Ban.
Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis ^note all,
As ^note the weird ^note women ^note promised, and I fear
Thou play'dst most foully ^note 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 ^note—
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well
And set me up in hope? ^note But hush, no more. Sennet sounded. ^note Enter Macbeth, as king; Lady Macbeth, as queen; Lennox, Ross, ^note Lords, Ladies ^note, and Attendants.

Macb.
Here's our chief guest.

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

Macb.
To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir,
And I'll ^note request your presence.

Ban.
Let your highness ^note
Command upon ^note me, to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
For ever knit.

Macb.
Ride you this afternoon?

Ban.
Ay, my good lord.

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

Ban.
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.

Macb.
Fail not our feast.

Ban.
My lord, I will not.

Macb.
We hear our bloody cousins are bestow'd
In England and in Ireland, not confessing
Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers
With strange invention: but of that to-morrow,
When therewithal we shall have cause of state
Craving us jointly. Hie you ^note to horse: adieu,
Till you ^note return at night. Goes Fleance with you?

Ban.
Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon's ^note.

Macb.
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, ^note we will keep ourself
Till supper-time alone: while ^note then, God be with ^note you ^note! [Exeunt ^note all but Macbeth and an Attendant. ^{note note}
Sirrah, a word with you ^note: attend those men
Our pleasure?

Attend.
They are, my lord, without the palace-gate. ^note

Macb.
Bring them before us. [Exit Attendant. ^note
To be thus is nothing;
But ^note to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares, ^note
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 ^note Antony's was by Cæsar. ^{note note} He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade ^note them speak to him; then prophet-like
They hail'd 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 wrench'd with ^note an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If't be ^note so,
For Banquo's issue have I filed ^note my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
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 seed ^note of Banquo kings! ^note
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance! Who's there? ^note Re-enter ^note Attendant, with two Murderers.
Now ^note go ^note to the door, and stay there till we call. [Exit Attendant. ^note
Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

First Mur. ^note
It was, so please your highness.

Macb.
Well then, now
Have you ^note consider'd of my speeches? ^note 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, pass'd in probation with you ^note,
How you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments,
Who wrought with them, and all things else that might ^note
To half a soul and to a notion crazed
Say ‘Thus did Banquo.’

First Mur.
You made it known to us. ^note

Macb.
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 gospell'd,
To pray for this good man and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave
And beggar'd yours for ever? ^note

First Mur.
We are men, my liege.

Macb.
Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;
As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs ^note, water-rugs and demi-wolves, are clept ^note
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 ^note
That writes them all alike: and so of men.
Now if you have a station in the file,
Not i' the ^note worst ^note rank of manhood, say it ^note,
And I will put that ^note 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.

Sec. Mur.
I am one, my liege ^note,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Have ^note so incensed that I am reckless what
I do ^note to spite the world.

First Mur.
And I another
So weary ^note with disasters, tugg'd ^note with fortune,
That I would set my life on any chance,
To mend it or be rid on't.

Macb.
Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy. ^note

Both Mur.
True, my lord.

Macb.
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 ^note I myself struck down: and thence it is ^note
That I to your assistance do make love,
Masking the business from the common eye
For sundry weighty reasons.

Sec. Mur.
We shall, my lord,
Perform what you command us.

First Mur.
Though our lives—

Macb.
Your spirits shine through you. Within ^note this hour at most ^{note note}

I will advise you where to plant yourselves, ^note
Acquaint you ^note with the perfect spy o' the ^note time,
The moment on't; for't must be done to-night,
And something from the palace; always thought ^note
That I require a clearness: ^note 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 ^note anon.

Both Mur.
We are resolved, my lord ^note.

Macb.
I'll call upon you straight: abide within. [Exeunt Murderers. ^note
It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul's flight,
If it find heaven, must find it out to-night. [Exit. ^{note note}

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