Forres. A Room in the Palace.
 Enter BANQUO.

Banquo	Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all
	As the Weird women promised; and I fear
	Thou playedst 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.

                             Sennet sounded.
              Enter MACBETH as King, LADY MACBETH as Queen,
                   LENNOX, ROSS, LORDS, and ATTENDANTS.

Macbeth	Here's our chief guest.

Lady Macbeth							If he had been forgotten
	It had been as a gap in our great feast,
	And all-thing unbecoming.

Macbeth	Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,
	And I'll request your presence.

Banquo									Let your highness
	Command upon me, to the which my duties
	Are with a most indissoluble tie
	Forever knit.

Macbeth	Ride you this afternoon?

Banquo									Ay, my good lord.

Macbeth	We should have else desired your good advice,
	Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,
	In this day's council; but we'll take tomorrow.
	Is't far you ride?

Banquo	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.

Macbeth								Fail not our feast.

Banquo	My lord, I will not.

Macbeth	We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed
	In England and in Ireland, not confessing
	Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
	With strange invention. But of that tomorrow,
	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?

Banquo	Ay, my good lord; our time does call upon's.

Macbeth	I wish your horses swift and sure of foot;
	And so I do commend you to their backs.
	Farewell.
												[Exit BANQUO.
	Let every man be master of his time
	Till seven at night.
	To make society the sweeter welcome,
	We will keep ourself till suppertime alone.
	While then, God be with you.
						  [Exeunt all but MACBETH and a SERVANT.

									Sirrah, a word with you.
	Attend those men our pleasure?

Servant	They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

Macbeth	Bring them before us.
												[Exit SERVANT.
							To be thus is nothing
	But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo
	Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature
	Reigns that which would be feared. 'Tis much he dares,
	And to that dauntless temper of his mind
	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 rebuked as, it is said,
	Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
	When first they put the name of king upon me,
	And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
	They hailed him father to a line of kings.
	Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown
	And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
	Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,
	No son of mine succeeding. If't be so,
	For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind,
	For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered,
	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 seeds of Banquo kings!
	Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
	And champion me to th' utterance! Who's there?

                  Re-enter SERVANT, with two MURDERERS.

	Now, go to the door and stay there till we call.
												[Exit SERVANT.
	Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

1st Murderer	It was, so please your highness.

Macbeth										Well then, now
	Have you considered 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; passed in probation with you
	How you were borne in hand, how crossed, the instruments,
	Who wrought with them, and all things else that might
	To half a soul and to a notion crazed
	Say 'Thus did Banquo'.

1st Murderer								You made it known to us.

Macbeth	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 gospelled
	To pray for this good man and for his issue,
	Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave,
	And beggared yours for ever?

1st Murderer										We are men, my liege.

Macbeth	Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,
	As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
	Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are clept
	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 closed; 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 i'th' worst rank of manhood, say't,
	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.

2nd Murderer										I am one, my liege,
	Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
	Hath so incensed that I am reckless what
	I do to spite the world.

1st Murderer								And I another,
	So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune,
	That I would set my life on any chance
	To mend it or be rid on't.

Macbeth									Both of you
	Know Banquo was your enemy.

2nd Murderer										True, my lord.

Macbeth	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 barefaced 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
	Who 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.

2nd Murderer									We shall, my lord,
	Perform what you command us.

1st Murderer								Though our lives-

Macbeth	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'th' time,
	The moment on't; for't must be done tonight,
	And something from the palace; always thought
	That I require a clearness; and with him,
	To leave no rubs nor botches in the work,
	Fleance his son that keeps him company,
	Whose absence is no less material to me
	Than is his father's, must embrace the fate
	Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart;
	I'll come to you anon.

2nd Murderer								We are resolved, my lord.

Macbeth	I'll call upon you straight: abide within.
												[Exeunt MURDERERS.
	It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul's flight,
	If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.
												[Exit.
