,
    Which held you so vnder fortune,
    Which you thought had been our innocent selfe.
    This I made good to you, in our last conference,
    1075Past in probation with you:
    How you were borne in hand, how crost:
    The Instruments: who wrought with them:
    And all things else, that might
    To halfe a Soule, and to a Notion craz'd,
    1080Say, Thus did Banquo.
    1.Murth. You made it knowne to vs.
    Macb. I did so:
    And went further, which is now
    Our point of second meeting.
    1085Doe you finde your patience so predominant,
    In your nature, that you can let this goe?
    Are you so Gospell'd, to pray for this good man,
    And for his Issue, whose heauie hand
    Hath bow'd you to the Graue, and begger'd
    1090Yours for euer?
    1.Murth. We are men, my Liege.
    Macb. I, in the Catalogue ye goe for men,
    As Hounds, and Greyhounds, Mungrels, Spaniels, Curres,
    Showghes, Water-Rugs, and Demy-Wolues are clipt
    1095All by the Name of Dogges: the valued file
    Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
    The House-keeper, the Hunter, euery one
    According to the gift, which bounteous Nature
    Hath in him clos'd: whereby he does receiue
    1100Particular addition, from the Bill,
    That writes them all alike: and so of men.
    Now, if you haue a station in the file,
    Not i'th' worst ranke of Manhood, say't,
    And I will put that Businesse in your Bosomes,
    1105Whose execution takes your Enemie off,
    Grapples you to the heart; and loue of vs,
    Who weare our Health but sickly in his Life,
    Which in his Death were perfect.
    2.Murth. I am one, my Liege,
    1110Whom the vile Blowes and Buffets of the World
    Hath so incens'd, that I am recklesse what I doe,
    To spight the World.
    1.Murth. And I another,
    So wearie with Disasters, tugg'd with Fortune,
    1115That I would set my Life on any Chance,
    To mend it, or be rid on't.
    Macb. Both of you know Banquo was your Enemie.
    Murth. True, my Lord.
    Macb. So is he mine: and in such bloody distance,
    1120That euery minute of his being, thrusts
    Against my neer'st of Life: and though I could
    With bare-fac'd power sweepe him from my sight,
    And bid my will auouch it; yet I must not,
    For certaine friends that are both his, and mine,
    1125Whose loues I may not drop, but wayle his fall,
    Who I my selfe struck downe: and thence it is,
    That I to your assistance doe make loue,
    Masking the Businesse from the common Eye,
    For sundry weightie Reasons.
    11302.Murth. We shall, my Lord,
    Performe what you command vs.
    1.Murth. Though our Liues--
    Macb. Your Spirits shine through you.
    Within this houre, at most,
    1135I will aduise you where to plant your selues,
    Acquaint you with the perfect Spy o'th' time,
    The moment on't, for't must be done to Night,
    And something from the Pallace: alwayes thought,
    That I require a clearenesse; and with him,
    1140To leaue no Rubs nor Botches in the Worke:
    Fleans, his Sonne, that keepes him companie,
    Whose absence is no lesse materiall to me,
    Then is his Fathers, must embrace the fate
    Of that darke houre: resolue your selues apart,
    1145Ile come to you anon.
    Murth. We are resolu'd, my Lord.
    Macb. Ile call vpon you straight: abide within,
    It is concluded: Banquo, thy Soules flight,
    If it finde Heauen, must finde it out to Night. Exeunt.
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