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Macb. This is a sorry sight.

Donalbain.

[Looking on his hands.

Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and one

cried, murder!

That they did wake each other; I stood and heard them: But they did say their prayers, and address'd them

Again to sleep.

Lady M.

There are two lodg'd together.

Macb. One cried, God bless us! and, Amen, the other; As they had seen me,' with these hangman's hands. Listening their fear, I could not say, amen,

When they did say, God bless us.

Lady M.

Consider it not so deeply.

Macb. But wherefore could not I pronounce, amen?

I had most need of blessing, and amen

Stuck in my throat.

Lady M.

These deeds must not be thought

After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

Macb. Methought, I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep;

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave2 of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.
Lady M.

What do you mean?

Macb. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the house; Glamis hath murder'd sleep; and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more!

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Lady M. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy

You do unbend your noble strength, to think

So brainsickly of things :- Go, get some water,
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.-

y As they had seen me,] i. e. As if.

[thane,

sleave-] This word signifies the ravell'd knotty part of the silk, which gives great trouble and embarrassment to the knitter or weaver.HEATH.

Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
They must lie there: Go, carry them; and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood.

Macb.

I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again, I dare not.

Lady M.

Infirm of purpose!

Give me the daggers: The sleeping, and the dead,
Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood,

That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,

I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,

For it must seem their guilt. [Exit. Knocking within. Whence is that knocking?

Mách.

How is❜t with me, when every noise appals me ?

What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes!
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnardine,a

Making the green, one red.

Re-enter Lady MACBETH.

Lady M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knock.] I hear a knocking At the south entry :-retire we to our chamber:

A little water clears us of this deed:

How easy is it then? Your constancy

Hath left you unattended.-[Knocking.] Hark! more knocking :

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers :-Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.

Macb. To know my deed,-'twere best not know

myself.b

[Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou could'st!

a

[Exeunt.

multitudinous seas incarnardine,] i. e. Will give the tint of blood to the multitude of the waves of the sea :-carnardine is the old term for carnation. To know my deed,-'twere best not know myself.] In answer to Lady Macbeth's injunction, that he will not be lost in his own thoughts, he replies, "While I have the thoughts of this deed, it were best not know, or be lost to, myself.-WARBurton.

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Porter. Here's a knocking, indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: Come in time; have napkins enough about you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Who's there, i'the other devil's name? 'Faith here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator. [Knocking.] Knock, knock, knock: Who's there? 'Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: Come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. [Knocking.] Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are you?-But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking.] Anon, anon; I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate.

Enter MACDUFF and LENOX.

Macd. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, you do lie so late?

That

Port. 'Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Macd. What three things does drink especially provoke?

Port. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes : it provokes the

C

d

old-] i. e. Frequent, more than enough.

the second cock:] Cockcrowing. It is evident from the following lines in Romeo and Juliet, that the second cock means about three in the morning: the second cock has crow'd;

The curfew bell has toll'd:-'tis three o'clock.”

desire, but it takes away the performance: Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery : it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the lie, leaves him.

Macd. I believe, drink gave thee the lie last night.

Port. That it did, sir, i'the very throat o'me: But I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I made a shift to cast him.e

Macd. Is thy master stirring ?

Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes.

Enter MACBeth.

Len. Good-morrow, noble sir!

Macb.

Good-morrow, both!

Not yet.

Macd. Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

Macb.

Macd. He did command me to call timely on him; I have almost slipp'd the hour.

Macb.

I'll bring you to him.

Macd, I know, this is a joyful trouble to you;

But yet, 'tis one.

Macb. The labour we delight in, physicks pain, This is the door.

Macd.

I'll make so bold to call,

For 'tis my limited service.

Len. Goes the king hence to-day?
Macb.

[Exit MACDUFf.

He does :-he did appoint so.

Len. The night has been unruly: Where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say, Lamentings heard i'the air; strange screams of death; And prophecying, with accents terrible,

e

to cast him.] i. e. To cast him up, to ease my stomach of him.-The equivocation is between cast or throw as a term of wrestling, and cast or cast up. -JOHNSON.

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- physicks pain.].i. e. Remedies the trouble of the labour.
limited i. e. Appointed.

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