How now? what news?

Lady.
He's almost supp'd; why have you left the chamber?

Macb.
Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady.
Know you not he has?

Macb.
We will proceed no further in this business.
He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which should be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady.
Was the hope drunk,
Wherein you drest your self? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? from this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afraid
To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem?
Letting I dare not, wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i'th' adage.

Macb.
Pr'ythee, peace:
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none.

Lady.
What beast was't then,
That made you break this enterprize to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And (to be more than what you were) you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place
Did then co-here, and yet you would make both:
They've made themselves, and that their fitness now
Do's unmake you. I have giv'n suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me—
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluckt my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dasht the brains out, had I but so sworn
As you have done to this.

Macb.
If we should fail?—

Lady.
We fail!
But screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall this day's hard journey
Soundly invite him) his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel so convince,
That memory (the warder of the brain)
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only; when in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
Th' unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spungy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?

Macb.
Bring forth men-children only!
For thy undaunted metal should compose
Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,
When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have don't?

Lady.
Who dares receive it other,
As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar,
Upon his death?

Macb.
I'm setled, and bend up
Each corp'ral agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt.

Previous section