As breath into the wind.-'Would, they had staid! Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak about? Or have we eaten of the insane root, That takes the reason prisoner? Mach. Your children shall be kings. You shall be king. Mach. And thane of Cawdor too; went it not so? Ban. To the selfsame tune, and words. Who's here? Enter ROSSE and ANGUS. Rosse. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, The news of thy success: and when he reads Which should be thine, or his: Silenc'd with that, In viewing o'er the rest o' the selfsame day, Rosse. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine. Ban. What, can the devil speak true? Mach. The thane of Cawdor lives? Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes? Ang. Who was the thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combin'd With those of 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; 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 strange: Cousins, a word, I pray you. Macb. Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act men. This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good :-If ill, My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, 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 stir. Ban. New honours come upon him Like our strange garments; cleave not to their mould, 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 leafto 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 Ban. Very gladly. Macb. Till then, enough.-Come, friends. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Fores. A Room in the Palace. Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENOX, and Attendants. Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commission yet return'd? Mal. My liege, They are not yet come back. But I have spoke With one that saw him die: who did report, That very frankly he confess'd his treasons; 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 had been studied in his death, To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd, As 'twere a careless trifle. Dun. There's no art, To find the mind's construction in the face: Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSSE, and ANGUS. The sin of my ingratitude even now Was heavy on me: Thou art so far before, That the proportion both of thanks and payment Macb. The service 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 ser vants; Which do but what they should, 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, That hast no less deserv'd, nor must be known No less to have done so, let me enfold thee, And hold thee to my heart. Ban. There if I grow, The harvest is your own. Our eldest, Malcolm; whom we name hereafter, But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine Mach. The rest is labour, which is not us'd for you: 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! Mach. The prince of Cumberland!-That is a step, On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, [Aside. For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. [Exit. Dun. True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant; And in his commendations I am fed ; SCENE V. Inverness. A Room in Macbeth's Castle. Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a Letter. Lady M. They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves -air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me, Thane of Cawdor; by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, Hail, king that shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised 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'st 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'st wrongly win; thou'd'st have, great Glamis, That which cries, Thus thou must do, if thou have it; Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, Enter an Attendant. Attend. The king comes here to-night. Lady M. Thou'rt mad to say it: Is not thy master with him? who, wer't so, Would have inform'd for preparation. |