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Inverness. Court within the Castle. | |
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Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, with a Servant bearing a torch before him. | |
Ban. How goes the night, boy? | |
Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. | |
Ban. And she goes down at twelve. | 5 |
Fle. I take t, tis later, sir. | |
Ban. Hold, take my sword. Theres husbandry in heaven; | |
Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. | |
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, | |
And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers! | 10 |
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature | |
Gives way to in repose. | |
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Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch. | |
Give me my sword. | |
Whos there? | 15 |
Macb. A friend. | |
Ban. What, sir! not yet at rest? The kings a bed: | |
He hath been in unusual pleasure, and | |
Sent forth great largess to your offices. | |
This diamond he greets your wife withal, | 20 |
By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up | |
In measureless content. | |
Macb. Being unprepard, | |
Our will became the servant to defect, | |
Which else should free have wrought. | 25 |
Ban. Alls well. | |
I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: | |
To you they have showd some truth. | |
Macb. I think not of them: | |
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, | 30 |
We would spend it in some words upon that business, | |
If you would grant the time. | |
Ban. At your kindst leisure. | |
Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent, when tis, | |
It shall make honour for you. | 35 |
Ban. So I lose none | |
In seeking to augment it, but still keep | |
My bosom franchisd and allegiance clear, | |
I shall be counselld. | |
Macb. Good repose the while! | 40 |
Ban. Thanks, sir: the like to you. [Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE. | |
Macb. Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready | |
She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. [Exit Servant. | |
Is this a dagger which I see before me, | |
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: | 45 |
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. | |
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible | |
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but | |
A dagger of the mind, a false creation, | |
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? | 50 |
I see thee yet, in form as palpable | |
As this which now I draw. | |
Thou marshallst me the way that I was going; | |
And such an instrument I was to use. | |
Mine eyes are made the fools o the other senses, | 55 |
Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still; | |
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, | |
Which was not so before. Theres no such thing: | |
It is the bloody business which informs | |
Thus to mine eyes. Now oer the one half-world | 60 |
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse | |
The curtaind sleep; witchcraft celebrates | |
Pale Hecates offerings; and witherd murder, | |
Alarumd by his sentinel, the wolf, | |
Whose howls his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, | 65 |
With Tarquins ravishing strides, toward 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 whereabout, | |
And take the present horror from the time, | 70 |
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat he lives: | |
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings. | |
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. [Exit. | 75 |
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